Page 18 of Shifter Mate Magic
Jackie remembered a tactic from one of the many fights she’d seen on Roehm’s compound. She rolled and sat up. “Trevor,” she shouted, “your human leg is smaller!”
The bear made a throaty sound and became a man in jeans. Before the surprised lion could react, Trevor pried the lion’s jaws open enough to free his bleeding thigh. Trevor limped backward, never taking his eyes off the lion.
“Do what you did to the coyotes,” she yelled.
Trevor nodded, then shot a questioning glance toward Guivre. The golden elf nodded. Trevor squared his shoulders and turned to stare at Roehm.
Everyone with any magical senses at all felt the full, raw strength of Trevor’s alpha command. As before in the alley, it washed over and through her like a soothing wave and had no effect on her unborn daughter.
Roehm fought the command with his own alpha power, but in less than fifteen seconds, he was nakedly human and lying on the tarp, legs inert, and bleeding from four lacerations on his stomach.
“Fine,” croaked Roehm, “you can have the skank.” His voice was weaker than she’d ever heard it. “But everything she has, she stole from us, and we want it back.” He growled as he raised himself up on his elbows. “She has to pay for what she did to Ruben.”
Jackie awkwardly climbed to her feet and brushed the dust off her pants. She looked at Roehm’s pride members, who were showing varying degrees of fear and disbelief. They’d never seen Roehm bested at anything. They looked just like the board of one of her megachurch clients when she’d told them they’d been conned by their minister in a Ponzi scheme. Some of them refused to believe it, even when the minister and his wife pled guilty and were sentenced to a dozen years in prison.
Jackie put one foot on the tarp and raised her hand, uncertain of the protocol. “Uhm, excuse me? Am I allowed to tell my side?” Thanks to the elven magic, her soft voice carried.
Roehm’s right leg twitched, meaning his shifter healing was already repairing his spine and nervous system. “Are you going to take the word of a human?” He made it sound like she was mess to be scraped off his boots.
Jackie was used to it, but she was tired of it. Tired of being hated for the color of her skin, or her gender, or her magic, or her achievements, or her humanity. She’d been guilty of prejudice, too, in thinking Barry Wills, a lying leopard, and Roehm, a twisted sociopath lion, were typical shifters. The young lynx-shifter guards looked out for each other and some of the others against Roehm. She’d seen compassion and caring in the rough-around-the edges coyotes, and Trevor… she wanted to hitch her wagon to his star and follow him wherever he wanted to go. Preferably the nearest bed.
She waved to get the attention of the wand-wielding fairy, who casually leaned against the council’s table. “Master Pendragor, compel me to tell the truth and ask me what happened and what I stole.” She put her hands protectively over her stomach. “As long as it won’t hurt my child.”
Guivre glided around the table and onto the tarp, taking in the crowd with a sweep of her eyes. Her gaze lingered on Roehm’s pride and Roehm himself, before finally lighting on Jackie with a long, assessing look. “It shall be as you have asked. I suspect this tale needs a more comfortable setting.”
“If we don’t invite Florinel Brooker to observe,” said Pendragor, deftly twirling his now shiny wand like it was a miniature cheerleader’s baton, “we’ll never hear the end of it.”
Guivre looked annoyed, then sighed. “You’re right, of course.” She waved a finger toward Roehm. “Besides, he will need time to heal and collect his pride.”
Jackie cleared her throat. “Sorry if I’m out of line again, but could someone look at Trevor’s leg?” Blood had thoroughly soaked the leg of his jeans. She wished she had one of her mother’s magical healing poultices in her back pocket. If he was anything like the felines in the pride, he’d heal the battle wounds in a day, but it would be less painful if the lacerations were clean.
Trevor waved off her concern. “I’ll be fine.” He glanced at Pendragor, then turned and nodded respectfully at Guivre. “Can Jackie and her child get sanctuary, or at least a guest invitation until the hearing?”
Guivre crossed to behind the table to hold a whispered conversation with the council members.
Pendragor sat casually on the edge of the table and whistled. The seemingly careless tune had subtle power in every note. In other circumstances, Jackie would have loved to ask what the magic did.
Roehm began dragging himself along the tarp, toward his pride. Jackie felt the telepathic command he sent to his enforcers. Two cougars stepped onto the tarp and lifted him by his shoulders. Jackie had never been able to hear his orders. She’d assumed it was because she wasn’t a true member of the pride, but maybe her humanity got in the way. Not that she wanted to listen to anything Roehm had to say, but maybe it meant she wouldn’t be a good mate for Trevor.
The thought stunned her. Was she really thinking of mating with him? Surely, she just had a case of animal… okay, shifter lust. And there would be no lust-indulging that night, not with Trevor’s leg still healing.
Her back hurt, and the brim of her borrowed ball cap dripped with sweat. She felt like a tiny paper boat caught in the middle of a fast-running river. She was determined to do what was best for her daughter, but now she had Trevor to worry about, too.
Trevor glanced at the whispering council members, then limped toward her. The second he stepped into the chalk circle, she wrapped him in her arms. She drew in the scent and warmth of him while she could.
He seemed to sense her worry, and gently cradled her head against his chest. “We’ll be okay,” he murmured, then kissed her forehead. “Really.”
“Maybe.” She pulled back to look at the man who was becoming the center of her dreams and fantasies. “You humiliated Roehm. Now he wants to kill you, too.”
“Yeah, but it was worth it.” The corners of his mouth twitched with a smile. “Thanks for the coaching, Alpha Fight Master.”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. When they were handing out honor, Roehm was sneaking in the back window, stealing extra helpings of greed and treachery.”
Trevor drew breath to speak, but was interrupted by Guivre clearing her throat.
“The council grants permanent sanctuary to Trevor Hammond, should he still wish it. The council grants temporary sanctuary to Jacqueline Breton and her child, with full glade protection.” Guivre’s dry recitation gave no hint of her personal opinion in the matter. She turned to meet Pendragor’s eyes with a long, meaningful look. Telepathy, Jackie guessed.
The lavender-skinned fairy nodded, then stood up from his slouch and turned sharp eyes to a scowling Roehm. Two of his guards were holding him up since his legs still didn’t work.
