Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

CAGE

C age sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his dark hair as he tried to push away thoughts of Willow. It had been a long day, filled with her presence at every turn. He would have liked nothing more than to be honest with her, but in order to keep her safe, he had to focus on that and not on how much he wanted to sink his cock into her. Her laughter echoed in his mind, her teasing smile refusing to leave his thoughts. The image of her pleasuring herself when she thought no one was watching seemed imprinted on his brain. She had a way of getting under his skin, of making him feel things he wasn't ready to take action on. After all, she was human, and he was a bear.

He stood up abruptly, feeling the need to cool down. A cold shower should do the trick. Striding to the bathroom, he turned on the water and let it run until it was ice-cold. The chill of the water should help him clear his head and focus on something other than the maddening effect she had on him.

Stripping off his clothes, Cage stepped into the shower, the cold water hitting his skin like a shock. He closed his eyes, trying to let the freezing temperature numb his thoughts. But even the icy water couldn't wash away the frustration building inside him. It was as if she was in the room with him, her presence inescapable.

Willow had become a challenge, a puzzle he couldn't solve. She wasn't the pampered princess or bored, idle wife he thought they'd taken under their protection. She was infuriatingly independent, strong-willed, and completely unpredictable. He admired those qualities, but they also drove him nuts. Today, she had pushed him to his limit, her playful jabs and flirtatious glances making it impossible for him to concentrate. And the scene he'd watched—she was lucky he hadn't claimed her then and there. He'd discovered her early on, and it had taken every ounce of his iron will to just stand idle and watch.

Cage clenched his fists, the water pounding against his back. He couldn't afford to be distracted, especially not now. He had responsibilities, things that needed his full attention. Yet every time he thought he had a handle on his emotions, Willow would do something to throw him off balance again. The team that had been training here before she had arrived were scheduled to depart today, but there was a new team coming in right behind them.

With a growl of frustration, Cage turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel to dry off. The cold had done little to cool his temper or his rising lust. His mind still raced with thoughts of her. He knew he needed to find a way to deal with this, to keep his emotions in check. But how could he do that when she seemed to take such delight in driving him to the edge?

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Cage walked back into his room, feeling no more at ease than before. He needed to get a grip, to find a way to keep Willow from affecting him so deeply. But as he lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he knew it was easier said than done. Willow was like a storm, impossible to predict and even harder to resist. And deep down, Cage wasn't sure he wanted to resist her at all.

Cage paced his room, the frustration building within him almost unbearable. His bear growled, a deep rumble that reverberated through his chest. The beast within him was restless, pushing against the boundaries of his control, urging him to claim Willow. Every instinct screamed at him to take her, to mark her as his. She was, after all, his fated mate. But he couldn't—not yet. His mission was clear: keep her safe, quiet, and under control. Everything in her chaotic life needed to be settled before he could even consider giving in to his primal urges.

He slammed a fist against the wall, the impact barely registering through the haze of his internal struggle. Willow was a whirlwind, her life a series of unpredictable events that kept him constantly on edge. She was human, delicate in ways he wasn't, and she needed to be kept alive and stable. Word was her husband and the Shadow League wanted her dead. It was his job to provide her with the security and stability she needed and to protect her from the chaos that seemed to follow her everywhere.

But damn it, she made it difficult. Her teasing smiles, the way she moved, the way her eyes sparkled with mischief—everything about her called to him. She was being naughty, and she knew it. It was as if she took delight in pushing his buttons, in testing the limits of his control.

Cage stormed into the bathroom, stripping off his clothes again with rough, jerky movements. Maybe a second cold shower would help. God knew it wouldn't hurt. He turned on the water, which was still cold from his first shower. The frigid spray hit his skin but did little to calm the fire raging within him. Leaning against the cool tile, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander, allowing himself a brief escape into fantasy.

In his mind, Willow stood before him, her eyes wide with a mix of defiance and desire. She needed someone to take control, to show her what it meant to submit. And he was just the man—or rather the bear—for the job. He imagined his hands on her, rough and demanding, guiding her, showing her exactly who was in charge. Her breathless gasps, the way her body would respond to his touch, the surrender in her eyes—it was almost too much to bear.

Cage shook his head, trying to dispel the image, but it clung to him, fueling his frustration. He couldn't allow himself to lose control, not yet. Willow needed him to be strong, to keep her safe from the chaos of her own life. But once everything was settled, once the storm had passed—then, and only then, would he show her exactly what she had been asking for.

His cock refused to calm down. It really didn't care that she was, at least for now, off limits. His cock didn't care about the danger, about her husband, or about the Shadow League. All it knew was it wanted to be deep inside her, stroking long and hard and feeling her tighten all up and down its length as she came. His bear was in complete and total agreement with his cock.

There were two ways to fix the problem of his unruly and unrelenting cock. The one it and his bear wanted was off limits—at least for now. The other was to take care of the problem himself, at least temporarily. Soaping up his hand, Cage began to stroke from the root to the tip, which was now leaking precum. He had to give himself some relief and he had to let her know there would be no more little displays like the one she'd put on this morning.

He tightened his grip and stroked faster, consoling himself with the idea that down the road she would pay for her little exhibition, and it would be her mouth and then her pussy that clamped down on him. She would take what he gave her in as many ways, as many times, and in as many places as he liked. He would fill her belly, her pussy, and anything else he wanted with his cum.

Cage groaned as he stroked with one hand and leaned against the tiled shower wall with the other. Finally, he felt the sizzle at the base of his spine as his cum rushed up from his balls and down his cock before splatting out onto the floor, mixing with the water and washing down the drain. He vowed that once she was his, he'd never come anywhere but in or on Willow.

The bear within him rumbled in agreement, but Cage forced it back to the dim recesses of his mind. He had enough to deal with without having to deal with his bear grumbling about wanting his mate. They'd waited this long. They would bloody well wait a while longer. Cage needed to focus on the here and now.

He turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing another towel. The cold had done little to quell his desire but jerking himself off had given him a moment of clarity. He would wait. He had to. But when the time came, when everything was finally under control, Willow would learn what it meant to be claimed by a grizzly bear-shifter.

The next morning, Cage was on edge but determined to maintain control. He moved through the fortress with purpose, searching for Willow. She was supposed to stay in the main part of the keep—the part that was within the stone walls, but he couldn't find her. He began to search just outside the gate. One of the security personnel approached him, a worried look on his face.

"Cage? Are you looking for Ms. Carlyle? She's gone down to the beach," the guard reported.

Cage whirled around. "She's gone to the beach? Why the hell didn't you stop her?"

"She said you gave her permission."

Cage's jaw tightened. "I didn't," he said, his voice a low growl.

He knew the beach was too exposed, too dangerous. So did she, for that matter. He'd been pretty damn specific about where she was allowed and where she wasn't.

Together, Cage and the guard used binoculars to scan the stretch of beach from where they stood. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Willow walking down the stairs to the smallest and most remote beach that surrounded the fortress. Cage watched as she stepped onto the sand, her movements confident and unhurried. Then, to his utter disbelief, she removed her swimsuit and let it drop before running towards the ocean and diving into the surf.

Beside him, the security guard choked a little, his eyes wide with shock.

"Turn off the cameras covering that area," Cage commanded, his tone steely. "Now."

The guard radioed the instructions to the tower where the security people sat with a commanding view of the island. Cage didn't wait for any further interaction; he marched out of the room and headed toward the beach, his temper flaring with each step. Willow's defiance was more than a simple act of rebellion—it was a challenge; one he wasn't going to ignore. She might not be his to claim, but she was damn sure his responsibility to keep safe.

Reaching the beach, Cage spotted Willow emerging from the ocean, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, her eyes flashing with boldness. She stood there, unashamed, as if daring him to react. Cage held out her swimsuit, shoving it toward her with a furious glare.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice rough with anger. "You can't just run off and do whatever you want. This isn't a game, Willow. It's dangerous out here."

Willow took the swimsuit from him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like she might comply, but then she took a step back and let it fall from the tip of her finger.

"Oops," she said, her voice dripping with mock innocence as she batted her eyes.

Before he could react, she turned and bent over, her bare backside taunting him, daring him to respond. She couldn't have any idea what the consequences he'd like to give her were—the same ones he couldn't. Not only wasn't she his, Brie and the Shadow Sisters would have his head if he spanked that pretty ass the way he wanted to.

Temper rose up within him, bright and hot.

Fuck what Brie and that group of meddlesome females wanted. Grabbing her wrist, Cage pulled Willow to him, bending her over his thigh, and smacked her ass—one, two, three times. She yelped, and he turned her loose, surprised at the flare of passion that caused her nipples to stiffen and the scent of her arousal to increase.

Knowing he couldn't—or rather, shouldn't—take things in their natural direction, Cage clenched his fists at his sides, his resolve tested to the limit. His bear growled within him, pushing him to claim her right then and there. But he forced himself to stay in control.

"Enough," he barked, his voice trembling with restrained fury. "Pick it up and get dressed. Now."

Willow straightened slowly, her movements deliberate. She looked at him over her shoulder, a smirk playing on her lips. For a moment, their eyes locked, a silent battle of wills. Then, with maddening slowness, she bent down again, picked up the swimsuit, and began to put it on.

Cage turned away, forcing himself to breathe deeply, to regain his composure. Willow was testing him, pushing his boundaries, and he couldn't afford to lose control. Not yet. But as he stood there, the image of her defiant stance burned into his mind, he knew that the day was coming when she would learn exactly who was really in charge.