Page 8 of Mysterious Mate

“You’re a fucking Neanderthal…”

“So my mate tells me on a regular basis, but here’s the deal—you can’t just ignore that connection. Ask Brie. She knows that all too well.”

Cage refused to rise to the bait or to indulge Colby’s romantic nonsense. “She’s running from her husband,” Cage repeated, as if trying to make Colby understand the gravity of the situation. “And she’s got information about Frank Carlyle and the shifter world that could be dangerous. Turning her might nullify that, but it’s not a decision I can make lightly.”

Colby nodded. “True. But you also can’t deny what you feel. You’re connected to her, Cage. And she’s going to need you, whether she realizes it or not.”

Cage grumbled, feeling the weight of the complications bearing down on him. Willow was beautiful, strong, and clearly in need of protection. But they were two entirely different people from two different worlds. How could he bridge that gap?

Cage watched Colby intently, the tension between them easing slightly as they shifted their focus to the matter at hand. Cage hated the computer room. It was devoid of any kind of comforting smell or feel but was the only place they could have their serious conversations.

“So, explain to me again exactly how Willow ended up here?” Cage asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and frustration.

Colby leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled in front of him. “We think that while she may have entered into her marriage with her husband fairly innocent, we believe that over the years she caught on to what he was doing. At some point she must have realized she was trapped. She managed to gather information not only on Frank but on his dealings with the Shadow League.”

“Gutsy girl.”

“More so than any of us guessed. We’ve been worried about the League’s ongoing intrusion into the criminal side of non-shifter society so when we found a credible link to a notorious arms dealer, we began to track it down. When he discovered her gone, Frank put out a contract on her… so did the Shadow League. Willow’s got a lot of information that could ruin all of them. Katie O’Neill reached out to the Shadow Sisters, who in turn recruited the Resistance’s help. Once we got wind of it, we decided she needed our protection. That’s where you come in. Not to inflate your ego more than it already is, I knew you could keep her safe.”

Cage nodded, absorbing the information. “I understand, but her being human and my fated mate makes it a little dicey.”

“I have faith in you. You’ll need to make daily reports. Keep her off the computer, limit her contact with the outside world.”

“Understood, and you’ll keep me looped in on any developments?”

Colby nodded. “Absolutely. We’ve vetted any and all personnel going in and out of the castle. The security personnel are the best we have. You can trust them.”

“It would be better if there weren’t teams staging and planning covert ops here.”

“I agree, but we have no better place. The island is ours, and as Deke pointed out, we can’t shut down all of the Resistance’s ongoing plans just to keep one human female safe.”

My mate. Cage’s mind raced, formulating a plan. “All right, then. We’ll need to ensure there are no weak links. What about keeping her entertained? She can’t just sit around all day doing nothing.”

Colby chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I thought I’d leave that up to you. I have full faith in your ability to keep her entertained.”

Cage grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, Reynolds, at the end of the day, you’re just an interfering old busybody.”

Colby smiled for a moment longer before his expression turned serious. “Maybe. You’ll figure it out, Cage. You always do. Just... try not to scare her off with all that bear surliness.”

Cage managed a small, rueful smile. “I’ll do my best. But I still think you’re a meddling bastard for bringing her here without warning me.”

Colby laughed, the sound echoing through the room. “That simply isn’t true. I had no way of knowing she was your fated mate. But at some point, I’m sure you’ll thank me.”

As the screen blipped off, Cage took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him. He knew Colby was right. The situation was complicated, but he couldn’t deny the connection he felt to Willow. He just had to find a way to navigate the complexities and protect the woman who was destined to be his mate.

Cage sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He left the study and made his way back to the main keep, his thoughts a whirlwind of plans and concerns. He found Willow in the garden, sitting on a bench and staring off into nothing; her eyes not focused on anything external. He watched her from a distance, taking note of the little things—the way the sunlight played across her hair, the luscious curves Colby had made note of. As the lynx-shifter had said, there was plenty to fuel a bear-shifter’s fantasies.

He could feel his groin tighten. It had been more than a year since he’d had any sexual relief that hadn’t come from his own hand. Lately, when he’d closed his eyes to relieve the tension, it was Willow Carlyle he imagined on her knees with that pretty mouth of hers sucking his cock. Willow Carlyle he could imagine stretched out beneath him as he rode her through numerous orgasms, her legs wrapped around his waist. Willow Carlyle he saw on all fours as he held those sexy hips and fucked into her from behind.

Yes, his fated mate was becoming something of an obsession, but for now, she needed to remain a fantasy. He needed to keep her alive if any of those fantasies were to become reality.

Cage watched her. She seemed bored and frightened, but there was an alertness to her gaze as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes flicked to every sound and movement, betraying her nervousness. She jumped slightly when one of the guards walked by, her shoulders tensing before she recognized him and forced herself to relax.

Cage watched for a while, filing away every detail. She was scared, but she was also strong. He could see the determination in the set of her jaw, the way she held herself despite her fear. If they had to make a run for it, she wouldn’t be a liability. He steeled himself, knowing he had to approach her gently.

Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her, deliberately choosing the pavers as opposed to the soft grass, which would have muffled his approach. “Hey,” he said, keeping his voice low and non-threatening. “You hungry? Cook said you haven’t eaten much today. I was about to make something to eat.”

“You checking up on me, Weston?”

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