Page 68 of Magical Midlife Conclave

His expression didn’t change, but his body advertised his interest. “Nearly. You’re the mage, right?”

“Low in power, high in ego. A winning combo.”

“Like a few people in here, then.” His body showed the humor. “You are allowed to smile. It would be a shame if you tried to fit in.”

“I mean…” She leaned closer and winked at him. “We’re all allowed to smile. What would it take to coax one out of you?”

“Thank God Tristan is not a possessive man,” Aljoe whispered.

“He is,” Sue said, “but only when she feels threatened. Neither of them care when the other flirts. Different culture.”

“Clearly,” Nina murmured.

The man stared at her, obviously at a loss for words. He was probably deciding if he should answer her honestly—which she likely wouldn’t understand, because she wasn’t a shifter—or say something suggestive.

Before he could figure it out, she beamed at him. “Food for thought.”

She slipped away, walking toward Aljoe. She held out a drink and lifted her eyebrows.

“What’s the play here, cowboy?” she asked.

“You’re in a great mood.” Aljoe took the drink but didn’t immediately put it to his lips. People could wonder.

A dark cloud passed over her eyes. It was gone in a flash. “Am I a go for launch?”

Aljoe studied her. “I was just telling Sue and Nina that Armendale won’t challenge Austin because he knows he’ll lose. Instead, he’ll cheat. The problem is no one has ever been able to prove his shady behavior. We don’t know how he operates.”

Nessa chuckled softly, turning to Nina. “You probably don’t get the joke.”

She tilted her head. “No, what’s the joke?”

“Him being able to cheat us.” Nessa laughed this time. “That’s the joke. He doesn’t know what snake pit he’s stepped into. We’ll force a challenge, or we’ll embarrass him for refusing. But first…” Her gaze hit Aljoe’s. “First we’re going to water down his support.”

He lowered his voice so no one could overhear. “You’re confident you can manipulate with your energy without anyone picking up on it?”

“I’m roaming around in here, aren’t I? A smile and a wink and a little nudge with my energy and everyone is happy. I’m going very light. I still have to practice the heavier nudges.”

Aljoe flicked his gaze at the younger shifter, talking to someone else now. “Huh.”

She shrugged and moved away, slipping back into the crowd.

“That’s not…great, though,” Nina said, uncomfortable.

“She’s only messing with Armendale,” Aljoe responded, “and only in ways concerning politics. We’re fighting the way he fights, and we’re going to prove we’re much better at it. When it comes to the convocation, everyone has to come to it on their own. They have to choose to be with us. That’s important.”

She let out a breath. “Gotcha. Well, I guess⁠—”

The door to the hall banged open. A visibly distraught shifter walked in, his hair mussed and an arm of his suit jacket torn. He threaded through the quickly silenced crowd, everyone looking his way.

Dave appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the frame.

“This is an outrage,” an alpha cried out a moment later—Samuel, a generational alpha who was losing his inheritance instead of improving upon it.

The crowd parted so Samuel had a clear line of sight to Austin and Jessie. They stopped what they were doing and turned his way.

“What is the meaning of this?” Samuel growled. “One of your basajauns kicked my guy!”

Austin looked at Jessie, very clearly giving her control of the situation.