“Of course. Try not to dwell too much, okay?” She gave him a wink with a smile.
His eyes didn’t sparkle as he beheld her. “Check in with Jessie. Call her if you guys need help.
Try not to do anything…that you’ll regret.”
She took a deep breath. He only wanted the best for her, she knew that, but he didn’t seem to understand that regrets were part of the job. They always had been. Regrets beat out death as an outcome, always.
“Okay,” she said.
He nodded and turned, not looking back as he walked away. Heart heavy, hating that they had to leave, she headed back toward Sebastian. Halfway there, Tristan stepped out in front of her.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?” he asked, standing too close.
The hum between them sparked to life, which was seriously annoying. She had no idea why he had this effect on her. She didn’t want to be attracted to a dangerous creature she couldn’t trust, even if he had helped save Jessie’s life.
He studied her silently for a moment, his gaze flicking between them. In a moment, he put out his arms. “A hug for an old friend?”
She quirked an eyebrow. “An old friend…or a new enemy?”
“How about an old enemy? It has a better ring to it.”
She sighed, did a poor job of hiding her smile, and stepped into him. His hands slid up and down her back and then pulled her in tightly.
“I’ll be keeping track of you,” he murmured. “If you get into trouble, I’ll know. Just wait and I’ll be there, okay?”
“You think you’ll be able to keep track of me?”
He stepped back, his large hands on her upper arms, his glowing eyes hyper-focused. “Yes. Listen to me: if you need something—anything at all—you contact me, do you understand? You don’t brave it alone. You and Sebastian are no longer an island. Call us and we will come, for any reason. Okay?”
The sentiment choked her up, and she dropped all her bravado and all her walls, allowing herself to tear up. She nodded like a child, and he wrapped her into his big body again.
“I know what you are,” he murmured, his lips against her ear, “and I like you. A lot. You are a good person with a big heart, Natasha, and I don’t want to hear that you’ve been getting down on yourself, okay? If you can’t find the sunshine, just call me. I’ll help.”
“Stop saying the right things.”
“Okay. Fancy a fuck before you go? I didn’t make you beg nearly enough the other night.”
She leaned back and slapped him across the face. He laughed, letting it happen, before poking her in the chest.
“Take care of your brother,” he said.
She put up her hand for a high five, gratified when it landed. “See ya.”
He watched her walk away. She felt it.
Nearly to the car they planned to take—the one with the least annoying stuck CD—she ran into Austin’s niece, right on time.
“Hey.” She stopped in front of the young woman before fishing a key out of her pocket. “Naomi tells me you want to go back with Austin and Jessie but that your dad put his foot down because it’s too dangerous.”
Aurora looked at her silently, no expression. She could give Brochan a run for his money on that front.
“Well…” Nessa dangled the key between them. “I need a house sitter, and you’re twenty-five.
How about this—I won’t pay you, and in exchange I’ll give you all the information you need to get there without anyone telling the alphas until it’s too late. I got a line on a basajaun who loves to cause mischief. I’ll give you a hint—he’s the one in the kilt.”
“What does my being twenty-five have anything to do with it?” Aurora asked after a silent beat.
“You’re no longer a child. Stop asking your daddy for permission and take charge of your life.”
Nessa dropped the key. Aurora’s hand darted out and snatched it from the air.
“It’s got good soil in the backyard,” Nessa said, walking away. “Plant a garden.”
“How will I know…which one it is?” Aurora called.
“I’ve already emailed the particulars. Good luck! Have loud and wild parties!”
Nessa met Sebastian at the car and then slid into the driver’s seat.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Very. It’s time to remind the magical world what Elliot Graves is really like.”
THE NEXT MAGICAL MIDLIFE is right around the corner. Stay tuned to find out how Jessie deals with her ex.