CHAPTER TWELVE
Night fell quickly. They had spent most of the day traveling, and it had been chaos since they’d arrived on the island. At least, her mind had been in chaos. Magic. Mages. Magic lessons.
It was like something out of one of her nightmares. Nick seemed to be taking it all in stride, but he was definitely mad at her. He did his best to be civil, but she could tell he was pissed.
At her? At the situation? At magic in general? She didn’t really know, but how she wished she could go back in time to this morning, when it really looked like they we’re working toward something special. Together.
She had gotten her hopes up. She’d been fantasizing about Nick from almost the first moment she’d seen him. He was a powerful figure. A devastating man in so many ways. Attractive didn’t even begin to cover it.
And, when she’d learned about him being a shapeshifter… Somehow, that didn’t seem like the more familiar, much scarier magic she’d seen in her life. If he was magical, it wasn’t in the same way as her mother. He was in control.
It was that control over himself and his surroundings that had drawn her in. Sal liked thinking she was in charge of her own life. She realized now that she’d been fooling herself all along. Managing her environment and her path in life had been a driving force in her existence from the first time her mother’s wild magic had gotten them both in trouble.
She’d only been a little girl then, but when her mother’s magic lashed out and destroyed a display of glassware in a store they had been shopping in, Sal had taken the blame, sensing that something wasn’t quite right with her mother. Mama had paid for the broken items, even though they didn’t have much money to spare, and they’d been allowed to go on their way.
But life had changed at that moment. Oh, it had taken a while before the truly horrific magic had manifested, but Sal had always thought about the glass incident as the turning point. That had been the first time the magic had reached out and done damage. It had been a downhill slide since then as her mother’s ability to hold the destruction at bay had deteriorated over time, culminating in tragedy.
These deep thoughts were running through her brain as they ate dinner in near total silence. It had been a long day, and she was both mentally and physically exhausted. Too much had happened in the short time since she’d left California. She’d had her own turning point with magic today, and the fear that the rest of her days would be a mirror of the downhill path her mother’s life had taken sat heavily on her mind. She’d always carried that fear with her, but today she’d learned there might be another outcome. An outcome where she could control the wild magic, not be controlled by it.
She was in no mood to talk about it, though. Not with Nick. Not with anybody.
But, as they finished eating, there was a knock at the door of the cabin. What now?
Sal wasn’t sure she could take much more. She looked at Nick, but his expression told her nothing as he stood from the table and went to answer the door.
Her back was to the door, and she didn’t have the energy or desire to turn around and spy on them like a busybody. If whoever it was had come to see her, she’d find out soon enough. The low murmur of male voices was in the background as she finished the last few bites of her sandwich, after which she sat back in her chair, waiting to find out what would happen next.
What she really wanted was a long, hot bath, followed by a comfy bed and the blissful oblivion of sleep. Somehow, she didn’t think she was going to get that anytime soon.
“How is she?” Mark asked without preliminaries when Nick opened the door.
He’d sensed his friend and Alpha approaching through the forest. He must’ve driven partway up the trail then come in on foot—probably to check in with the jaguars stationed around the perimeter. Mark was good at details like that. It was part of what made him a great Alpha. He was more hands-on with his people than any humans observing the billionaire businessman would have thought.
“At this point, I think she’s exhausted. It was a long trip, and then, all hell broke loose when we got here.” Nick ran one hand through his short hair in fatigued frustration. “Sending Howell over was a masterstroke, though. The magic practice seemed to settle her a bit. I get the feeling Miss Lane is someone who likes to be in control of herself at all times, and when the sparks started flying, she sort of freaked out.”
Mark frowned. “The island affected my mate in a similar way, but she didn’t have any knowledge of magic. Her father had been protecting her all her life, and although it was startling, I don’t think she had any fear. From what Howell said when he got back to the mansion, Miss Lane has a very real aversion—even a hatred—of magic. She knows about it and has only ever seen the bad side.” Mark looked past Nick into the room, his gaze settling on Sal’s back with the merest hint of compassion. “Hastings is running a more detailed background check on her. Once he knew where to look, it was a lot simpler to discover the holes in the story she had fabricated. He’s compiling a report that he’ll send through shortly, but the bare bones of what she told you about her mother are already confirmed. Hastings has located the mom and is working on getting copies of her medical and police reports. There’s also a money trail, leading from Miss Lane to the care facilities her mother’s been in over the years.”
Nick nodded. This was good news, if there was anything good about finding out she’d been lying to him. Even if it was only a lie of omission. She really had been just protecting her mother’s secret. And she hadn’t just been lying to him. She’d been telling the same story to everyone.
She’d buried her dark secret so well, and so far down, that nobody had been able to discover it yet. Perhaps, they never would. For her sake, Nick hoped the press never got a hold of her tragic past. Sal would never be able to put it behind her if that happened.
He knew all about protecting a celebrity. The bad stuff from the past never quite stayed buried. Whenever a new story came out, there were always references to things that had happened many years ago.
In Mark’s case, they’d been extremely careful to create a public persona that could withstand any investigation done by human means. Nick wasn’t as sure about the methods Sal had used to hide her own background. Once this situation was settled—if she was still talking to him—Nick would do his best to make sure both Sal and her mother were protected.
Though confused by the fact that she’d been lying to him, his inner cat still insisted that she was his mate. Perhaps more now than ever. After the magic had manifested, the jaguar had become even more interested—if that was possible—in her as a life partner.
His human side was a lot more reticent. Oh, he was still attracted to her. He’d have to be dead or blind or both not to notice how alluring she was. She also stimulated his mind, and he had enjoyed talking with her on so many occasions. She had a quick wit that he admired and didn’t take herself, or her newfound celebrity, too seriously. That was incredibly appealing.
“You sure you want to talk to her?” Nick asked Mark, both of them keeping their voices low enough that she would not be able to hear what they were saying.
“Might as well.” Mark shrugged. “I’d like to form my own opinion about her.”
“I expected nothing less,” Nick agreed, opening the door wider. There wasn’t much left to say that couldn’t be said in front of her.
Mark walked into the cabin. At the same time, Sal stood from her chair and turned toward the doorway.
“Mark, this is Sullivan Lane. Sal, this is Mark.” Nick made the casual introductions. He noticed that Mark didn’t move closer to her or offer his hand. She stood her ground, as well.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Pepard. Thank you for your hospitality. I’m sorry my arrival has created difficulties for us both.” Her tone was steady, but Nick heard the bitterness just under the surface.
“Good to meet you, too, Miss Lane. My wife is a big fan,” Mark told her. Nick’s eyebrow rose in surprise. He hadn’t known Shelly was a fan of Sal’s movies.
After the pleasantries were out of the way, Mark asked some very direct questions designed to elicit honest responses. From what Nick now knew about Sal, she gave Mark truthful answers. She probably realized by this time that lying to them would cause nothing but more trouble.
Sal looked even more weary by the time Mark finished with her. The Alpha seemed satisfied, though, which set Nick’s inner jaguar more at ease. The cat understood—better than the human side—that the Alpha’s instincts were even better than his own.
Mark left them not long after he’d arrived. His questioning hadn’t lasted too long, and when he turned to go, Sal looked bemused more than annoyed. Nick closed the door after Mark and turned back to find Sal cleaning up the dishes they had used. She hummed softly to herself as she tidied up the kitchen area. Nick was loath to interrupt. She seemed at peace for the first time since arriving on the island. He didn’t want to ruin the few minutes of comfort she’d had all evening.
Eventually, though, everything had been put away. There hadn’t been that much to clean, after all. Sal turned toward him and leaned one hip against the kitchen counter.
“I’m tired,” she said. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to get some sleep.”
“By all means,” Nick said, gesturing toward the bedroom doorways on the other side of the cabin. “Don’t let me stop you. I’ve got some work to do before I turn in, but make yourself comfortable. I’ll keep the noise level down and try not to disturb you.”
Sal left without further comment, heading for the bedroom she had chosen earlier. Nick watched her go with regret in his heart. He’d had such high hopes when they left California. Now, it looked like his desire for her would have to wait until things were more settled. The question of her magic stood between them. An emphatic obstacle that could bar his path to future mated bliss.
If he let it. Or if fate was unkind.
Nick set up his laptop and began scrolling through email. Hastings had sent several updates throughout the evening. Nick opened them one at a time and read each word with great interest. Slowly, the pieces of Sal’s past were falling into place. Hastings commented several times on how impressed he was with the way Sal had hidden her tracks.
That made Nick feel marginally better about having missed the signs, but he was still kicking himself for not looking closer into her background. He’d dropped the ball in a big way, and he was just lucky that, so far, it hadn’t come back to kick him in the ass.
A while later, his cell phone rang. He hushed the ringer and answered the call when he saw it was Mark.
“My father-in-law just got off a conference call with a trusted associate of his in the magical community out on the West Coast. Seems they were aware of a rogue mage getting into trouble with the law about a decade ago, but it was decided the case was too high profile to intervene. Apparently, they have some sort of council out there that watches over mages in the area. They didn’t know about Miss Lane’s mother until all hell started breaking loose, and by then, the human authorities were heavily involved. They’ve been monitoring her for years now, ever since she was committed. It’s unclear whether they planned to do anything about her situation, but they were aware of it and made all the proper noises of sympathy to Howell on the phone just now.” The disgust came through easily in Mark’s voice.
“Mages aren’t like us, Mark,” Nick reminded his best friend and leader. “There’s no sense of Clan. No feeling of family unless they truly are blood related. From what Sal told me and what Hastings has confirmed already, it was just Sal and her mom. The dad was long gone, and the mom’s family was all dead. Without blood relations, they were all alone in the world. It’s just a shame someone didn’t step forward to help them when they needed it most.”
“Amen to that,” Mark agreed. “Humans can be very cruel. I mean, it’s pretty clear they saw her struggling, and those other mages might have been able to help her, but nobody had the balls to step forward.”
“What does Howell say about it?” Nick wondered.
“He’s mad. He’s said some very uncomplimentary things about the mage council out there. I get the feeling what little respect he might’ve had for them has now disappeared. He also seems to be very sympathetic to Sal’s problem and her mother’s fate. I think he’s planning some sort of rescue.” Mark chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him attempt it alone. If Miss Lane’s mother can be rehabilitated, we’ll do all we can to help. She may not be a jaguar, but nobody deserves to be locked up for something they don’t know how to control, if there’s another possibility.”
“Thanks, Mark,” Nick said quietly.
“Why is this so important to you, Nick?” Mark asked, his tone both resigned and curious.
Nick sighed before replying, taking his time to gather his thoughts and find the right words. This was going to be hard. Nick had to admit why he had screwed up so badly and take ownership of his mistakes.
“My instincts are screaming that she’s my mate, Mark. But the situation is so fucked up right now,” he admitted, self-recrimination in his voice. “I think I’ve been blinded to all these problems because of my attraction to her, and I know that’s not good enough. Not for the Clan. Not for you, Mark. If you want me to step down and put someone else in as your head of security, I’ll understand. I’ve failed you and the Clan on this mission, and I couldn’t be sorrier if I tried.”
Mark was silent a long moment, but his next words surprised Nick.
“You found your mate?” Mark’s tone was filled with the mix of satisfaction and joy. How could the Alpha be happy for him when Nick had failed so miserably?
“Yeah, I think so,” Nick replied, ignoring the rest for the moment. “If she’ll even speak to me after all this.”
“If she’s truly your mate, she will. I have no doubt,” Mark told him. “I didn’t think a human—even one with mage power—could feel the same depth of emotion, the same profound bond as we shifters, but I was wrong. I’ve felt it now, and I sincerely hope that you discover the truth of my words as soon as possible. Your life is about to change, my friend, for the better.”
“Maybe.” Nick wasn’t willing to believe just yet. There were too many hurdles to cross first.
“As for replacing you with someone else… That ain’t gonna happen. There’s nobody I trust more to watch my back and see to the Clan’s safety than you, Nick.”
“Even after I screwed up so bad?” Nick was surprised by Mark’s lenient attitude. The Alpha wasn’t known for cutting anybody who had messed up any slack.
“She’s your mate, Nick. Allowances have to be made in a case like this. Plus, being that she is your mate, she couldn’t possibly be doing anything to actively hurt the Clan. It’s just not possible, and I won’t believe it. Not after mating myself. Take it from the wise old married man. The Goddess doesn’t bring people together arbitrarily. Matings are made in heaven and designed with a purpose. I firmly believe that.”
Mark was talking nonsense. He’d gone all mystical like this a few times since his mating, but Nick had always been able to ignore it before now. Then again… Maybe Mark did know more about how mating worked than Nick did. The Alpha often knew more about arcane subject matter than the mere head of his security detail.
“All right,” Nick allowed. “I’m not saying I believe everything you’ve been spewing, but I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. And thanks for not firing me. I’ll do better from now on. Promise.”
“I know,” Mark replied, a certain smugness in his tone that Nick studiously ignored. “As for your lady, Howell was favorably impressed by her. He said she was the fastest study he’d ever seen, but he was certain she had known nothing about magic—except maybe the bad stuff she’d seen happen with her mother—before he started teaching her the basics. He’s already volunteered to give her more training, if she’s agreeable.”
“Do you think it’s wise to give her more control over something potentially destructive?” Nick asked, doing his job to protect the Clan, even though it meant possibly hurting Sal. The conflict made his inner cat want to yowl, but he ignored it, waiting for the answer to his question.
“We really have no choice. We can’t let her go back to her life as if nothing’s happened. Howell tells me that, now that her magic has been awakened, it won’t be easy to subdue it again. That cat’s well and truly out of the bag.” Regret sounded in Mark’s voice. “However, I think it would be beneficial to all of us to let her learn some control. Howell is a top-level mage. He’s been showing Shelly all sorts of cool stuff about her heritage and her powers. I think he can be trusted to give your Sal the tools she needs to control the monster that might’ve just been unleashed. We don’t want what happened to her mother happening to her, too.”
“Yeah.” Nick shook his head. That would be a terrible outcome to this difficult situation.
“I won’t invite her up to the mansion just yet. I’m still a bit too protective of my new mate, and my jaguar would go nuts at the possible threat. But I’m willing—and more importantly, Howell is willing—to let her learn from him up there at the cabin. He’s agreed to trek over there each day to give her lessons, if she wants to learn more.”
“That’s great,” Nick said quietly. “I’ll ask her, but I believe she’ll say yes. She’s very afraid that the magic will ruin her life the way it ruined her mother’s. She looked a lot better after the little bit Howell taught her today. I think she’ll want to learn more.”
At that point, Nick became aware of Sal. She had come into the main part of the cabin from the bedroom she’d chosen. Scented, steamy air wafted from the bathroom, too, as if she’d taken a bath with some sort of scented oil.
His imagination kicked into overdrive just thinking about it. Warm, sudsy water. Slick, soft skin. Nick had to clear his throat before he could speak again.
He was probably taking the coward’s way out, but Nick ended the phone call quickly. Mark would understand. He had a mate of his own. Besides, they’d said all that needed saying tonight. They wouldn’t be able to make any more decisions until they had more data, and that would have to wait until tomorrow.
Nick laid his phone down on the table. He was done for the night, unless something urgent came up. As a shifter, he handled fatigue better than most humans, but he’d also been on the road—or, at least, in the sky—most of the day. It was time to rest.
Or maybe it was time to see just where he stood with Sal.