Page 21 of Magical Midlife Rescue (Leveling Up #11)

TWELVE

Aurora

“Normal people would crack under the pressure they’re under,” Aurora said as she watched Jessie walk away from Uncle Auzzie. Despite the relief they’d just sought, their shoulders were still tight and bearings tense, as though their territory were under attack.

“Two unders don’t make a right,” Sue said. He ticked his head forward. Agree.

It took her a moment to realize he was talking about using “under” twice in her comment—a “two wrongs don’t make a right” kind of thing.

She shook her head, threatening a smile. “That was reaching. Stick to the strong and silent type if those are the kinds of jokes you tell.”

He blew out through his nose, essentially huffing a laugh.

Jasper, Ulric, and Niamh sat to Aurora’s right.

In their midst was a decently attractive woman with hair nearly as wild as Ulric’s, wearing strange clothing and no shirt.

If it wasn’t for all the buckles on her boots and the sturdy belt, Aurora would have assumed she was expecting to shift soon.

As it was, the lady looked shell-shocked.

“I’m helping the alphas every way I can think of,” Sue said, following Aurora’s gaze. “That’s Niamh’s tech hire.”

Ah, Aurora said through her body. I know of her.

She’d been the computer thief Jessie wasn’t sure about. A Jane with a tame criminal record.

Seeing her in the flesh, Aurora was certain that lady couldn’t hurt a fly. She wasn’t subtle in her movements or expressions. If she went to grab something, she’d advertise what it was, where it was, and that she’d just done it. They wouldn’t have any trouble from her.

Sue ticked his head forward again. Agree. He could read Aurora a little too easily. Only her family was as good, and they’d known her all her life. It was…disconcerting. For her, anyway. Good for Uncle Auzzie and Jessie. No one would get anything past this alpha gorilla.

“Hey.” Jessie plopped down into the empty seat next to Sue. “Sorry, I got delayed for a moment.”

NOT A PROBLEM, Sue said by way of a pronounced shrug.

Jessie squinted at him, her gaze flowing over his muscular shoulders. Then his face. Then to Aurora.

“Yeah, I don’t know.” She lifted her hand for a drink. “Let’s get a sip of wine and try, try again. Honestly, you’d think this would be the easy part. Nope. What’s easy is learning spells that literally blow a head off. This is my life now,” she muttered.

“You need to add a third under to your assessment,” Sue said to Aurora, and because it barely made sense, and because he was building off an already bad joke, Aurora let the humor bubble up. Her grin was minimal and purely for Jessie’s benefit.

Jessie missed it, the joke, and Sue’s calm patience as she waited for a drink.

“No, no!” The new person waved her hand in front of her face with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. “No! Not yet. I need at least one more whiskey, one more flashback of a huge monster turning into a dude my size”—she blindly pointed at Ulric—“and then we can talk about stalking your friends.”

“ Stalking is a harsh term,” Ulric told her.

Her eyes opened. “Fine. We can talk about finding your friends who don’t want to be found and watching them without their knowing. Honestly, Jessie, my thievery was a concern? This one”—she hooked a thumb Niamh’s way—“is waging war on your former housemates. I’m the problem here?”

“Not at all,” Niamh said. “I’m helping them, like.”

The woman’s eyes were wide as she looked across everyone to Jessie, who’d just secured a bottle of wine. A new bartender, a male, was working, and apparently he was worried about pouring a drink for the alpha’s mate. Jessie didn’t seem to mind helping herself.

“She’s not waging war, she’s…” Jessie bowed in defeat. “None of this is sitting well with me, I’ll be honest. The mages overstepped on multiple occasions. They aren’t acting like themselves. And then Niamh and Tristan… Yeah.”

She shook her head and lifted the glass to her lips. The situation with the mages was bothering her greatly, adding stress to an already stressful existence. Jessie had a bad feeling in her gut, and Aurora was inclined to believe the female gargoyle knew her people were in danger.

“We aren’t going to watch them without their knowing,” Jessie continued. “We’re going to bring them home, for their own safety. We just…have to find them. And convince them.” She sagged in fatigue.

Sue’s shoulders tensed; he was damn near panicked and radiating helplessness. He couldn’t see a way to relieve Jessie’s burden. There was just too much to do and no time. Absolutely zero time, especially with how the mages were carrying on, setting them up and dragging them further into trouble.

“Anyway,” Jessie said, her focus snapping back to them, “this is Aurora, Austin’s niece.” Jessie pointed to her. “And Broken Sue.”

“Broken— Broken Sue, did you say?” the woman asked. Humor and delight peeked through her drawn face. She’d gotten quite a shock earlier, that was clear.

“Just Sue is fine, if you like,” he replied.

“Yeah.” The woman bobbed her upper body.

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!!!! “You don’t look broken.

You look like you do the breaking. Heads, bones—but hey, I’ll work with what you give me.

Broken Sue, Sue, you just let me know. I’m in.

Do you guys actually go to the gym, or are magical people just in good shape?

You look like you’re ready to crush a skull with your bare hands. ”

“We don’t work out in a gym, but we do work out,” Ulric said. “You know, flying and?—”

“Never mind. Forget I asked.” The woman waved to cut Ulric off. She reached for her newly poured whiskey with a trembling hand. “I’m Fred. Fred Foster. Sounds good, right? Alliteration. Well, Broken Sue, Sue for short, I’ve had a helluva start to the afternoon, let me tell you.”

She blew out a long breath and stared at nothing for a while.

Fireworks of movement exploded all over Sue’s body. Bewildered. Humored. She’ll fit here.

Aurora answered in kind. Definitely will.

“I feel like I should create a new name,” Aurora murmured, reaching for her bourbon on the rocks with a twist as Jessie clued into them again. The training was officially starting.

“Your dad is already wary about this setup,” Sue replied. “He worries about your being in Alpha Steele’s territory, given the danger.” This is a passive warning. “ I’d give it a while before you spring any new changes on him.”

Jessie shook her head. “No idea.”

“But at least you knew he was communicating something ,” Aurora said with an encouraging smile. “That’s good!” She glanced at Sue. “Way too subtle.” And I know . You don’t have to mother me.

Apologies, he replied.

“What’d I miss?” Hollace walked over in that unhurried way of his. The world could be falling down around him and he wouldn’t pick up the pace. The man made an art of looking stylishly unaffected.

Aurora decided she would try to learn it. That sort of thing would be great for morale and peace of mind in a pack, especially in a volatile one like Uncle Auzzie’s.

Jessie blew out a breath and leaned her face against her palm, with her elbow on the bar holding her up.

“Not a lot. Broken Sue wiggled a bit, Aurora said a few things before barely twitching, Broken Sue then basically mimed an apology, I think I need a coffee because I’ve just realized how crazy tired I am, and we might be migrating toward calling him Sue instead of Broken Sue.

Did you realize how many people we have around here with made-up names?

It’s actually quite a lot. What does it say about me that I never noticed? ”

“Thunderbird,” Fred murmured absently, staring at Hollace, her eyes tight. “Enormous thunderbird…with lightning…”

“Nuthouse.” Hollace pulled a chair next to Jessie’s. “It keeps things fun.”

Tristan entered the bar with a cocky strut that did wonders to hide his exhaustion.

All the senior staff were under a lot of pressure and working long hours.

He glanced down the bar, sighting Jessie, before checking his watch.

He didn’t veer her way. If he’d wanted practice deciphering body language, it wouldn’t happen now.

Instead, he took a seat at the other end, where Uncle Auzzie was talking with two shifters who handled border patrol.

They needed to make some adjustments for the people going away.

“Okay, let’s do this.” Fred downed her drink, pushed it aside, pulled the laptop closer, and braced her fingers against the keys. “I’ll rationalize the magic later. Stalking has commenced. Point me in the right direction.”

“ Concern! ” Jessie pointed at Sue. “He’s concerned.” She bit her lip, her gaze shifting to Fred. “We all are. Hopefully, Fred can help.”

Austin

“Sir, can I have a moment?”

Tristan stood at the bar, waiting. He’d come in earlier to meet about the territory line, then left again with Jessie. He was doing a great job keeping her to task, but the added duties had increased the fatigue that now lined his body.

Austin held in a sigh. He was exhausted, famished, stressed beyond belief, tired of bad news within the alpha and pack rumor mills, and wanted nothing more than to go home to his mate, find a quiet room, and relax. Tristan deserved his time, though.

“Sure.” He stopped at the end of the bar.

Brochan, sitting on his own at the other end, rose and started their way.

He’d been in and out all day, meeting their people and conferring with Austin.

He was another of their number who had been tasked with more than his fair share of duties, but he didn’t complain.

Actually, Brochan constantly asked what more he could do.

Neither of these men had downtime, and neither of them voiced their exhaustion or need for a break.

Tristan eyed Austin. “Beer?” He took a seat and pulled out the barstool next to him. “I’m buying. I’m through practicing being a shifter for today.”