Motor City Mage

by Cindy Spencer Pape

  “Don’t worry, sweetie. After this drug business is over, we’ll get your relationship sorted out.” Helen smiled and turned to leave. Over her shoulder, she murmured her parting shot. “After all, I want grandchildren some day.”

  Lana peeled off her sweater and leggings before crawling into the big bed. She huddled under the covers, hugging a pillow tightly. She’d like kids someday, too. Too bad it looked like that was never going to happen.

  * * *

  Des figured he’d dodged a bullet by escaping before Greg and/or Julian could corner him and ask about his intentions. Tonight might render it all moot anyway. He couldn’t answer questions if he managed to get himself killed—and better him than any of the others. The idea of Lana or Elise in the thick of things made him sick to his stomach—not to mention his parents. He wished to hell they’d waited in Vancouver. Aidan and Ric were priorities too. Since they were life-bonded to Elise and Meagan, one death would mean two—though in Meagan’s case not until after she delivered their son. Des sure as hell didn’t want that on his conscience. Or Fee having to raise twin werewolf cubs without her lupine mate. She and Greg might not be able to life-bond until she got her powers back, but she still needed him.

  Oh hell, he was going to worry about all of them. Everything about this situation stank. This was why, for so many years, the only people he’d let himself get close to were his family.

  In the guest room, he set his alarm and crashed like a rock. Two hours later he showered, shaved and felt like himself for the first time in days. His jeans had been washed and were waiting for him, along with a black turtleneck. Once dressed, he stuck his wallet, which had somehow made it with him through all those worlds, back into the pocket of his jeans.

  Then he pulled off the bracelet and turned it over in his hands a couple times, studying it. It was kind of bulky—a little bigger than the ID bracelet he’d had once upon a time in high school. Meant to slip over the hand, it was loose on his wrist, unlike the feminine version. The man’s design was also wider, giving it more masculine lines. The engraving was a perfect match though—a Makran design Uther said mean eternity. He wondered if he could get a jeweler to add a clasp and hinge like Lana’s, maybe refit it a little so it hugged his wrist and didn’t bounce around. That way he could wear it from time to time when he wanted to feel her close to him.

  For tonight he reluctantly set it aside, wrapping it in his battered flannel shirt. Armed conflict was no place for jewelry, though he did strap on his watch and slide his cell phone—returned from Vin and waiting for him fully charged at Aidan’s—into his back pocket.

  He went downstairs quietly, hoping none of the werewolves would have time to corner him. Slipping into the kitchen for a snack, he encountered his sister, loading a tray full of coffee and sodas. She gave him a conspiratorial grin.

  “The war council is in the library, but I was just about to head upstairs and wake Lana. Don’t suppose you’d want to handle that for me?”

  “That’s probably not the best idea.” Des snagged an apple from a bowl on the counter and took a bite. “I’d rather not pick a fight with the entire Novak family right before we go into this mess.”

  Elise lifted one eyebrow. “So you don’t want one last chance to say anything to her before all hell breaks loose? Thought you were smarter than that.”

  Hell. He debated with himself for maybe thirty seconds and nodded. “You got any more of that coffee? She’s going to want that when she wakes up.” Come to think of it, he could use a few cups, too.

  Elise handed him two tall mugs and pointed to the coffee urn on the counter. “There’s a service staircase from the kitchen up to the second floor. Helen said she’s in the second guestroom on the left when you come out of the stairway. That way you shouldn’t run into anyone on the way up.”

  Des leaned over and kissed his sister’s cheek. “Thanks.” Then he filled the mugs and made his way up the stairs.

  Lana didn’t wake when Des opened the door. He closed it silently behind him and stood for a moment watching her sleep.

  She was so unbelievably beautiful it made his stomach hurt to look. With her wild, dark hair tumbled across the pillows and her cheeks pink in sleep, she seemed positively angelic. It was about as far from the truth as possible. She was loud, brash and as in-your-face as a woman could get.

  And he loved her—for every characteristic he’d once considered a flaw, he now saw the positive side. She was brave, confident and determined to bring out the joy in her own life and others.

  For a little while, he’d found his.

  After talking to his parents today, he held out a hope, a little one, that he wouldn’t have to choose between Lana and his job. Because really, without him being fully aware of it, he’d already made that decision. If she’d have him, he’d leave the League. He didn’t know what he’d do after that—maybe he’d open his own investigations agency, maybe he’d find himself working at the bar—but Lana was more important than any job.

  “Is that coffee I smell?” She stirred, smiling and stretching as her eyes opened and focused on him. “Des? How’d you sneak up here?”

  “Elise knows the hidden stairways.” He brought her one of the mugs and set it on the nightstand. “You feeling better?”

  “Right as rain, or at least I will be once I get some of that Kenyan ambrosia into me. How about you?” She sat up against the headboard and reached for the mug. She was clad in nothing but a stretchy sports bra and panties, but made no effort to keep the sheet around her as she sipped. Des’s mouth watered and not from the admittedly fabulous coffee.

  “I’m good,” he said. “Listen, before everything gets messy tonight, there are a few things I wanted to say to you.” Fidgeting with his own mug, he looked for a chair, but when Lana patted the edge of the bed, he sat down beside her, staring at the wall above her head.

  “Okay. Shoot.” She took a long swallow and set her mug down, drawing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. A flash of gold told him she hadn’t removed her bracelet yet. Hell, Aidan had to have wire cutters in this place. Maybe she really didn’t want it gone.

  “I know better than to ask you not to go tonight.” He stuck his mug next to hers and dropped his eyes to study her face. “Just like I know I don’t have to ask you to be careful. You’re too smart not to be.”

  “Thanks.” She gave him a tentative smile. “I appreciate the confidence. It means a lot, coming from you.”

  “But I also know you’ll put others’ safety ahead of your own. And that scares the living hell out of me.”

  “But you’ll do the same. I know you will. And I’ll be terrified for you the whole time.” She took a deep breath, dropped her knees and reached out to cup his chin. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I love you, Des. Promise me you’ll do your best to come out of tonight in one piece.”

  She loved him? Des barely suppressed a war whoop that would have brought the entire household running. He knew he was grinning from ear to ear and didn’t care. He dragged Lana onto his lap. “I love you, too, chán-láng. I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight, or afterward with the League…”

  “We’ll figure it out. You love me? Oh my God, I hoped but was afraid… Damn, I never thought I’d hear you say that.” She peppered kisses on his cheeks. “As long as we love each other, as long as we both live through this mess, we’ll make it work somehow. I’m sure of it.”

  He wished he had her confidence, but maybe that’s why he needed her—to counterbalance his own pessimism. Trying to concentrate on anything, though, when Lana locked her lips on his and began kissing the breath out of him was downright impossible.

  There was only so much temptation a man could resist. Lana mostly nude, telling him she loved him and kissing him senseless was beyond his limit. Kicking off his shoes, he pressed her back against the mattress and slid one hand under the spandex bra. She felt like heaven and he only distantly registered her working a hand be
tween them to unzip his jeans. He moved off her just long enough to shove jeans and boxers down to his knees, while she stripped off her panties, and then he was inside her, deep and hard. It felt like coming home.

  “I love you,” she whispered, nipping at his ear.

  He shoved her bra up out of the way and bent his head to suckle one breast as he powered in and out of her heat. “Love you back,” he managed while switching from one nipple to the other a few moments later.

  It didn’t take long for her to arch beneath him, sink her nails into his shoulder, and explode around him. That was all it took for Des. When her inner muscles clenched down on his, he shattered, coming so hard he was afraid he’d pass out.

  Before he could move, before he could even catch his breath, the door slammed open. “What the fuck?” That statement of the obvious—George’s voice—was followed by a deep lupine growl that could only have come from his brother.

  Busted.

  Des grabbed the covers and yanked them up over their still-joined bodies. “Do you mind, Novak?” A quick glance told him it was both Greg and George standing in the doorway, along with Fee. Not Lana’s parents—a small mercy, that.

  “They’re waiting for you two downstairs,” Fee said. Her tone was cheerful and she swatted her husband’s shoulder. “Come on, you two. This is none of your business.”

  “It sure as hell is,” Greg rumbled.

  Lana threw a pillow toward the doorway. “No it’s not. Now get lost. We’ll be down in five.”

  * * *

  As soon as Lana’s cousins left, Des rolled off of Lana and laughed. She missed his weight almost at once, but their interlude was over. Time to get serious.

  “We are so busted,” she said, giggling like a lunatic. So much for serious. She was still floating, her brain utterly unable to process her joy at the idea that Des loved her back.

  “Think we should have told them we’re already married?” Des played with the bracelet on her wrist.

  “Later.” They’d have to have another wedding here, anyway. Assuming he asked her, of course—which was assuming a lot. “What’s the League going to think?”

  “Whatever they want.” Des leaned over and kissed her, hard. “If they have a problem with it, I’ll quit, go private. Working insurance fraud and divorce cases will seem like a vacation by comparison.”

  Of course he had his private investigator’s license. Still, he was devoted to the Wyndewin and it would be a loss to him to give it up. “I hope it won’t come to that.” She rolled out of bed and took a few steps toward the bathroom. “But I’m too selfish to give you up for the League.”

  “If they can’t accept my choice of wife, then I don’t want to be involved with them.” He followed her into the bathroom.

  Wife. Her heart did a little happy dance at that one simple word. Then she remembered that he hadn’t actually asked her yet and she turned on him with a glare. If he’d wanted some wimpy little omega who’d do everything he said, he’d chosen the wrong wolf.

  Heedless of her irritation, Des kept talking as he washed up at the sink. “You’re way more important than a job. But don’t worry. Based on what my parents had to say earlier, I think they’ll come around, assuming we can take down Brewer tonight.” He ran water in the sink and snagged a washcloth.

  At that, she sobered, deciding to save the other battle for later. They weren’t just going up against demons, but against another Wyndewin. “Be careful tonight.” She piled her hair up with a plastic clip and kissed his cheek before stepping into the shower. “I don’t want to lose you before we ever have a chance to be together.”

  “Same goes,” he called over the glass. She could feel him watching her silhouette through the frosted glass as she washed. Her body still tingled from his touch and she didn’t think she’d ever get tired of it.

  “I will, I promise.” She finished up quickly and stepped out, taking the towel he handed her. “It seems I have a whole lot to live for.”

  They had a lot to talk about yet—wedding, kids, where they’d live—but this wasn’t the time for it. For now it was enough to know her love was returned. Lana shifted back into business mode, quickly pulling on her borrowed clothes and brushing out her hair. As soon as she was done, she held out her hand to Des. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.” So we can get on with the rest of our lives.

  Downstairs, she held her head high and faced her family and Des’s, along with their friends. The noisy room grew dead silent when they walked in, still holding hands. Everyone turned to stare.

  “As far as I’m concerned, we’re already married,” Des said without preamble, looking her father in the eye, his head tipped in respect. “Though it’s not legal on this world. We’ll be correcting that as soon as possible.” He also nodded to Greg.

  “Gee, way to ask me first,” she muttered, only half joking. The man still had a thing or two to learn about the concept of equal partnership. He wasn’t going to get away with bossing her around. Then she found herself engulfed in a warm embrace from Elise and Des’s mother, and there was a general frenzy of hugs, whoops and male backslapping.

  “Congratulations.” Aidan’s voice cut across the merriment, though he’d taken his turn hugging Lana, too. “And it’s about time. Now let’s get back to work here.”

  While Lana and Des slept, the others had apparently fine-tuned all the details of the plan. Now all that was left was execution—and getting Brewer to play into it. Vin and Des thought they had that figured out, though Lana wasn’t exactly happy with about the idea to use Des as bait.

  “I’m going with him,” she said.

  “No, you’re not.” Greg stared her down. “You’re too emotionally attached and you know it.”

  “His father is going to be there.” She crossed her arms and glared back at her Prime. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

  “Because we need Ted’s testimony for the League. You would be a liability. If you want in on this at all, you’re with the team in the mines. You’ve been down there before. You’ll be able to help round up workers and get them through the portal before it blows.”

  She suppressed a growl and replied with a curt nod. “I hate it when you’re right.”

  Since they needed proof for the League that Brewer was involved, they needed to get video footage of him interacting with the demon, and witnesses. Des’s father would have some credibility, but he’d be considered biased, so he’d brought another Wyndewin director, one he trusted, up from Toledo. Pete Llewellyn didn’t seem entirely sure about any of this, but agreed that if Brewer interacted with a demon he thought was Mandrake, that would be proof enough for him.

  “The surveillance system is in place,” Wallis reported. “We’ve secured the house Mandrake and Brewer have used for meetings and everything looks good. Vin’s magic should hide the electronics and the witnesses from Brewer when he comes in.”

  “I’ve left a report on my computer.” The middle-aged, sandy-haired mage from Ohio seemed like smart guy and didn’t look like he was afraid of a fight. “No matter what happens, the regents will know to look more closely at Brewer.”

  “Good.” Ted clapped him on the shoulder. “And thank you.”

  Llewellyn shrugged. “I owed you a few.” He glanced around the room. “Ted was my trainer. Saved my ass more times than I can count.”

  “We ready to go?” Des tapped his fingers on the table.

  Nods all around the table confirmed it. Everyone except Des, Vin and the lupines strapped on protective gear, and a freaking arsenal was stowed in the back of a limo and a cargo van. Lana had been assigned to Greg’s command, with George, Julian, her cousin Derek, a handful of other pack members and her mother—her mother of all people—driving the oversized van. Aidan was in charge of team two, in the limo, with a group of Fae and humans, including Elise, Jase and most of Aidan’s security staff, with Lien at the wheel.

  One by one, Vin teleported Ric, Wallis, Ted and Pete to the meeting location. While he was gon
e, Lana pulled Des into another room and kissed him goodbye. “Be careful, okay?”

  “We’ve been over this.” He kissed her again until her knees were melting. “We’ll meet you at the mine entrance in time for the strike. I love you.”

  “Love you, too.” She watched out the window as he and Vin drove away. They’d stash the SUV near the abandoned house. Then after Brewer was taken into custody, they would join the others for the raid on the mines.

  Lana wasn’t sure she was going to be able to breathe right until she saw him again—all in one piece.

  A small hand slipped into hers. “You make Uncle Des happy.”

  A lump grew in Lana’s throat as she looked down at Dina in a pair of pink footie pajamas. She had her stuffed Pegasus clutched in one hand and her black hair was tangled.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be up in bed?” She was only five. As powerful as she was magically, she was still a very young child and didn’t need to watch her parents preparing for battle.

  “You were hurting so I came down to give you a hug.”

  Lana dropped to her knees and embraced the little girl. “Thank you, sweetie.”

  “You make Uncle Des happy. He’s always been hurting. But today he’s not.” Dina patted Lana on the shoulder. “Keep making him happy, okay?”

  “I’ll do my best.” And she would. For the rest of her life.

  Dina beamed. “Good. Thanks, Aunt Lana.” With a noisy kiss on Lana’s cheek, she scurried back up the stairs, just as her nanny started down them, hands on hips. Lana shared a smile with Mairead, the half gnome, half elf who was married to Toby Bootle and had worked for Aidan for hundreds of years. Then Mairead hustled Dina back toward her bedroom.

  The idea of having friends for that long was mind-boggling, and Lana couldn’t resist just the faintest twinge of jealousy. She and Des would have such a relatively short time together compared to the others.

  But it sure as hell wasn’t going to end tonight. Not if she could help it.

  Chapter Twelve