Page 32 of Magical Midlife Conclave

She showed her pride in her bearings. “And that makes us the best.” She twitched up a shoulder. “Well…except that the mages have a better potion than ours.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Except for that, yes. We’re lagging on the mage side of all this, but getting gargoyles and shifters in place was necessary. Once that is locked down, we can solidly enter this fight.”

A wave of shivers washed over her, and she looked out the side window. “I dread that,” she admitted.

His reply was soft. “Me too.”

They rode for a bit in silence, nearing downtown now and about to turn toward Ivy House.

“Dad never could’ve done this,” she said. They’d both already shared uncomfortable truths. Might as well go all in. “I never could understand why he didn’t push harder to bring the shifters together. I get it now. He’s smart and an excellent alpha, but he doesn’t have the raw ruthlessness that’s needed to get this done. He won’t sacrifice his standing within the alpha community because he worries it’ll trickle down to his family. To Mac and me. He doesn’t want to do something that will inherently hurt our futures. And so he plays by the rules and only pushes far enough not to break things.”

“It’s an admirable trait. You shouldn’t fault him for it. A father’s top priority is protecting his children.”

His expression stayed stoic, but she heard the pain in his words. He hadn’t been able to, but, if given the choice, he’d do what Aurora’s dad had. He’d protect over pushing so hard that something broke.

She nodded, looking away again. “I don’t fault him. But to break through, someone needs to blow the rules and social customs to hell.”

“I’ve come to that realization as well. Austin has no problem taking that route.”

“No. And Jessie doesn’t know any better.”

“Even if she did, she’ll do whatever is necessary to protect her people. She doesn’t see rules. She sees results.”

“Hmm,” Aurora said as they got closer. She wondered where she fit in. She wasn’t as buttoned up as her dad—Ulric and Jasper had painstakingly made sure of that. She wasn’t hellbent on following the rules. Nor was she totally raw ruthlessness. Sure, when she let herself go, even Aljoe sat back with widened eyes…and then a grin, but she lived in her head as much as she relished feeling her beast.

She was realizing that she existed somewhere in the middle. She loved the idea of throwing all this in Armendale’s face, but she also wanted rules and order. There was a time for the sort of ruthlessness only a beast could inspire, and a time for words and talking things out. She wasn’t quite sure how that would dictate her future. Where she’d fit if this all worked out the way Uncle Auzzie and her dad wanted it to. Would a generational pack be enough to appease her wildness? And if not…what would become of her?

“What?” Sue asked, crawling toward Ivy House now.

She didn’t comment, having thought she’d been perfectly still.

“What?” he pushed, echoing her from earlier in the day.

She sighed and then told him.

He parked in front of the house and sat for a minute. “You are an incredible blend of two amazing alphas, Aurora. They are yin and yang, but they have blended in you. Aljoe saw that immediately. He is dedicating a lot of time to your training because he sees your limitless potential. If you trust nothing else in life, trust that. Trust in yourself. When it’s time to choose your placement, you will choose what fits you best, not the other way around.”

She clasped her fingers in her lap, not knowing how to explain what his words meant to her. Not sure how to express her gratitude, knowing she’d repeat those words to herself over and over in times of doubt.

He inclined his head, and she knew she didn’t have to. He read it in her body language, and for once, she was thankful she couldn’t hide the finer details from him.

“How much do you bet Jessie is going to be underdressed?” he asked, opening his door.

And just like that, the heaviness of the previous moment evaporated. She smiled, thankful for that, too.

“Nessa talked to her. She said she was very specific. Jessie knows the dress code.”

“I know. Hundred bucks?”

“You’re on.”

7

Jessie

“Why is Niamh here?” I asked as I adjusted my earring. I could feel her in the main sitting room, one of the few we collectively used. We needed to do something with the other ones but had opted to wait until after the conclave.

“Don’t know.” Austin finished fixing his hair before kissing me on the cheek and heading into the bedroom. He wore a white button-up, with three buttons open to show the beginning of his pecs, and jeans that were somewhat more fashionable than mine.