“He won’t be happy to see me,” Charity mumbled. “We had…words before I left for college. He’s not expecting me back.”
“Getting past one old man isn’t a problem.” Dale’s brown spit splattered the hot cement. “Devon, you take your crew and I’ll load up these guys. We’ll rendezvous at the address Roger supplied.”
Steve grimaced. They’d barely given intros and already Dale was trying to assume control. This whole thing could derail right now. There were two strong leaders in this group, and they wouldn’t be satisfied until one submitted to the other. The grapple for power might explode before they even hit the road.
Devon’s unwavering stare hardened. Silence rolled through the crowd, only interrupted by Charity scratching the center of her chest.
Don’t let him call the shots, bro, Steve thought at Devon. Don’t let him take your power. Make him drop his eyes, or make him challenge you. Don’t let this go. Roger wouldn’t.
Steve knew from experience. Roger didn’t take kindly to other shifters pushing their weight around, something Steve had learned the hard way.
One by one, Devon’s muscles flexed. One by one, Dale’s fingers curled into a ball. The air between them sizzled with magic, the two shifters pushed to their limit. Any moment one or both would explode—
Fiery magic tore through the air, biting into Steve’s body with an invisible spray of ghost needles. He jerked backward, startled by the unexpected pain. Dale did the same, bumping into a grunting Cole and throwing a hand up to protect his face.
Devon didn’t so much as flinch.
Andy flew sideways, as if Charity were a bomb and the explosion had burst out through her right side. The unlucky sod tumbled through the air like a flailing rag doll, hitting the ground with a thump.
“Oh crap!” Charity exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth.
“What the hell, Charity?” Andy hollered when he came to a stop. “What’d I do to you?”
“Sorry!” Charity called over Rod’s laughter. She rushed toward Andy, probably to help him up, but Dillon stepped in the way, blocking her. “I was trying to keep my magic in so I didn’t blast it out toward the new guys. It accidentally leaked out the side.”
“We talked about this, remember?” Andy pushed to standing and dusted himself off. Rod laughed harder. “If you feel one of those surges coming on, you walk away. Remember when we made that deal? Right after you blasted me into the refrigerator? You feel the surge and you walk away.”
“I know, I’m sorry! This was just a tiny surge, so I thought I could keep it in.” Charity scoffed at Dillon. “Would you move?”
Another surge of power punched Steve. He took a step back with a ladylike gasp. Fire ants of pain crawled along his skin.
The blood drained from his face. This was a tiny surge? Steve hadn’t even been her target, yet it felt like his face was being sanded off.
For the first time in a long time, Steve’s beast did not want to emerge and fight. Unbelievably, he felt like running. Not to mention, elves could sense magical beings. If this magic went haywire anywhere near one of them, even a lesser-powered elf would notice. Traveling off the beaten path didn’t matter a whole helluva lot when you were being followed.
They needed to get to the Flush, pronto.
“Charity, get in the car.” Devon’s voice was a whip-crack of command, his alpha magic rattling Steve’s bones. The three new people, so damn confused they looked like clowns staring at an empty circus tent, swiveled to look at Devon.
The alpha had arrived.
“It’s fine,” Charity said. “Honestly, it’s mostly under control.”
It was a long fucking way from being mostly under control.
Devon turned to her. His power struggle was no longer with a slack-jawed Dale, but with a power-oozing warrior fae. His shifter magic boomed, making Steve wonder how he’d blasted that much out without changing shape.
As if she were a dog reacting to a silent whistle, Charity snapped her head toward Devon, staring at him like he was a rival magic holder competing for dominance. A beautiful fluidity took over her lithe body, and a strange glow emanated from her skin. The fingers on her right hand twitched, as if wrapping around an invisible sword.
A flash of brilliant blue eclipsed her focused brown eyes and a lovely smile tickled her lips. A strange music drifted in on the breeze, like cupids singing of battles and death, killing and mayhem. Magic rolled from her in thick, gooey waves.
“Are you done?” Devon asked in a low, rough voice.
How he withstood that onslaught of magic without at least half cowering—like everyone else—Steve had no idea.
Blue flashed over Charity’s eyes again. “I’m just beginning. Can’t you feel the thrill of it?”
A shiver flash-froze Steve’s body, but strangely, his cock hardened. He was man enough to admit that this whole situation scared the shit out of him. Yet, strangely, he’d still take her—or one of her kind—to Pound Town. Exhilarating.