Page 19 of Shifter Mate Magic
“Alpha Roehm, these are the terms. Six days from now, at noon, the full town council will hear your claim against Jacqueline Breton. We will grant passage for you and your pride on that day, but none of you may stay on our lands in the interim.”
One of Roehm’s enforcers growled that he’d stay wherever he wanted, but another elbowed him sharply and pointed to the sky, where the afternoon sun blazed through wispy clouds. “They have dragons, you moron.”
Pendragor smiled without humor. “We do, indeed.”
“Six days is too long,” growled Roehm. “She could find some human hidey-hole and disappear.”
Jackie found herself the center of attention. She started to speak, then remembered to put a foot on the tarp so she could be heard. “Six days is fine with me. I promise I’ll stay.” She crossed her arms.
Before Roehm could react, Pendragor pointed his wand at her foot, and power surged. “Your word is your bond.” An invisible weight settled around her ankle. It felt like a tracking spell. She nodded and stepped back. Trevor moved to stand behind her and rest his hands on her shoulders.
A crafty look passed over Roehm’s face. “I demand you impound everything she’s got. It’s evidence.”
Jackie sent a disdainful look toward Roehm’s naked, filthy, slack body. “I don’t think my maternity pants will fit you.”
Trevor snorted behind her, and the crowd laughed. Even the wyvern chuckled.
“I think not,” said Guivre, with a small smile. She waved fingers in obvious dismissal. “Leave within the hour or feed our dragons. Come back in six days or forfeit.” Her tone said she didn’t care one way or the other.
She turned her back on him and walked back around the table toward the wyvern. “Scholar, a word?”
Roehm swore a blue streak as his guards turned with him and headed toward the haphazard circle of decidedly worse-for-wear vehicles. Jackie felt sorry for the members of his pride, because once he healed, they’d likely be his punching bags.
Pendragor crossed toward Jackie and Trevor. As he did so, he pointed his wand toward the tarp and whistled three notes. The magic vanished so suddenly it made Jackie’s ears pop.
Up close, Pendragor seemed both more and less human. His flowing poet’s shirt revealed a chiseled, toned chest, worthy of being a cover model, but his variegated purple and gold hair turned out to be very fine feathers, and his eyes had an avian shape. She had never seen a fairy like him.
He waved toward her ankle, where the tracking spell still tingled. “You may go anywhere in the glade. I’ll introduce you to Shiloh, the deputy sheriff, so he can look out for you.” She thought she heard hints of a Russian accent in his musical voice. He gave her a wide smile. “You’ll like him.”
Behind her, Trevor rumbled, then coughed.
Pendragor laughed and looked up at Trevor. “You’ll like him, too. He’s very happily mated.”
She turned to look at Trevor in time to catch him blushing. She had to admit to being secretly flattered he was jealous and trying to hide it. Outside of the shifter-mate potential thing, men had rarely been interested in her for more than a casual good time, and she didn’t do casual.
“Mr. Hammond,” said Pendragor, “I am pleased to welcome you to Kotoyeesinay. The glade’s border will be instructed to admit you.” His tone sounded more formal than before.
“Call me Trevor. Glad to be here, and thanks. That magic barrier packs a whallop.” He squeezed her shoulders briefly. “I forgot to warn Jackie about it.”
Jackie shuddered at the memory. “Felt like being strapped naked to an exam table.”
“Apologies.” Pendragor shook his head. “The border was fine until they built the casino. Their security team added a complex set of spells to let the tourists in, and discourage the rest, while letting magical people and those in need in, but warn us about those with ill intent. It’s been a mess ever since. I’m trying to get it fixed.”
From out of a pocket that his form-fitting black pants should have been entirely too tight to have, Pendragor produced what looked like a tree-shaped trinket on a keychain and held it out to Trevor. “This charm is for your truck, so you can access the shortcut to town. I think you could find load-hauling customers here.”
Trevor smiled as he took the keychain. “That will definitely come in handy.”
Jackie realized she’d completely and selfishly forgotten that Trevor had upended his life and business just to bring her to safety. She turned to face him. “You need to get your trailer in Nebraska and deliver your load of furniture. Billings, wasn’t it?”
A stubborn look settled on his face. “I’m not leaving until the hearing.”
She crossed her arms and gave him her best stubborn look back. “Oh, yes, you are. I’m safe here until then, and it’s bad for your bottom line to piss off your customers.”
“It’s my…” He trailed off, then blew out a noisy breath. A flurry of emotions flitted across his face, too fast for her to read them. “You’re right. But I’m not leaving until I meet this sheriff guy, and not at all if I don’t trust him.”
She nodded. “Deal.” She reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, then turned to Pendragor. “Would you please introduce us to Deputy Sheriff Shiloh?”
