by Jasmine Walt
Steeling myself, I turned back to the steamcar, but it was already moving away, rolling sluggishly toward the opposite corner. I thought about giving pursuit, but I was in no shape to do so with my injuries. My heart sank as I watched it retreat—by the time I told anyone about this, the car would have already disappeared into the avenue’s busy morning traffic.
Moving as fast as I could without jarring my shoulder further, I went around the back of the hotel and climbed the stairs to my room. If the hotel staff saw me like this, they would have questions that I was not ready to answer. My mind was still buzzing with adrenaline and shock—I could barely string together two sentences in my head.
A sob of relief tore from my throat as I finally reached my door. I got it open, then hurried into the adjoining room. “Fenris,” I croaked as he sat up, his face still heavy with sleep.
“Mina!” Fenris’s eyes widened in alarm, and he jumped out of the bed, fully naked. The sight momentarily distracted me from my pain, but then he was by my side, and I hissed in pain as he gently took me by the arms. “What happened?”
“My shoulder,” I groaned, and he let go immediately.
“I see,” he said gravely, his yellow gaze going to my torn shirt. Carefully, he guided me onto the bed, then pursed his lips as he studied the area.
“This isn’t something I’m going to be able to heal with magic, not right away,” he warned. “I’m going to have to set your shoulder manually.”
I nodded—it was the same with broken bones. If I tried to heal them before setting them, they would knit back together incorrectly, and I would have to break them again or leave the patient permanently disfigured.
“Just do it quickly,” I said through my teeth.
Fenris helped me lie flat on the bed, with my injured arm facing outward. I squeezed my eyes shut as he took my wrist in his hand and slowly began to pull my arm away from my body in a ninety-degree angle. I sucked in a sharp breath as pain stabbed through me, but a few seconds later, I felt a clunk, and the pain immediately plummeted to a more manageable level.
“Phew.” I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Fenris said tightly. He pressed a hand against my shoulder, and cool, sweet relief flooded me as he used his magic to heal the tender joint and the shredded skin. After a few moments, he sat back, and my stomach dropped at the look on his face. His jaw was set, and his eyes gleamed with anger.
“Would you like to explain to me,” he said softly, “what you were doing outside by yourself?”
I swallowed hard, pushing myself into an upright position—I didn’t like lying prone beneath his gaze while he was looking at me like that. “I…you were asleep, and I didn’t think I’d be out long,” I said lamely. “I just wanted to go for a walk and enjoy the sunrise.” I gave him my best puppy-dog face.
Fenris scrubbed a hand over his face. “Mina, you look like you’ve just been run over by a car,” he said in a pained voice. “Didn’t we just have a discussion last night about you not going out by yourself?”
“I’m sorry,” I groaned, pressing my palms against my eyes. “I only remembered after I was already out, and I hurried back as fast as I could. I’m not used to all this. I’ve never had anyone try to kill me before.”
“I know.” Fenris’s tone softened, and he put his arm around my shoulder. “Sometimes, I forget that you have not been exposed to the same dangers I have,” he said gently, rubbing my back.
I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “I’ve never thought of myself as naïve, but after today…” I raised my head to look at him, and my heart settled a little at the compassion in his gaze. “I know you said that someone might try to kill me, but I didn’t believe it, not really, until that steamcar tried to mow me down.”
“So it was a car, then?” Fenris’s jaw clenched. “What happened, exactly?”
I told him about how the vehicle had come out of nowhere only a block from the hotel, in the only deserted spot anywhere close by, and had nearly run me down twice before I’d managed to get away. “I think your protection charm saved me again,” I said. “It gave me a boost and helped me jump over the car before it could crush me into the wall.”
Fenris shook his head. “I am doubly glad I decided to put that spell on you, but it may not save you next time,” he warned. “You must promise me that you will not leave my side again, Mina. When this is over, you may go wherever you choose, but until then, I want you within my line of sight at all times.”
I nodded, snuggling in a little tighter against him. “I’m happy to stay by your side,” I said, resting my cheek against his chest. The warm, steady heartbeat thumping just beneath his skin reassured me, and my cheeks warmed as I suddenly remembered that he was naked.
Fenris nuzzled the top of my head, then gently extricated himself from my grip. “As much as I would love to spend a bit more time with you in my arms, you are still tender, and I should shower and dress for the day,” he said ruefully. “We cannot remain here, waiting for the next attack. I’ll make arrangements to protect you better.”
I sighed as he retreated toward the bathroom, watching his muscled backside. Of all the ways my morning could have gone, why hadn’t I just stayed in bed so I could start with that?
19
Fenris
After that narrow escape, Mina and I decided to relocate to a beach hotel just a few minutes outside the city, where it would be harder for our enemies to track us. We asked the Black Horse to forward any mail in case we heard from the Mages Guild or Mr. Ransome but not to give out our new address to anyone whatsoever.
As we sat in the sand, sipping drinks from cups garnished with umbrellas, we did our best to enjoy the sun and the salty breeze and not to think too much about the near-fatal accident or the upcoming hearing. Mina certainly deserved a period of relaxation after the shock and stress she had suffered.
The first thing Mina had asked back at the Black Horse, once she’d calmed down from her run-in with the steamcar, was who might have ordered the hit. The obvious suspects were Mina’s aunt and uncle. While I did not put such a crime past Gelisia, she had no motive that I could see.
“Do you think it could have been Vanley?” Mina had wondered, twirling a lock of her hair nervously. “As retribution for knocking him on his ass at the party?”
I’d shrugged. “Men have killed women for less,” I said, “but you mentioned he was inebriated and perhaps even drugged, so who knows if he even remembers the incident very well.”
Mina nodded. “He was acting as if he wasn’t sure if I was a hallucination,” she admitted. “He might very well have convinced himself the next day that nothing had happened at all.” Her lips curved into a grim smile. “He’s going to be in for a real shock at the hearing.”
The hearing. We needed to devise a strategy to counter the probable outcome—I could already see Gelisia sauntering up to the Chief Mage and declaring that Mina was an imposter, that she had no right to the Marton Estate. We would present our own side of the story, and I was confident we would ultimately prevail. Yet, unless we firmly established Mina’s identity among the people of Haralis, questions would always remain.
This posed a dilemma. For her safety, I would have liked to tuck Mina away where nobody else had access to her, but in the long run, and even to make a credible showing in the impending hearing, she needed to stay as visible in the mage community as possible. The more people who saw and recognized her, who believed she had returned, the better.
The desire to hide her from everyone else partly sprang from pure selfishness; I wanted to keep her at my side, and my wolfish side growled at the very idea of Mina looking at another mage, of her being courted by anyone else. But I had to put her welfare first. Once she had regained her rights, I would encourage her to accept the invitations that even now drifted in from various mage families. No matter what I might wish and hope for, I had no illusions that we were going to end up as lifetime mates. Mi
na’s predicament was nearly at an end—she would be free to step back into the limelight, and she deserved a man who could stand proudly, openly, at her side.
Not one who had to skulk in the shadows and hide behind the guise of a decrepit old mage.
I wished I’d had the foresight to record the conversation I’d eavesdropped on between Gelisia and Mina’s relatives. What I’d overheard was more than enough to prove Gelisia was corrupt, but it was merely my word against hers, and she already held the Chief Mage’s favor. I wondered how often Gelisia had taken bribes to look the other way when she had worked in my office—I had the feeling the answer was quite often; for all I knew, her subordinates delivered a part of their own take to her in exchange for her protection. Likely she would evaluate whether the victim in question possessed something worth the risk of squeezing him, and those who were too poor she did not bother with.
A flash of anger filled me at that. If I’d found out Gelisia had a “fund” such as the one she’d described to the Cantorins, I would have had her fired and indicted immediately. I was certain that if the Chief Mage of Innarta knew about this “charity” she’d set up, and that she was using it to solicit donations from people she was supposed to be investigating, that he would feel similarly. That the uncle had offered a donation at all, without her prompting, told me it was general local practice, or that he’d already heard she was amenable to bribes.
Regardless, I refused to allow Gelisia to sell off Mina’s inheritance for her own profit.
“More invitations?” I asked Mina as she came into the restaurant to join me for breakfast, holding a selection of envelopes. My breath caught at the sight of her—she was wearing a sheer, multi-hued dress. Beneath it, I could clearly see the outline of her bikini. She’d been delighted when I’d suggested spending the rest of the week at the beach and had immediately proceeded to buy several bathing suits, each of which looked more enticing than the last.
The other men at the resort thought so too, and every time one of them turned his avid gaze her way, a surge of possessiveness filled me. I had to resist the temptation to growl at them since I was supposed to be a mage rather than a shifter.
“Yes, several of the people I met at Troina’s party have invited me to other events,” she replied, sitting down at the table. “And I’m not going to accept a single one.” She regarded the stack of assorted-colored envelopes, all made of expensive linen paper. “I’d prefer to tear them up, unopened, but my grandmother’s ghost would rise and haunt me if I did not at least send brief responses.” She tucked them into her handbag. “It’s been a while, but she did drum proper manners into me.”
“Perhaps you should accept at least one or two,” I suggested. “You ought to meet mages your own age, make friends among your own generation.”
“Why? Do you want to get rid of me already?” Mina’s eyes sparkled dangerously. “You keep saying that I should meet other people, but the mages I met at that party, while amusing for an hour or two, were boring and two-dimensional. They see me as nothing but an exotic creature, a prize, and perhaps a source of wealth.” Her expression softened. “Please don’t push me away, Fenris. Not now. I need you.”
My defenses crumbled at the quiet desperation in her voice. “It is impossible to deny you anything when you show up to breakfast practically naked,” I said wryly, trying to lighten the mood a bit. But as my eyes trailed over her form again, heat ignited inside me, awakening the hunger that always simmered when she was nearby. It would be so easy to make her clothing disappear, if only we weren’t in a public place…
Mina licked her lips, her body reacting to the look in my eyes. I watched hungrily as her nipples pebbled beneath her cover-up, and my nostrils flared instinctively as I scented her arousal.
And that, of course, was when the waiter showed up.
The two of us enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading down the short path to the hotel’s secluded beach. It was mostly empty, as our fellow guests seemed to prefer the landscaped swimming pool with its floating bar.
Ducking into the bathroom, I changed into a younger, more dashing version of the old mage, with salt-and-pepper hair and a trimmed beard. Mina’s eyes sparkled as I emerged in a pair of swimming trunks and sandals, her lips twitching with laughter.
“Much improved,” she told me, skimming her hands down my shoulders and sides as if she were conducting an inspection, “though I still prefer you in your natural state.”
Grabbing my hand, she dragged me out to the beach and straight into the water, which was pleasantly warm. Soon, we were up to our necks in it, swimming lazily in the gentle currents. Mina was like a fish—her strokes were powerful, and she could propel herself easily through the water.
“You’re a very good swimmer,” I told her as we floated on our backs, taking a moment to rest. “Did you go to the beach often as a child?”
Mina nodded. “I’ve never been to this particular resort, but my parents loved the beach, and my father taught me how to swim at an early age.” Her eyes glimmered briefly with sadness, but the emotion was quickly wiped away, replaced with a fond smile. “I have many pleasant memories of the sea.”
“We can make some more,” I suggested, drifting over to where she was. Her skin sparkled in the sunlight, her golden hair floated in the water, and, with the way her face glowed, she looked like some sort of water goddess waiting to be worshipped.
And I was more than happy to oblige.
I took her in my arms and glided my hands over her smooth skin beneath the water, savoring the feel of her slim curves. Her eyes gleamed, and she leaned into me with a sly smile. But just when I thought she was about to kiss me, she jumped back and splashed me.
“Do you think I’m going to make it that easy?” She laughed as I sputtered. “You’ll have to work for it this time, Fenris. Catch me if you can!”
She dove into the water, sleek as a seal, and my wolfish instincts roared forth at the prospect of a chase. Grinning, I swam after her, my muscled body easily cutting through the water. In seconds, I’d caught up to Mina, but before I could grab her, she spun around and splashed me again. Laughing, I splashed her back, and we were soon embroiled in an epic water fight the likes of which I hadn’t participated in since I was a small child.
As Mina tried to splash me again, I ducked beneath the wave of incoming water, then propelled myself forward. She shrieked as I grabbed her by the waist, and I popped up, lifting her high. Her face was bright with laughter as I settled her onto my hips, but her eyes darkened with desire as I pressed her body close against mine. Wrapping her legs around me, she brought her core flush against my body, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“You caught me,” she said, threading her fingers through my wet hair.
“I did.”
Cupping her face, I kissed her, long and slow and deep. The waves lapping against our bodies, and the faint call of seagulls, were the only sounds aside from our breathing as we stood there in the ocean, clinging to each other like life rafts. Mina moaned into my mouth, and I hardened in response, a surge of lust filling me until all I could think of was how good her curves felt pressed against my body and how much I wanted to be inside her.
When we’d made love before, I had mostly focused on her pleasure and had not taken things all the way. I’d held back out of the notion that Mina might find someone else—an absurd notion, now that I thought about it. Mina had been completely sincere this morning when she told me how she’d felt, and as a woman who had been forced into independence at a young age, who had needed to grow up quicker than most, it was only natural she would find men her own age to be shallow and lacking.
Perhaps I wasn’t the perfect match for her. But I couldn’t deny the feelings raging through my heart right now as I held her in my arms.
I was in love with her.
“If we keep this up, my clothing might just combust,” Mina gasped, finally pulling away. Droplets of water clung to her eyelashes as she blinked up at me, her l
ips swollen from my kisses.
“In the water?” I teased. “That would be impressive indeed.”
She laughed, the sound melodious, and I realized I wanted to hear that laugh again and again for the rest of my life. Hand in hand, we left the water, then grabbed some towels so we could dry off and toast in the sun for a while.
By the time we returned to the resort, hungry for lunch, Mina had already developed a slight tan, and I could have sworn her hair had lightened. We stopped by our rooms to shower and change, and Mina emerged in a flowing, gauzy dress the colors of sunrise. It had been all too tempting to drag her back to our rooms and strip that dress right off her, but hunger clawed at me, and I decided sex would be much better once our stomachs were sated. Sometimes my shifter need for constant fuel was a nuisance.
“Mmm,” Mina said as she swallowed her first spoonful of clam chowder. “This is delicious. It’s been ages since I’ve eaten food like this, you know.”
I nodded. “There’s not much seafood in Abbsville—that I have seen, at least.”
“The inn serves trout, which is plentiful in the nearby lakes, but not much else. Certainly not clams.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that back in Solantha, we’d never had that problem—as a port city, seafood of all kinds was plentiful. But was I ready to tell her about my past and where I’d come from, when I hadn’t even confessed my feelings to her yet?
Before I could make up my mind, Mina’s face turned white, and she doubled over with a muffled groan.
