Page 73 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

Chapter 22 - Robyn

“I felt so crazy,” I recalled as I threaded my fingers in the bars of the cage. Jillian was fast asleep under one of Faye’s fancy spells. “It was like he was trying to get me tied down to a hospital bed.”

Faye chuckled. “Kinky.”

“Maybe under different circumstances.” My thighs ached as I thought about the previous afternoon when Cliff had me pinned. His scent had gotten stronger muskier, and had made it hard to control my baser urges. “I would have hurt myself if he hadn’t intervened.”

“I’m glad we were there to help.”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

Faye sighed while shuffling some pages around. “This desk is too small.”

“The research is too much.”

“Fair.”

I shrugged as I slowly rotated to face her. “Do you think she’ll survive?”

“According to these accounts—”Shuffle. Shuffle.“Yes, I think she has a decent chance of surviving. It’s a long and intense ritual, but it should work.”

“And you’re sure Cliff won’t mind?”

She played with her silky blonde hair that might have been Cliff’s if it was dingier and tucked back into a ponytail. “What my brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

“I feel bad.”

“There’s more than one type of love in this world, Robyn. I can tell you love your best friend. It reminds me a lot of mine.”

I felt dim even when I smiled. “Yeah?”

“I would do anything for Kylie. She’s family.”

I looked at Jillian snoozing inside her cocoon of chains. “Those must hurt.”

“I gave her a dose of a painkiller, something to take the edge off.”

“Thank you. That’s so…” I covered my mouth as tears burned my eyes. “Gods…”

Intense confusion crashed through me as Faye pulled me into a hug. I wasn’t sure how she got to me so fast. Grief blinded my senses, turning me into a blubbering puddle without direction. Faye patiently guided me to the chair next to the desk and poured me a glass of water. She encouraged me to drink. She brushed her fingers through my hair.

“You’re so much like Cliff,” I whimpered between sips. “You’re so nice.”

“Yeah, we’re related.”

I chortled. “The only thing you don’t share is power.”

“I got the gift. It skipped him.”

“Does your daughter have it?”

She shrugged. “Time will tell us that one. But for now, let’s focus on Jillian.” She cupped my face. “Are you ready?”

One deep breath was all I needed to proceed with a nod. After unlocking the cage, Faye invited me inside and had me lay next to Jillian in a mirrored position. Though she slept contentedly, her side rose in jagged bursts like she was struggling to breathe with those heavy chains around her.

“We have to move fast,” I urged. “I don’t like seeing her suffer like this.”

Faye held my shoulder firmly. “The moment you’re inside, start looking for her soul.”

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