Shine (Mageri Series: Book 5)

by Dannika Dark

  Then he escorted her to a small table in the back, away from the doors and the window. Page stared at the narrow booth and frowned, attempting to scoot in the seat when he cupped his hand around her arm.

  “We’ll sit here,” he said, pointing to a table on the other side with regular chairs. “Will this be suitable?”

  “Yes. Sorry, I’m a whale, I know.”

  She set the box on the table and sat down while he held her chair. Justus quietly sat across from her and shoved the box against the wall before placing two small plates in front of them and a stack of napkins in the middle.

  Page’s taste buds rejoiced when she took another bite of the jelly donut and washed it down with juice. “This is what life is all about. When you can just sit down and enjoy the simple pleasure of a delicious pastry that melts away all your troubles. And all that time you used to say I didn’t eat enough,” she said with a giggle. “Bet you wish you could eat those words now that you’ve seen the good it’s done for my body.”

  He leaned forward and softened the rough edges in his voice. “You are large because you are with child, not because you have kept yourself nourished.”

  Page laughed and covered her mouth. “I’ll probably be mad at you later on for calling me large, but I’ll let it slide for the time being.”

  “Would you mind telling me how this came to be?”

  “Well,” she began in a facetious voice, licking jelly from her thumb. “It all begins when the penis meets the vagina.”

  He slammed his hand down on the table and made her jump.

  “What do you want me to say, Justus? That I’m having another man’s baby? Yes.”

  “And how is it possible?”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he must have sensed sarcasm making a swift arrival.

  “How could you not disclose your pregnancy all this time? Who fathers this child?”

  “Well, now that my private sex life is being discussed in front of half the store, I’ll tell you.” She lowered her voice and her flaring temper. “Slater.”

  “I knew I should have killed him sooner,” he ground out through his teeth before taking a long sip of coffee.

  “Look, what’s done is done. I can’t go back in a time machine and fix this. You don’t want to be mixed up with a woman who’s pregnant. He did things to me in that lab I’ll never know, and I’m afraid of what it could have done to this baby. I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Shoot.”

  “What?”

  Her face soured. “My donut got cold.” She set it down on her plate and tears welled in her eyes. Here came the waterworks. It had nothing to do with the donut or Justus finding out she was pregnant. Page had learned that she no longer had control over her emotions and experienced frequent outbursts.

  Justus reached across the table and cupped his hand over her plate. After a few seconds, he retracted his arm and began picking at his donut. “See if it’s to your satisfaction.”

  When she touched the soft edges, the donut was toasty warm and the glaze melted against her fingertips. Page smiled. “I still think that’s an amazing gift you have. I wish I could do something like that.”

  “Intelligence is your gift,” he said with a short nod.

  Page’s cheeks stung with heat. She put her hands in her lap as they began to turn red and she glanced around. She had forgotten how good it felt to banter with Justus, how their petty quarrels always ended with compliments and humor.

  “You’re still sending me orchids,” she said in a quiet voice. “But you can stop now.”

  “No,” he said, eyeing the box of donuts. “That will continue.”

  Her eyes widened. “What for?”

  “Are they not agreeable?”

  “My bedroom looks like a botanical garden, as does the rest of my apartment. I’ve had to give away some to my neighbors and even nearby shopkeepers. In fact, sometimes I’ll give them to a random stranger walking by on the street. Some of the flowers have died because, I hate to tell you this, but I have a black thumb. Those are fussy plants and require too much attention.”

  A smirk wound up his face. “That sounds like a flower I know.”

  She snatched his donut and took a bite, claiming back her favorite. “I hardly think you’re one to talk.”

  He reached in the box and pulled out a chocolate-glazed, sending slivers of crumbs to his plate. When he took a large bite, his lips were smothered in dried glaze.

  Page burst out laughing. “Here,” she said, handing him a napkin.

  Justus wiped his mouth and then cleaned off his fingers. “Is there anyone caring for you?”

  “I went to a Relic a couple of times, but I don’t know. The fetus is growing so fast and I don’t want to draw any attention. It could be dangerous and um… I just want to fly under the radar and try to live a normal life.”

  His finger touched the edge of her glass and he pushed it toward her. She indulged him with a short sip and set the juice to the side.

  “Do you plan to keep the child?” he asked, drinking his coffee and avoiding eye contact.

  “Despite how I feel about Slater, the baby is half mine. Someday I’ll have to tell him what his father did to me—to him. But I never thought I could have children, Justus. No matter how I try to see this as an abomination, I can’t help but marvel at the life growing inside me. I mean, I’m having a baby. I’m bringing a life into this world and that is a miracle. This was never my future, and maybe that’s the only thing Slater ever got right in his meaningless life. I’m not sure what will happen with the baby because of all the drug cocktails I received, but I can’t deny him. No child is born evil, and no deformity erases the love a mother has for her baby. Whatever I’m about to bring into this world is going to be beautiful, because it’s mine. I’m just scared.”

  He reached across the table and she drew comfort from his touch.

  No words would have had a greater impact than the simple gesture of him holding her hand, because Justus was not a man who invited physical contact. That hadn’t been the case during their intimate times together, but to be so bold as to show her public affection? Her heart constricted.

  “Maybe Slater didn’t think my body could carry it through, so he found a way to speed up the gestation. The fetus is developing rapidly and I’m afraid he might age too quickly. It could slow down… I don’t know.”

  “He?”

  Page tapped the side of her nose and watched a lady in a walker make her way to the side door.

  “I don’t know the sex, but I’m almost positive it’s a boy. He’s got a strong kick and I’m carrying high.”

  Page felt silly giving those reasons, because as a Relic, she knew better.

  When Justus stared pointedly at her stomach, she slouched in her seat and cleared her throat.

  “How will you care for the child and work?”

  “Well, I don’t plan to decide that over a box of donuts. I know you must have a ton of questions, but I don’t know that I have all the answers. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

  He lifted a sprinkled donut and placed it on her plate, briefly warming it. The chocolate began to melt down the sides and her mouth watered.

  “I must admit that pregnancy becomes you. It pleases me to see you eat.”

  She smiled wide and picked off some of the chocolate icing. “You just like the big girls, don’t ya?”

  His neck turned fire-engine red. Justus had once admitted she didn’t eat enough and had gone on about how larger women were once revered. It was true. Rubenesque women were found attractive during his time, until the last couple of centuries when women had begun squeezing into corsets. Page had been average, perhaps on the leaner side, before she had become pregnant. Of course, now she was the Pillsbury Doughboy, and watching his eyes widen as he looked at her full breasts sent a flurry of laughter to her throat.

  Embarrassed or not by her brash remark, he liked what he saw. She couldn’t help but feel embraced by his acceptance of her
, no matter what size she was. He complimented her regardless and seemed more concerned that she was healthy and eating properly. In all fairness, he was never in the wrong. Page had several vitamin deficiencies that she’d ignored prior to the pregnancy, but all that was rectified now that she was taking the right pills and eating healthy.

  She watched the way he blew the steam from his coffee before sipping it and how he’d lick his lip before setting the mug down. Page realized she didn’t want to feel those residual feelings for Justus blossoming like a flower with each passing moment. There was something inexplicably magnetic about this Mage. It had nothing to do with the fact he was a Charmer, because that had no effect on Page. But there were brief moments when he held her gaze and a delicious warmth licked over her skin.

  She felt guilty entertaining the idea of starting up something he didn’t want.

  “I think I’m done,” she announced. “This was probably not a good idea.”

  “On the contrary, Page, I think it was an excellent idea. Finish your juice and I’ll drive you home.”

  Chapter 13

  “That’s your third hamburger,” I said, eyes wide with disbelief.

  Finn took a monster bite and grease rolled down his wrist. “Hungry,” he murmured with a full mouth.

  I laughed and Logan eased up beside me in my living room. Justus didn’t care for eating outside the kitchen or dining room, but Justus wasn’t here. When I’d told him there was an emergency with Adam and Page, he’d checked my phone and stormed out the door.

  “Do you want me to cook you up another plate of fries?” I offered.

  “Got any onion rings?”

  Logan cleared his throat. Chitahs didn’t believe women should serve men, and Logan decided he’d had enough.

  “If you want onion rings, Little Wolf, then you will go into the kitchen and make them yourself.”

  “Logan,” I said, holding his arm.

  “A male should not be coddled like a child. He is strong enough to move about and eat, so he is—”

  “Still sitting in the room. So quit talking about me like I’m not here,” Finn said, putting his burger down. After dusting off his fingers, he wiped them on his sweatshirt. “I asked because it seemed like the polite thing to do. I don’t like digging through other people’s drawers and using their appliances.”

  “This is your house,” I said. “Dig all you want.”

  He looked at the plate on his lap and finally set it on the end table. Finn had difficulty maintaining eye contact. His years in captivity with Nero, when he’d been beaten and branded, had made him into a submissive wolf with aggressive tendencies. He was getting much better about his outbursts and learning to speak up, but I often wondered what kind of future he’d have in this world.

  “It feels weird,” he admitted.

  I sat on the edge of the couch and Logan clasped his hands in front of him.

  “You’ll get used to it,” I said. “It just takes a little time. Now I have someone to teach me about geography.” His eyes lit up as I tapped into that curious mind of his.

  “There are security alarms within the home,” Logan pointed out. “We won’t be giving you the access codes because you won’t be leaving without one of us to accompany you. If you manage to open a door when the security is on high, you’ll set off the silent alarms and it will alert Justus.”

  I snorted. “Trust me, he’s got it hooked up to his phone somehow so he knows what’s going on when he’s not at home.”

  Finn stood up and stuffed his hands into his oversized jean pockets. “So I’m a prisoner again, is that how it is?”

  “No,” I quickly said, reducing the space between us and giving him a hug. “It’s not safe for anyone right now, but especially you. Once we catch Nero, it won’t be like this anymore.” He stepped away from me and combed his hair with his fingers. “If your wolf needs to run, you hang up a sign in the bathroom that you’re downstairs and we’ll stay up here and no one will bother you.”

  He nodded. “Coolio.”

  “We’re heading out,” Logan said.

  Leo had called earlier and wanted to meet with Logan. It had to do with Finn, so Logan had asked me to join him.

  I pinched Finn’s cheek and he grinned, plopping into a swivel chair.

  “There are a few movies in the cabinet—just slide them in the computer over there and it’ll come up on the screen.”

  “Which one?” he asked, staring at the wall full of monitors.

  “All of them. It’s better than the movie theater, and there’s microwave popcorn in the pantry if you want to make some. We shouldn’t be long. Just stay away from the ice cream.”

  Finn looked over his shoulder. “Why’s that?”

  “I’ve staked my claim on the dark chocolate. It’s mine.”

  ***

  “Glad you came, brother.” Leo greeted us, opening the door to his home.

  It was the first time I’d been to his place and my eyes roamed around as I took off my jacket. Like Logan, he also lived in a condo, but it was tastefully decorated. The walls had rectangular panels with white trim, and the rooms were velvet red. It seemed like a bold color for a man, but it was a deep, masculine shade and was complemented by the black furniture. I felt like I had stepped into a magazine.

  A crooked smirk accented my expression and Logan peered back at me with a smile in his eyes.

  Leo took our coats and hung them up. “Join me in the living room; I have lunch.”

  Unlike Logan’s barren apartment, Leo’s was vibrant and lived in. The white couch had clean lines and faced a brick fireplace. The rest of the furniture was black leather. I never could figure out why men were obsessed with leather. I imagined their get-togethers must have involved lighting up cigars and doing manly things like discussing sports and whittling with a giant machete.

  The glass coffee table had a tray of delicious-looking goodies to snack on.

  “Are these pigs in a blanket?” I said excitedly.

  Leo chuckled, sitting in a leather chair while Logan stole the one across from him. I nervously sat on the edge of the pristine sofa, certain I would spill something on it.

  I waited and Leo leaned forward, holding out his hands. “Eat, female. I made those when Logan said you would be accompanying him.”

  Which was an honor—Chitah men cooked for women they respected. After I loaded up a small plate, Leo and Logan fixed their own. Apparently Leo didn’t entertain guests in the afternoon with alcohol since he served lemon water.

  “Mmm, these are good,” I said, devouring my third one. They were still warm with just a hint of spice.

  “What is the importance of this meeting?” Logan sat with his legs wide apart and his arms on the armrest.

  Leo dusted crumbs off his fingers and set his plate on a glass table to his left. He shared similar traits with Logan—especially his smile. The light from the window behind him picked up the highlights in his reddish hair, making him the kind of man that stood out in a crowd. His stout physique and refined characteristics made it feel as if I were in the room with a leader. A closely trimmed beard shadowed his face and what I loved about him were the laugh lines high on his cheeks near his almond-shaped eyes. I always felt I could trust a man with laugh lines.

  “A man named Rupert Wade visited me last night.”

  My eyes darted toward Logan to catch his reaction, but he held a blank stare. He scratched his head and drew my attention to his choppy hair. After the night I’d cut it off, Logan had vowed never to wear it long again, saying that kind of devotion comes along once in a lifetime and it would dishonor me to grow it out.

  “The name rings no bells,” Logan replied, stroking his chin pensively. My eyes wandered down to his black shirt, which hitched up in the front and revealed a patch of skin above his cargo pants. I felt silly ogling him until his nose twitched and a smile played on his lips.

  Leo cleared his throat and took a sip of water, the ice clinking in the silent room. “R
upert is Finnegan’s father.” He and Logan held each other’s gazes as if a silent exchange was transpiring between the two.

  “What did he want?” I asked tightly.

  “Rupert wants us to return his son. He belongs to a pack now and has the Packmaster’s support.”

  “He can’t do that!” I exclaimed. “Did Finn ever tell you that his beloved father was the one who sold him into slavery?” I set my plate on the table and stood up. “I can’t believe this. You’re not going to do it, are you?”

  Logan interrupted. “Finn is a man now. He’s not a boy that a parent can tug around without his approval.”

  “Finnegan is also a Shifter,” Leo reminded him. “They have different rules, and they’re questioning his ability to make sound decisions. He’s chosen to live in a house with Chitahs and that has insulted the Packmasters in the territory. They think we’re feeding him lies and brainwashing him.”

  “What does Rupert want with him?” I asked. “You can’t let this happen. Finn has a home here and that man… I can’t believe this.”

  Leo’s nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath and shifted in his chair. The leather creaked beneath him. “I’m afraid there may be nothing we can do. This is out of our territory and our elders will not defend us on this matter because Finnegan is not a Chitah.

  “No. Absolutely not. I’m sorry, but this rings like déjà vu. My Creator had full rights to me and do you want to know what he did when my Ghuardian handed me over to him? He beat me.”

  Logan’s canines punched out and his lips peeled back. “I will not give my brother to a man who threw away his child.”

  “If he gains support from more Packmasters, it’s going to happen,” Leo said. “My hope is we can bribe him. He’s clearly a man that responds to money, given his past. Once Finnegan is living on his own, this should no longer be an issue. But as it stands, he is within our care and that is an insult to Mr. Wade.”

  “Let him be insulted,” I said. “I’m pretty insulted he sold his child. I don’t even want to think about why he wants him back. Did he ask for money?”

  “No, and that is what concerns me. He may not care about his son, but his pride has been pricked. Word somehow got out—you know how Breed talk—that we took in a Shifter as one of our own. That kind of thing does not go unnoticed.”