Page 4 of Devoted in the Midlife

Zara held up her hands in mock surrender while Kendra pointedly turned a page in her notebook. I watched them each attack the problem in their own way.

On the surface, they couldn't be more different. But as the evening wore on and they passed books and theories back and forth, a seamless rhythm emerged. When Kendra raised a skeptical eyebrow at one of Adalinda's more esoteric suggestions, Zara smoothly redirected the conversation.

As the night ticked on, research materials and empty takeout containers scattered across every surface. Eyelids drooped andyawns slipped out between theories. Slowly, the team began gathering their notes and bags. Luke and Ransom left about an hour ago. Janice must have snuck out not long after Kit left because I didn’t remember seeing her when I was passing out assignments. Hmm. She must have gotten a call from Hunter HQ.

Adalinda slipped the dagger sheaths into her bag with a thoughtful frown. "I’ll take these and see if I can get a magical read on them. Perhaps a more intimate environment will encourage them to share their secrets."

One by one, they filed out into the misty night, hands shoved in pockets and chins tucked against the chill. Zara shot me a tired salute as she left, Kendra and Adalinda following deep in conversation. Izora sauntered out last, Courage snoozing in the crook of her arm.

And then, stillness. The sudden absence of voices left a hollow space that the drumming rain quickly filled. I surveyed the scattered debris of our planning session.

In his bed by the sofa, Flint twitched and huffed in his sleep. A smile tugged at my lips despite the knot of worry in my chest. The path ahead was unclear. But with my team around me, I let myself believe we just might be able to navigate whatever the gods threw our way.

I collapsed onto the couch, the last dregs of adrenaline seeping out of my bones. Jax settled beside me, he curved an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. I snuggled into his side, letting my head rest against his chest.

We sat like that for a long moment, the silence broken only by the sudden muffled patter of rain and the occasional snufflefrom Flint's bed. Jax's fingers trailed up and down my arm in an absent rhythm, his touch as soothing as the steady beat of his heart under my ear.

"You did good tonight," he murmured eventually, his chin resting on the top of my head.

I huffed a laugh, the sound muffled against his shirt. "I'm not sure what I'm doing. I just know it needs to be done."

His chest rumbled with a hum of agreement. "That's what leadership is."

Leadership. The word settled on my shoulders like an ill-fitting coat. When had I become the one people turned to for answers, for direction? I was just a skip tracer with a side of supernatural weirdness. But now...

Now I was part-dragon, juggling ancient magic and shadowy threats like some urban fantasy heroine. An over-forty heroine at that.

Jax grounded me like no one ever had. More than my four siblings. The steady hum of our bond was a reminder that I wasn't facing this alone. My team had my back, and Jax was the steady foundation beneath it all. I tilted my head back to look at him, a sudden rush of gratitude tightening my throat.

As if sensing my thoughts, Jax dipped his head to press a soft kiss on my forehead. I let my eyes flutter closed, breathing in the clean scent of his skin, the hints of spice and leather that clung to him always.

We might have stayed like that for hours, letting the world narrow to the small cocoon of the couch. But a particularly loud snore from Flint jolted us out of the moment. Our eyesmet, shared laughter bubbling up to chase away the last of the tension.

"Come on." Jax unfolded his long frame from the cushions. "Let's get the little guy to bed."

I scooped Flint out of his nest, cradling his sleep-heavy body against my chest. He snuffled and chirped, burrowing into my warmth as I carried him to the bedroom with Jax trailing behind.

Our room was dim and peaceful, the flickering candles casting dancing shadows on the walls. We rarely used the lights in our bedroom because candlelight was easier on a vamp’s eyesight. Plus the glow cast a romantic vibe through the room.

I settled Flint onto his cushion in his makeshift burrow in our closet, tucking the blankets around his small form as he rolled and stretched. With a jaw-cracking yawn, he settled back into slumber, his dreams untroubled by thoughts of ancient daggers or looming threats.

Jax's arms slid around me from behind as I straightened, his chin coming to rest on my shoulder. I leaned back against him, letting his warmth seep into my tired muscles.

"He's going to outgrow that bed soon," Jax murmured.

I huffed a laugh. "At this rate, he'll be wanting his own room by next week."

Jax's arms tightened around me. "They grow up so fast."

The wry humor in his voice coaxed a smile onto my face despite the bittersweet truth beneath the words. With all the madness swirling around us, it was easy to forget that Flint was still just a baby. A baby dragon, sure, but a baby, nonetheless.

I pulled the closet door to, leaving it open a crack. Then I turned in Jax's arms, twining my own around his neck. He kissed me like he’d been waiting to get me alone all night, which he probably had. I sure did.

Deepening the kiss, he slid his hands down my back, pulling me closer as if he could absorb me into himself. We just stood there kissing and touching for several moments before separating.

We undressed each other as we moved toward the bed, letting lips and fingers map familiar paths across bare skin. When we tumbled onto the bed, it was with breathless laughter and wandering hands, the darkness chased to the corners by the glow of our mingled joy.

Jax's lips found mine again, the kiss deepening as if he could pour every ounce of reassurance into the press of his mouth. I wound my arms around his neck, answering with my own need to banish the uncertainty that shadowed our lives.