Page 31 of Magical Midlife Rescue (Leveling Up #11)

NINETEEN

Jessie

Kingsley settled in the chair next to Austin. The rest of the alphas watched me.

“Allow me to make the introductions.” Kingsley reached for the pitcher of water and a water glass. He filled it as everyone hesitantly took their seats. They were wary of Austin, that was obvious. It seemed like they really did think he’d just randomly lose control and rush them.

“This is my brother, Austin Steele, original co-alpha of the Dusky Ridge Convocation. Beside him is Jessie Ironheart, original co-alpha of the Dusky Ridge Convocation and mistress of the fabled Ivy House, a magical house harboring the essence of a female gargoyle. She was previously a Jane, but she’s been at this for over a year and has had to hit the ground running.

Because of the help she and my brother provided my territory, she’s now a target of the most ruthless mage we’ve ever seen.

They’re both pack friends, I support them in their endeavors, I trust them with my life and the safety of my people, and I plan to help them unify magical people into a moral establishment that benefits all. ”

Austin nodded in greeting, so I did the same.

Kingsley then went around the group, introducing the other nine alphas, who had slowly taken their seats and were studying Austin and me with calculating expressions.

None of them were original alphas, most having inherited their packs and continuing to build on them.

One was a fifth-generation alpha, and I had a feeling he didn’t do much more than keep the peace.

Only one of them had had problems with mages in the past, and that had been nothing more than a skirmish.

They’d lost a couple people, but they’d been able to run the mages off.

“First, we should probably clear up the second additional person you brought, Jessie,” Kingsley said when he’d finished the introductions, “and then I think it would be wise to run through the rumors. It seems a large portion of the alphas out there believe the worst of my brother and none of the best. I’d like to clear the air. ”

Austin nodded. Once again, I followed suit.

“Jessie?” Kingsley prompted me.

“Oh,” I said. “Sorry. She’s a recent addition to my crew and felt compelled to join us today.”

“And you let her?” asked Margery, the woman in the black dress I’d seen at the doorway.

I shrugged. “She looks the part, as odd as that is. She’s now on the team and getting everyone organized was just shy of chaos. You have nothing to worry about. She’s a Jane. We’re trying to infiltrate the mage world electronically, and we needed someone exceptional to navigate the technical side.”

“She’s a Jane ?” asked Zack, the fifth-generation alpha with graying hair and sharp brown eyes.

“I really like how generous she is with compliments,” Fred said from the corner. She’d plunked down on the ground to wait. Dave had joined her. “Exceptional, did you hear that?”

“Shh,” someone told her.

“Yes,” I answered Zack. “The magic she does with computers is all brainpower.”

“I’d like an introduction to this team of yours,” said an alpha named Dale, his deep voice reverberating through the space. He was only second generation, in his mid-thirties, and seemed a little more intense than the rest of them.

“Yes, let’s tackle those rumors first, shall we?” Kingsley clasped his hands on the table. “Jessie, can you take us through your people, and then Austin, you can talk about your betas.”

“Yeah, sure,” I replied. We really could’ve done this before I’d gone through the effort of filing them all away.

I rose and headed for my people, my heels clicking against the floor as I crossed half the distance.

“Come on, everyone.” I motioned them on, then turned to face the table.

“You saw Mr. Tom. He’s a gargoyle. I have two others on my team,” I said, and pointed at Ulric and Jasper.

They didn’t ask why Mr. Tom had been left out of the gargoyle line, for which I was thankful, because no one had told me.

“Dave, the basajaun.” I put my hand on his arm when he stopped beside me. A few alphas’ gazes flicked to Austin.

“So, you don’t have a team of basajaunak?” asked one of the male alphas, a guy with blond hair and a small ponytail. I’d already forgotten his name.

“She is family,” Dave told them with a growl. He didn’t seem to like being questioned. “When she needs her family, they come to her aid.”

I rubbed his hairy arm. “Yes, we have a team, but Dave is the only one on my house council. It’s a magical bond forged by the house.

I have space for thirteen people, and there are only a couple seats left open.

So, while the other basajaunak are on the team, they don’t have the house bond, if that makes sense.

Dave’s mother, the leader of their group, has joined the convocation.

We have yet to meet the elders. We just…

haven’t had time. We have a lot to do and no time to do it all. ”

No one else asked questions, so I moved on to Hollace.

“Can he show us his form?” someone asked.

“No,” he replied. “There isn’t enough space in here.” I looked around and then up. “Yeah, we’d have to push chairs and everything out of the way, get rid of those speakers… He can shift somewhere outside. In the parking lot, maybe.”

“His form is large and somewhat spectacular,” Kingsley said.

“ Spectacular , atta boy!” Fred leaned forward to see Hollace and put her fist in the air.

“Cyra?” I rubbed my eyes, and then cursed, remembering I had on makeup. “Why didn’t you put on the undershirt we got for you?”

She held it in her hand. Her nipples showed through her burned jacket. “I didn’t want to get soot on it. Should I ditch the jacket and just wear the shirt?”

“Free the breasts,” Niamh said, and Fred put up her fist again.

“Right. Fine. This is our phoenix, if you hadn’t already guessed,” I said. “If you want to see her other form, she can do that when Hollace does. She can use fire in this form, but this isn’t a good place. She’d ruin the floor and furniture. And the rest of her clothes.”

I went through everyone else. No one asked any questions or commented when I had to retrieve Edgar from the far corner, where he’d slipped in behind the shifters of the other pack.

Given that two startled when I called over to him, they hadn’t even realized he’d been there.

They clearly weren’t great at sensing presences. Mages would have it easy around them.

My crew went back to their spots while Broken Sue and Tristan came forward, a wall of muscle. They stood tall with their gazes almost straight ahead, as if they owned the room.

For most of these alphas, that would be very close to a challenge.

Kingsley’s group had all bristled when they met Broken Sue, and had remained on edge.

They hadn’t known how to read Tristan. This room had no such problems, however.

Some of the alphas visibly tensed. The others glanced at Kingsley, who inclined his head, agreeing with something.

As if knowing I couldn’t read the room, Kingsley leaned my way and lowered his voice. “I told them that Austin’s betas posture as though they are alphas, and he doesn’t call them down. They thought I was exaggerating.”

“About the posture and the power,” Margery said. “They have the power of alphas. At least, that shifter does.”

“They both do,” Austin said.

“The Austin Steele I’ve heard about all these years would never allow someone that close to challenging,” Zack murmured to a short man with a bald head. Kevin, I thought his name was.

“Make no mistake,” Austin said in a growl, “if they were close to challenging, I’d handle it.

My beast would push me hard. I am that Austin Steele you’ve heard of.

They aren’t close, however. They know their positions, as do I.

Our hierarchy is firmly in place. There is not a question of my dominance, and so I’m not worried about how they posture.

Neither am I worried about my mate’s team, packed with power and seemingly in constant chaos.

What we’ve cultivated works. In battle, it works. Kingsley can attest to that.”

“I can.” Kingsley nodded. “I taught Austin everything I know, and he’s taken it to the next level.

He thinks he’s the same Austin Steele from the rumors, but he isn’t.

He isn’t the hotheaded kid from my territory.

He’s grown into his might, and he’s trying to do noble things with it.

So, let’s talk about those rumors, shall we?

As you can see, my claims about the people he has on his team are true.

The phoenix, the basajaun—they’re here.”

The alphas inclined their heads. “I’d still like a demonstration of some of their magics,” one of them said.

“You’ll have it,” Kingsley replied. “Austin and Jessie’s team is stacked with power.

Their whole territory is stacked with power and battle-ready.

It’s not a territory of restful inhabitants, like I have.

Like you have.” He looked at them pointedly.

“You know my daughter. She lives there now, and she can attest to those claims at a later date. But let’s talk about Austin. ”

Austin settled back in his chair and draped his hand over the back of mine. He ran his thumb against my shoulder, and I knew he wasn’t looking forward to this.

“He’s obviously powerful,” Kevin said. “He also obviously has a firm handle on his people.”

“He does,” Kingsley said. “Shifters and gargoyles.”

“Not the basajaunak?” Margery asked.