Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Right.” He straightened with his coffee. “Sue is waiting in the sitting room. He wants to speak with you, Jessie. After, Austin, he’s ready for your rounds.”
“Is everything okay with Nessa?” I blurted.
He paused before turning for the door. “She’s not the type of woman to rush. It wouldn’t be as fun if she was. Patience makes us appreciate the best life has to offer.”
He walked out of the room with all his swagger.
Ah. The games were getting a little too close for comfort for Nessa. Sebastian wasn’t worried, though, and he knew her best of all.
Everyone left. In the silence that followed, I sighed and put down my mug. “Is it too much to ask to do one thing at a time? This conclave is plenty. Could we not have a break from mage magic for once?”
Austin pulled me toward him. “One good thing about the conclave is that there will be a lot of power here. Not just shifters, but gargoyles and basajaunak. Momar would be an absolute fool to invade. He’s slinking around. Fine. We’ve prepared for that. We’ve got some time still, Jess. Maybe not a lot, but some.”
I sighed, leaning against him. “I know. It’s just a lot, all of this.”
“I know.” He kissed my temple. “I don’t like mages hanging around any more than you do, but at least we aren’t blind to them. We have Fred, an ace in the hole.”
“Niamh has been very gracious in not saying I told you so.”
“She only bothers to do that with Mr. Tom.”
“Thankfully.” I chuckled softly and then sighed again. “One more month.”
“One more month, and then we see what our territory is made of.”
Aurora
“Hey, Training Wheels.”
Aurora stopped beside her uncle’s borrowed Jeep with the top and doors off. He’d left earlier with the small group that would meet and welcome the basajaunak elder.
Behind her, the resident shifters, gargoyles, and garhettes chatted in the large field that was inside the territory limits. They’d gone over the expectations for what was to come and, most importantly, the magic Sebastian had ingeniously dreamt up, and Jessie helped bring into reality.
“Yeah.” Aurora turned to see Bud, one of the new rogues that had come to the territory looking for a place to belong. He’d tried Dick and Jane life and didn’t much like it. “Tough guys” always tried to pick fights with him, and he usually wound up in jail. Nor would alphas accept him, sensing his near-alpha power and worried he’d cause a problem, a common tale. He hadn’t wanted to join a pack again—also a common tale—but once he’d talked to Aljoe, he’d stopped only long enough to get the stars out of his eyes before he was ushered into the crew.
His perfectly styled hair contrasted with his messy clothing. He liked to antagonize the garhettes, who would not stand for “such a handsome young man” to look like “he crawled out of a bush.” Aunt Florence herself had combed his hair when they were waiting for Sebastian to give the magical demonstration.
“Those garhettes are a trip, huh?” He jerked his head to the side, indicating no one in particular.
Aurora jingled the keys in her hand as she walked toward him. He met her halfway.
“Yeah, right?” She showed a smile with her body. “They weren’t supposed to be here today, actually. Jessie asked Austin to invite them. He has a hard time saying no to her.”
“Oh yeah?” He grunted, a lot freer in his mannerisms than a usual shifter. Most of the rogues were that way, having had to loosen up to fit in with Dicks. Or try. “Well, good thing, amiright? I’ve never seen someone temper egos and calm tempers so fast in my life. Anyway.” Bud started to run his fingers through his hair and stopped himself. He laughed and took his hand away. “Just wanted to let you know—you’re doing good work.”
He put his hands on his hips and took a step back, tempering the flattery. They knew she didn’t take it well. Alphas’ kids often didn’t, a product of training. Flatter an alpha and they wondered what you wanted from them. They passed that sentiment down.
In this unknown new phase of her life, though, she might not show it, but she soaked it up. She was constantly second-guessing herself, used to striving for perfection and now in a situation where perfection was unattainable.
“Thanks,” she said without inflection. “Aljoe seems to be taking his oath to heart. This offshoot rogue thing is nothing like a normal pack. He’s really thinking outside the box.”
“He’s learning from your uncle.” Bud widened his eyes at her. “What, you thought I wouldn’t find out?”
She was a nepotism baby, she knew that. She wouldn’t have this position if she wasn’t, which was why she tried so hard to be worthy of it. To go above and beyond to prove she could do it without her uncle and dad. To prove that she was qualified. Some days felt harder than others, especially when Aljoe seemed like he was making up the rules as he went. There was no driftwood to cling to in this stormy sea.