Chapter 7 - Cliff

My mind was still spinning when I shut the motel door. I'd never felt furious the way I did when Bill tried to ban me from seeing Robyn. Again . Three years ago, he'd said as much, but it was less threatening—and it hadn't come from a possessive demon. As I paced the small room decorated with standard salmon pink wallpaper, Navy blue carpet, and damask bedding, I recalled the glassy eyes and rugged voice.

Bill looked terrible. His skin was pulled taut over his face, his mouth hung open on the right side, and he had a limp that he seemed keen on hiding. The possession had brought a battle with hell to his body, and it seemed like hell was winning. I hadn't cared much about the guy in the past whenever I did my deliveries, but he was important to Adrian. And anyone important to Adrian was important to me.

I scrubbed the back of my head. "Does Robyn think he's important?"

That was a bigger issue I couldn't determine. Sydney had lost her lust for life as soon as Bill and his buddies walked inside, so it was unmistakable to guess her opinion of the possessed Alpha. Robyn, though, had frozen up like a rabbit that had spotted a wolf. Not caught. Not bitten.

Just seen.

Never in my life had I witnessed a creature give up that easily in front of a predator. That meant something else was going on inside the Wildtooth Tails. I had to find out what it was.

I paced past the divider separating the room from a lush antique bathroom. The clawfoot tub attracted my attention, drawing me to it, where I turned on the hot water—and only the hot water. Steam emanated from the ceramic as the tub filled with liquid. My pocket vibrated.

A momentary distraction was just what I needed. I took my phone out of my pocket in time for it to buzz again. Once I unlocked my phone, I smelled a hint of black licorice and pepper. I spun around. Robyn .

My buzzing phone brought me back to reality. Two new texts had arrived—both from Robyn. I opened them instantly and read them like I had spent the past eight minutes waiting for her to message me. Had I been subconsciously doing that?

Open the door.

Please open the door. I'm here. I need to talk.

Seconds later, I swung open the motel door and grabbed Robyn by the waist. I pulled her into a crushing hug, ignoring the way the unforgiving wind tried to rip us apart. That was how it felt. Like a great force trying to spin me away from the girl who I knew I was supposed to protect.

Seeing Bill today confirmed that.

"Hey, I'm sorry. That was awkward," Robyn said to my sweater. "I didn't mean to get so quiet on you. I just…Bill is just…He's not doing well."

"I know. I can tell."

I rubbed her back as she tilted her head back. Wind spattered hair across her face. I pushed it away, pushed it behind her ears, guiding her to one side so I could shut the door. Silence echoed around us as I turned to face her, to take her back into my arms. She didn't press her hands to my chest or wiggle away. She just let me hold me. She let me stand there with my heart thudding in her ear.

My body flushed with yearning at the realization that we were intimately close. There were clothes in the way, yeah, but I noticed her shivering. I noticed the heatwave burning into me, that familiar pining that was familiar. I ran my hands up her spine, down her back, over the bottoms of her jeans, and then to the front zipper.

With my hand resting on the button of her pants, I looked down at her, catching her eye. "Where's—?"

"With Jillian. She's safe. She's fine."

"I didn't scare her, did I?"

Her brows relaxed. "Why would you be worried about that?"

"I don't know."

But truthfully, I did know. I just didn't want to scare Robyn by saying I already cared about her daughter as much as I did her. While it was a shock, I didn't care about the how so long as I could be the who at the end of the day.

No more strangers.

No more visitors.

On my life.

"Did you have trouble getting here?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. "Those guys didn't look too happy about me being your guest."

She frowned. "The demonic infection has spread. All four of them are possessed now."

"Do you know when it started?"

"Two years ago, maybe. I noticed the limp before, so it could have been earlier."

I hummed. "And he wasn't acting like this the last time I was here. It had to have happened right after I left."

"Right after you left."

My vision focused back in on her, revealing her distraught expression. "I'm sorry, Robyn. I shouldn't have left you alone for that long." I gave her another inch of space without letting her go. "Although you replaced me pretty fast when I left."

"Hey, you did the same thing."

"I guess we both just needed a little love."

Her eyelids weighed heavy. "What are you saying, Cliff?"

The way her bottom lip pouted out a bit when she was looking up at me with those round eyes made me wild. I ravished her mouth with a hot kiss, unable to control the way affection poured from me. This kiss was the only thing keeping me tethered while I tried to figure out how I was going to honor the mate bond and get Robyn and Sydney away from a demon-riddled pack.

Whatever space existed between us before disappeared. I wound my hands up her back, crushing her to me again, feeling the satisfying gasp she released when I squeezed her too hard, that subtle way of her telling me that she needed me to lighten my grip. I did exactly that, eager to notice the way her body slumped into my embrace. Satisfied, I continued to explore her mouth, plunging my tongue into the mix to dance with her tongue.

We must have kissed for ages. Once I pulled back, I noticed how she was panting for air, her cheeks bruised with a red rouge that enhanced the lust sparkling in her sunny eyes. She gazed lazily up at me, a lustful drunkenness having taken over her features. Strands of hair clung to her cheek that she idly swept away.

"We can't," she gasped. "Not yet."

My swelling cock protested by twitching. Robyn grinned peacefully and then chuckled as she bucked her hips forward. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm hungry."

"Same."

I nuzzled her cheek with my nose. "So…"

" So , we should figure out what to do next."

She was right. "You owe me one."

"I'll be sure to write you a rain check."

"I'll be waiting."

She peeled herself away from me like she didn't want to go, but she eventually managed to make it to the divider where the bathroom was located. After pulling it closed, I collapsed into the nearest chair, a teal and beige plastic table and chair set that looked like it belonged at the pool instead.

This was madness. She was madness. She wanted me to kiss her, but she didn't want me to solve her problem, which I could easily do by proposing to her. It would literally take minutes and then we could get on the road to head back to West Virginia. What was she dragging her feet about? Was it Sydney?

I smiled at the memory of her this morning. That girl loves biscuits and pancakes. I wish I could have stayed longer .

My smile remained when Robyn returned. She was refreshed with brushed hair and a few droplets of water remaining on her left temple. She swiped the droplets away as she sat down across from me. "As you know, my inheritance depends on me marrying someone."

I pointed to myself. "I can help with that."

"I know, but…" She sighed. "The problem is Bill. He'll track me down wherever I go. He's been visiting almost every day since my grandparents died."

"Is he trying to mate with you?"

Her hesitation made my heart race. I didn't like the forlorn look on her face or the sense of defeat that made her shoulders slouch into her chest. She appeared like she wanted to fold herself into tiny pieces and disappear.

I stood up. "Nobody is going to treat my mate like a piece of meat."

"What did you call me?"

"Get up. We're going back to the pack to talk to Bill."

She held her arms in an ‘X' at me. " No. You'll make him angry, and then he'll start chopping heads. Please, Cliff, this is a delicate situation."

I huffed for air as I hovered over her, caught between wanting to straddle her on my lap or cover her body with my body. My feelings were getting weirder by the minute. I just wanted her to be safe, and I wanted to honor my Alpha. How did I make those two things happen at once?

I snapped my fingers. "I have to call Hector. He'll know what to do."

"Who's Hector?"

I pulled the chair up next to Robyn and plopped into it. "He's the most recent Alpha."

"Adrian stepped down?"

"Yeah, he said he was getting too old for reindeer games."

She chortled. "You're kidding. He didn't say that."

"Swear to Goddess."

"Look me in the eye and swear on your life."

That was a nice thing to hear after all these years. I met her gaze with a confident snap and grinned. "You're going to lose this game, Robyn."

"No, I won't. I've been practicing."

"I don't doubt that."

Her eyelids fluttered but never closed. "Swear on your life."

"I swear on my life, Robyn, he said reindeer games ."

Her eyes widened, the color of marigold bursting with brilliant drops of golden honey. This close, her irises were like miniature planets perpetually bursting from a black hole center. Yellow layered upon yellow with crystalline stripes that circulated her dilated pupils. The longer she stared at me, the wider her pupils got until they were practically swallowing the mustard.

"I'm calling Hector," I repeated, using my peripheral vision to navigate my phone, "and he'll be able to tell us what to do."

The speaker phone trilled as I held eye contact with Robyn. She flinched slightly when I sighted, but ultimately, she held up her end of the game without blinking. After five trills, the line clicked.

"Yeah, what's up? You got an update?"

I held the phone between me and Robyn. "Bill is possessed."

"Son of a bee sting."

"It's worse than that. His helpers are possessed, too."

Robyn leaned forward. "Just three of them so far."

"Is that your girl?" Hector asked. "Hi, Robyn. I'm glad to hear your voice."

Robyn grinned politely. "We'll save the pleasantries for later. We have a predicament."

Her left eye twitched.

I grinned. "Need to blink?"

She pierced me with a deep glare. "In your dreams."

Hector said, "Huh?"

I cleared my throat. "Robyn, tell them about what you said earlier. About Bill following you around."

As Robyn recounted what she reported to me, I watched her carefully, noticing how her eyelids threatened to snap shut on the hardest parts of the story. She outlined how Bill had been keeping tabs on her whereabouts, showing up at her house unannounced, and actively rejecting any potential mate who came to her door, me included.

"I'm afraid he's become controlling," she said, "and that he won't stop until he's got me as a mate."

Hector sighed. "That's bad. That's real bad. And you said it's been about two years with the possession?"

"About," Robyn replied. "I'm not sure what to do. Most people in town won't work for us because of this rumor that Bill sold wolf pelts on the black market."

I cringed. "Wolf pelts? Are you serious?"

She nodded and sniffled. "Some wolves got stuck in their animal forms coming back from the vampire-wolf wars. He had them stripped when they inevitably died from going crazy."

"That's sick, Robyn. Why did you stay?"

She gave me a pleading look.

I hung my head. "Right. Sorry. You probably didn't have much of a choice with Sydney."

"Bill told me about the pelts in confidence very recently. Even if I knew back then, I would have been too young to do anything significant about it."

"I guess that's true."

She frowned hard, lowering her gaze to the motel carpet. "I might have a big family, but that doesn't mean I have a lot of support." She abruptly looked into my eyes, blinked pointedly, and whispered, "You win."

It didn't feel much like victory. Something that should have been a nostalgic game for us had turned into a warped nightmare scene. I didn't like how it felt to see her dragged out. She was tired. She was running out of options. I had to do something before it was too late.

"Guys," Hector said, reminding me that I was holding my phone, "you two are mates. You have the power to make that bond stronger—and then that bond will give you power."

I focused on Robyn, who was mindlessly picking at her lower lip.

Hector sighed loudly, filling the speaker with static for a moment. "From there, I think the only way to help Bill is by challenging him for the position of Alpha."

My stomach flopped. "Dude, what the actual fu—?"

"No," Robyn snapped. "That's a bad idea."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Hector asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. "I can't say that you do, Robyn. I'm sorry to say that. If Bill is following you around and keeping tabs on you, then you can't just leave. That'll make a bigger issue that we won't be able to control."

I reached for Robyn's hand, gently running my thumb along the ridges of her knuckles. Her brows knotted up as she gave me her attention, slowly slumping into her seat.

"Cliff," Hector said, inspiring me to lean toward the phone, "after you challenge him, you need to dig around. Ask questions. See if anyone knows anything. During the fight is when Bill is going to be the most vulnerable."

I nodded. "Got it, Alpha."

Robyn faced the phone. "What about me? What can I do?"

"Help him look for information. Break down some walls with Bill and try to get close to him without risking your safety—or that of your family."

She squeezed my hand. "I can do that."

"Do we need a witch for this?" I asked. "Can Faye come up here?"

"Faye is predisposed," Hector replied, "but that's why I want you to dig for information. If you can find the demon's name, then you won't need to get a witch to do the exorcism. You can do it yourself."

"And if I end up killing Bill?"

Hector sniffed and then sighed. "Then, you become the next Alpha of the Wildtooth Tails."

I must have stared at Robyn for a good, long while as I tried to navigate that response. It was a logical answer. I knew it was the most logical set of events to unfold after winning a challenge like that. But couldn't someone else step in after I completed my mission?

I bowed my head. "I don't think I'm ready for that responsibility."

"We don't really get to pick stuff like that," Hector explained with a little humor in his voice. "Trust me, it's not that bad."

"That's what you think." I snorted. "You have a witch as a mate."

Hector must have said something clever because he laughed after saying it, but I didn't hear it. I didn't hear much of anything when I noticed how Robyn was looking at me.

Affectionately.

Full of hope .

Her eyes sparkled with their usual sunflower yellow, a delectable honey lit within with miniature suns. If I wasn't mistaken, it looked like Robyn wanted me to become the next Alpha. And not just any Alpha, either.

Her Alpha.

I held her hand loosely as I tuned back into what Hector was saying: "…the throat. Just go for the throat. Remember your manners and training."

"Right. Because being courteous while killing someone is so important."

Robyn chuckled.

Hector huffed and groaned loudly. "Alright, it sounds like you know what you need to do. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, can you send my sister up here to perform the exorcisms?"

"No."

Robyn snort-giggled and then slammed her hand over her mouth. I glared at her while holding the phone up to my lips. "Love you, too."

"Love you, Man. Be safe. Call me tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, Alpha."

Click .

Her grip on my hand tightened. "So, are you going to do it?"

"If it'll mean your safety and your daughter's safety, yes."

"You mean that?"

I held up her hand. "You haven't let me go for a while. I have to believe that you subconsciously believe me."

She whipped her hand away from me. "Do you mean it , Cliff?"

"I mean it."

"How do I know that's true?"

I stood from my chair and went to the mini fridge next to the bed, where I kept a few water bottles. After grabbing one, I handed it to Robyn and urged her to stand up. "You should get back before Bill realizes you're gone."

"Answer the question, Cliff."

"Watch your six. Be mindful. I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

She clutched the front of my sweater, clawing the fabric. " Cliff ."

"It's true because I mean it."

"But how—?"

I growled as I planted my hands on the doorframe, sandwiching her between me and the door. "I'll prove it to you, okay? I'll stick around this time. I'll keep showing up. I'm not going to stop until you believe me ."

Our mouths were mere centimeters away, a realization that made my tongue dance behind my lips. Her intoxicating scent came again—black licorice and pepper—unlocking memories that I had forgotten existed.

She shuddered, licked her lips, and then looked up at me. "What's my loser cap this time?"

"You lost under duress. No winner."

"Come on, Cliff. Don't pity me. Make me pay the loser fee. It's only fair."

Instinctively, my lips parted as I leaned toward her, teasing her mouth with the lightest touch. Upper lip to the left corner, and then lower lip to the right corner, and then back again in subtle strokes until she was standing on her toes just to make our mouths close together—but they never did.

I refused to kiss her.

She huffed while grabbing the knob. "You're rude."

"And you're a tough cookie."

"At least I'm sweet."

I teased another kiss, barely allowing our lips to clasp. "Go home, Robyn. And don't go anywhere until I say so."

Authority oozed from my command, a definitive way to send Robyn into brat mode if memory served well. Her vision sharpened as her chin tilted forward, deepening her glare. I expected lip. I expected pure spite to shoot from her mouth in the form of verbal knives. Her lips parted as she took a breath, preparing for the rebellious speech to begin.

She blinked once, slowly. " Yes, Sir ."