Page 33 of Mysterious Mate

Willow rolled back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Tell anyone who asks that you’re showing me the best time of my life.”

Cage smiled down at her, smoothing her hair back. “And you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Now get your sweet little ass in gear.”

She fell back as he chuckled and walked away. Getting out of bed, she went into the shower. Standing under the rainfall showerhead, she pushed away the two things she knew without reservation: there was something Cage wasn’t telling her, and their time together would soon be drawing to a close. The first was actually something she could live with. The second would wreck her, and she would never be the same. Never truly whole again. But if that was the price she had to pay for this precious time she had left, it was one she would gladly pay.

Once dressed, she pasted a smile on her face and headed downstairs to face whatever he had planned, filled with the certain knowledge their days together were drawing to a close.

CHAPTER 17

WILLOW

She loved mornings here on the island—the sun cast its warm golden light over the entire place but seemed to focus most on the beach as Willow and Cage walked along the shore, the sound of crashing waves mingling with the cries of seagulls. Cage carried a large basket in one hand and a blanket draped over his arm. There was an easy charm about the man, but Willow had begun to wonder if it wasn’t something he put on for her.

There was something dark and predatory about Cage—something that went beyond the usual taciturn and controlled personality that so many professional soldiers had to adopt in order to survive. It was a kind of armor they wore, but not one that was easily removed. When she held him in her arms, or offered him pleasure, she got a sense of the real man, the one who could and would keep her safe, but it was only in those rare moments, right after he came, that she thought he was truly relaxed.

As they reached a quiet spot near the water, he spread out the blanket, smoothing it over the sand with practiced ease. Willow sat down, drawing her knees to her chest as she watched the waves. The ocean had always been a source of solace for her, its vastness a reminder of the world’s beauty and the promise of escape.

"I think I could stay here forever," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the sound of the surf.

Cage settled beside her, his eyes studying her face. "You’ve been quiet and restless lately. Are you worried about something?"

Willow was a little surprised he had noticed. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak right away. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and doubt, the impending court date looming like a storm on the horizon. And like many storms, there was another coming in right behind it.

"Yes," she finally admitted. "I am. It’s almost all I can think about."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with all that had been left unspoken. Willow knew that Cage understood, that he could see the shadows of her past with Frank Carlyle haunting her every step. She didn’t want to burden him, but she needed him to understand the weight she carried.

"You’re brave, you know," Cage said, breaking the silence. "Testifying against him takes a lot of courage, but just because you testify doesn’t mean they convict him or that his operation will be dismantled."

"Brave?" Willow echoed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Or just crazy? Look at where it’s gotten me. Hiding, afraid for my life, not even sure if I’ll make it to testify. Is that really bravery? And now you tell me the whole thing might be for nothing?"

Cage reached out, taking her hand in his. His grip was firm, reassuring. "It’s more bravery than many soldiers ever display. You’re standing up to a monster, trying to do good in the world. That’s not something everyone can do."

Willow squeezed his hand, a flicker of resolve igniting within her. "I do want to stop him," she said softly. "Not for what he did to me, but for all the things he did to others, all the horrors his arms visited on others. I can’t let him, or the Shadow League, continue hurting people."

Cage stood then, pulling her up with him. His eyes were intense, filled with a determination that mirrored her own. "I’ll protect you for as long as I’m breathing," he said, his voice steady. "And if the day comes when someone tries to separate me from you with my death, I will reach beyond the grave to protect you still. I intend to make up for the past you were forced to endure."

Willow looked at him, her heart swelling with gratitude and something deeper, something that felt like hope. Cage’s words were odd, but they held a promise she desperately needed. As they stood together on the beach, the future didn’t seem quite so terrifying. With Cage by her side, she felt like maybe, just maybe, she could face whatever came next.

CAGE

Cage felt a heavy weight settle over him as he began gathering up the remains of their picnic. The sun was at the midpoint of the day and had begun casting shadows across the beach. The once serene sound of the waves lapping against the shore had shifted as the surge began to build, and they rushed in, crashing against anything in their way. They now seemed ominous and some kind of portent of what was to come.

Willow took his hand and got to her feet quietly. She seemed lost in thought as she stared out at the relentless ocean. Cage tried not to think too far into the future, mostly because he didn’t like what he saw. A heart he had once thought long dead now ached with the thought of what was to come and what it would mean… for both of them.

He hadn’t been lying to her when he said that her decision to testify against her ex was both a beacon for others to do the right thing and a looming catastrophe. Cage admired her courage, her determination to seek justice for herself and others. But he was also acutely aware of the dangers she was unwittingly exposing the entire shifter race to. Carlyle’s influence and reach were vast, and the last thing they needed was for their world to be thrust into the spotlight. In a perfect world, the Shadow League would see the bastard for the threat he was and remove him, but he didn’t hold out much hope for that. He needed to broach the subject with Colby about his moving directly against Carlyle.

Cage packed the empty containers back into the basket, his mind racing. Willow was having a difficult time understanding the full extent of the danger she was putting everyone in—mostly because she was unaware of it. She was human and had no knowledge that shifters even existed. The shifter community had remained hidden for centuries, and one slip could unravel everything. Yet, after hearing the horrors Carlyle had inflicted on her, Cage found it impossible to blame her for wanting her ex brought to justice. He would want the same.

Despite his reassurances that the Resistance would ensure her safety, that they would put Carlyle out of commission, Cage knew it was hard for Willow to trust anything beyond the legal system she had been raised to believe in. How could she trust people and a society she knew nothing about? The human world operated on rules and laws, on evidence and courtrooms. The shifter world, however, was governed by a different set of principles, ones where justice was swift and often brutal. If Cage had his way, in Carlyle’s case it would be fatal.

As he folded the blanket, Cage’s thoughts turned darker. What was the best course of action? He could turn her, making her a shifter. That would bind her to their world, their rules, and offer a layer of protection she couldn’t get as a human. But the consequences of such a decision were immense. Willow might never forgive him if he turned her without her consent. But how was he supposed to get consent if he didn’t explain who and what shifters were? The transformation was irreversible, and he couldn’t bear the thought of her hating him for the rest of their lives.

The alternative wasn’t much better. Allowing her to remain human meant she would continue to be a target, isolated and vulnerable. Colby and the others could keep her safe for now, but how long could they maintain that? And at what cost to their own security? The thought of neutralizing her, of taking away her freedom, was abhorrent. Cage couldn’t stomach the idea of treating Willow as a mere pawn in their game of survival.

His hands trembled as he tied the basket shut. Willow’s voice broke through his turmoil. "What’s wrong?" she asked, her gaze piercing through his feigned composure.

He shook his head, forcing a smile. "Nothing."

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