Magical Midlife Madness (Leveling Up #1)(53)

Donna spit out a laugh. “Sorry,” she said, wiping the counter for a second time.

“They will court you,” Austin said. He needed her to take this seriously; they all did. “They will try to promise you the world, and they’ll have the means to deliver. I will not be able to stop these people from invading this town. I will not be able to protect it from the magical elite, who never take on a situation alone. Even last night—those grunts came in a pair.”

Her brow furrowed and her eyes started to blink. She looked down in confusion. That must’ve been the memories from last night resurfacing. Agnes hadn’t wanted to give her the potion, thinking it would endanger her in the long run. He’d taken her point. Jess needed to know what was coming her way, and those kidnappers were a portent of what was in store for her if she was chosen. But Austin and the others had also needed time to explain everything.

The compromise had been a potion that temporarily created forgetfulness. Like temporary amnesia, it would allow the memories to come bursting forth when the event was triggered in her mind.

He’d just triggered it.

“Wait…” She held her head in her hand for a moment. Her wide eyes came back to rest on him, amber wrapped in thick black lashes, incredibly intoxicating.

“About last night…” He explained about the potion and Agnes, whom she seemed to know from Earl.

“So…basically, I’m in danger until I get that magic, because the magic will allow me to protect myself. But if I do get it, I’ll endanger the whole town?” she asked, frustration and anger burning hot in her eyes. “That about right?”

“Afraid so,” he said, his heart sinking further.

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling with intelligence. “But won’t I be able to protect the whole town with that magic? Assuming, of course, it comes with an instruction manual.”

“That’s what I was wondering, too, if I’m being honest,” Donna murmured.

“I don’t think you have any idea what kind of offers your new suitors will throw at you. Business deals or marriage proposals, they’ll do whatever it takes to get you. While they are trying, they’ll declare war on each other—a war that will be unleashed here in town. They’ll take out any innocents who get in the way, by accident or on purpose. If you leave, they’ll still bombard the house, trying to destroy it so as to destroy you. It’ll be mayhem. A war zone. It won’t be somewhere decent folk want to live.”

A silent beat passed as Jess took that in. She shivered for some reason, a full-body shiver, and then she leaned toward him, her eyes a little crazy.

“First of all, I’m not twenty anymore. I’m not a naive little chick who thinks of nothing but love and marriage and consents to I do because she’s afraid no one else will want her if she says no. Right now, on the other side of that naive girl, I don’t give two craps if no one else wants me. I want me, my friends want me, and that’s plenty. So those anonymous magical people can shove their marriage proposals up their butts. I’ve been to that circus and I’ve seen all the clowns. I’m in no hurry to go back.”

“Yes, but—”

“No.” She held up her hand and her eyes sparked fire. It felt like she was tugging an invisible wire right down to his groin. It was not a welcome feeling. Not in their situation. “You’ve had your turn to speak. Now it is my turn.”

Donna poured her a little more wine. Although she wasn’t smiling, her posture was jubilant—she was responding to those sparks in Jess’s eyes, to her tone and demeanor. The call of the hunt was in this woman, Austin felt it too. He wanted to soak it in. Bring her somewhere secluded so he could explore it further.

Ivy House was interested in Jess for a reason.

“Second,” Jess continued, “I chose this place as my home. I haven’t lived in that house long, and Mr. Tom is definitely a nutter, but I love it. I’ll live there for as long as I can. If this magic is super powerful, as you say—and, for the record, I’m having a hard time believing any of this—then we can work together to keep this town safe. We can keep it small, keep it quaint, and keep it weird. Maybe not as weird, but I’m willing to compromise.”

“Girl, you are all kinds of awesome.” Donna offered Jess a fist bump. “Life goals right here.”

Austin didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t deny Jess had great points. There were holes in his argument, but one thing was obvious. It would be more dangerous for all of them, Jess included, if she hung around without claiming the magic.

It struck him that perhaps the old guard was right. Maybe he was wary about losing his place as the biggest, baddest guy in town. Except the new dawn would not belong to some young, upstart alpha, but to a middle-aged woman setting out to conquer the world.

She would do it, too. Austin could see it in her confident bearing and the determined set to her jaw. In the electric sparks lighting up her beautiful amber eyes. She would re-write her story, and this time, she’d get it exactly how she wanted it.

Fuck, but Austin wanted to be there for that. He could not deny it. He wanted to witness the glory of her accomplishments. The pride of a comeback story. And then he’d throw her a sweaty after party, where he would prove his prowess to her in a mess of twisted sheets.

“Donna, get out,” he said, his whole body clenching in his effort to cut those thoughts short. Her story was not his. Her journey was not entwined with his. He had to maintain his distance. He’d found his calling. His second chance had already been used up. “Out of earshot.”