“You know he wants you to time travel, right?” Israel’s question brought Bronx back to the moment. He’d been lost in thought, wondering how they’d all managed to mate with women linked in such a powerful way.
“I suspected as much, but it’s nice to know for sure before he returns.” Time travel was a rare magical gift carrying a great deal of responsibility, and Bronx understood how dangerous it could be. Even the smallest action could have enormous repercussions years later. He’d often wondered if whoever wrote the screenplay for the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, had experienced time travel because they’d certainly nailed many aspects of it.
Watching Kenya from across the patio, Bronx wasn’t surprised to see her attention focused on the lower part of the face of anyone she was talking to. She admitted it was much more difficult for her to hear women, so he was grateful Lilly and Gracie were making sure they included her in their conversation.
Kenya looked up, her gaze scanning the room until she found him. Bronx was pleased to see her body relax once she knew he was close. He held out his hand to her and smiled at the pink blush staining her cheeks as she moved to him. Tucking her close to his side, Bronx watched Audric approach, the tension in his shoulders easy to see.
“Bronx, let’s move further into the shade. I’m afraid I don’t always remember how warm it is here in the afternoon.”
Kenya smiled at the older man as they walked closer to the building.
“The heat was a huge adjustment for me when I first moved to Texas. We moved a lot when I was a kid, but my mom seemed to avoid the south for some reason.”
“Over the course of my exceptionally long life, I’ve learned people rarely do things without reason. The key is uncovering the hidden as well as the obvious answers.” Audric’s words were as true as any Bronx had ever heard. Being able to dial into a person’s motivation was one of the things he learned early in his business career. Now he wondered how much different it would be to look back on what had driven Kenya’s mother to make what looked like a litany of bad choices.
“I know I should be more interested in why she did certain things, but to be honest, it took me a long time to get past that stage, and I’m not sure I want to go back. There doesn’t seem to be a lot to be gained from rehashing all those painful memories.”
Bronx hated the sadness he felt surround his mate. He was grateful for the distraction when Gracie set down a tray filled with ice-cold glasses of lemonade as Lilly approached with another tray filled with sandwiches and cookies.
“You ladies will spoil me, and my daughters will make a lot of noise about how I shouldn’t get used to being treated like royalty.”
Bronx laughed as the man flirted shamelessly with every woman he encountered—maybe getting older had a few advantages after all since no one seemed to take offense. To their credit, Gracie and Lilly didn’t linger. After they’d made certain everyone was comfortable and promising to check back later, they’d moved back to the pool area.
“I’m not going to waste your time with a lot of small talk, Bronx. The Council tasked me with asking you to time travel back to the ceremony where the magical artifact was divided. Since none of the members of the council were there and we have no written record, we need as much information as we can get to figure out what we’re up against.”
“What makes you believe you’re up against anything?” Bronx was grateful for Israel’s insight and support. He wasn’t afraid to ask Audric the hard questions many people would shy away from because of the man’s position of power in the magical community.
“When all five male members of one magical family are mated with women who have pieces of a powerful magical artifact—something is up. You and I both know there is no such thing as coincidence, Israel.”
“I understand why it looks odd, but I sought Bronx out. My mom didn’t give me any specific information, other than telling me when I found the other half, and the magic would be enough to fix my hearing and make certain I had a place to live. It took me months of reading those blasted books to figure out where I needed to go.”
“Those books were stolen recently, correct?” Kenya’s hesitant nod was her only response to Audric’s question. “Whoever took the books obviously believes they contain more than the location of another piece of the artifact.” Bronx agreed. It would have been easy enough for the thief to simply follow Kenya and take the amulets once she’d located the other half. Whoever took the journals was looking for more than one piece.
“Do you think I’ll ever get them back?” Kenya’s voice cracked with emotion as she asked the question.
Bronx suspected she already knew the answer—there wasn’t a chance in hell those books would be recovered, and his heart ached for her. It had to have been devastating to lose something she obviously treasured. He and his siblings cherished the few personal mementos they’d each kept from their parents’ home—knowing something she loved had been taken from her made Bronx want to hurt those responsible.
“I don’t believe that’s likely, Kenya, and I know it’s disappointing. What I can offer is to recreate them from your memory if you’re willing to allow me inside.” Bronx wasn’t sure who was more surprised by the offer—hell, he hadn’t even known it was possible.
“You can do that? How is it possible?” Kenya waved her hand around in a circle before sighing. “Pickled pigs tails, why am I questioning a man I’m sure is as high ranking as any magical I’ll ever meet? Good grief, sometimes the things that come out of my mouth embarrass me to pieces.” Audric smiled warmly as Bronx and Israel both chuckled softly.
“You’re going to have to step up the embarrassing comments several notches to even be noticed in our family, Kenya.” Israel’s reassurance was not only welcome, it was also accurate. Almost every one of them had gone through phases where they spoke first and put their brains in gear later. Asia was the only one who always seemed to be in control—she was called the Adler Ice Princess for good reason.
“It is a very complicated spell, and you are right to assume it isn’t something an inexperienced witch or wizard would be able to do.” Audric leaned forward, taking Kenya’s hand, holding it between his own. The differences between them startling, and the picture was one Bronx knew he’d never forget. It was a lesson in life—youth at one end of the spectrum, juxtaposed against age and wisdom at the other. “Did you read the journals in any particular order?”
“I read them in reverse date order, incorrectly assuming my mother wouldn’t have written down anything important until after she’d given me the amulet. As it turned out, all the details of her friendship with Mrs. Adler were in the earliest volumes, including their promises to each other to give their halves to their children.”
“I know you’re feeling a small measure of betrayal because it looks as though you were misled about the number of pieces, but that isn’t the case. Remember, these are pieces of history. They’ve been passed down for generations—generations of magicals who lived long lives. The original magical totem was divided to protect and preserve its power. Without an official from the Council present, they were able to skirt any requirements for written documentation. I was there, but I wasn’t able to see everything.” Audric took a deep breath and turned his attention to Bronx.
“There are only a handful of magicals who have your particular skill set, and you are the only one with a mate who can camouflage to hide our presence.” Every muscle in Bronx’s body tightened when Audric suggested Kenya accompany him while time traveling. What the hell was the man thinking? The elderly wizard held up his hand when Bronx opened his mouth to argue. “I know it’s dangerous, and I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option. I will be tagging along to provide an additional layer of security.”
“I would also like to go along, but I’m not sure it’s wise.” Bronx sensed Israel’s inner struggle as he tried to balance his need to protect his brother and fear of leaving his own mate’s security in someone else’s hands.
“No, it will be important for every member of your family to stay close to their mates.” Bronx understood what Audric hadn’t bothered to explain—mates could protect one another better than anyone else could. “I’m not discounting the safety concerns you have for Kenya, quite the opposite actually. Having her with you serves multiple purposes.”
“Excuse me, could you please stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here? I’ve been making my own decisions for a long time, and I’m perfectly capable of making this one.” Bronx looked at the other two men and saw the same apology and respect he felt was also shining in their eyes. “The way I see it, there are several issues with Mr. Stafford’s plan, but the most significant is that Bronx and I haven’t… well, we haven’t nailed down all the details of this mating thing.”
Nailed down?
Damn, brother—you’re slacking in your old age.
Fuck you. Hell, now he was waging a telepathic battle of junior high level wits with his younger brother like they were kids instead of grown men. Bronx nearly groaned out loud when he glanced over to see Audric Stafford fight back his smile. No magical wanted to look immature in front of the most powerful wizard in the world—and it was even more humbling since his granddaughter was now a part of their family.
Before Bronx could assure Audric he and his mate would be having a meaningful discussion about mating, the wizard pulled a phone from his pocket and excused himself to take a call. Reaching into his pocket, Bronx pressed the button on the small remote and smiled when Kenya let out a small squeak. No doubt she’d forgotten about the tiny bullet vibrator nestled deep in her core. Activating it now was more a statement than play. Bronx wanted her to remember who she belonged to—at this point, claiming her was more of a formality than anything else.
“I’ll leave the two of you to work this out. Bristol will be ready to leave the hospital soon, and I want to be there to escort her home.” Pulling Kenya into a quick hug before setting her back and grinning down at her. “Behave, or you’re going to find yourself draped over Bronx’s knees, and I’m sure he’d much rather introduce you to the joys of erotic spanking rather than a punishment paddling.” Bronx watched Kenya’s eyes widen before her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
Once they were alone, Bronx sat down on one of the padded chairs before pulling her onto his lap. Turning Kenya so he could see her face, Bronx wrapped his hand around her wrist, smoothing the pad of his thumb over her pulse until their heartbeats synchronized.
“How do you do that?” He wasn’t going to insult her intelligence by pretending he didn’t understand the question.
“We are fated mates, Cheŕ. The Universe takes care of its own, and a large part of that is making certain we’re compatible. The synchronization of our heartbeats is a significant part of the mating process and confirms what I knew from the moment your scent surrounded me. It’s calming—giving both us a sense of peace when we’re close. The deep comfort we both feel when our hearts beat as one is important for bonding. In the future, we’ll be in synch even when we’re apart. If the synchronization is disrupted, the other mate will recognize it immediately. Consider it a sort of built-in alarm system.” As a blood born shifter, he’d be able to track his mate anywhere in the world by scent alone.
I don’t deserve this. I was going to steal something his mother gave him for stars’ sake. If I stall, he’ll come to his senses and bolt… taking the damned amulet with him, and it’s no more than I deserve.
Loneliness and despair surrounded him, the thick waves of emotion, making Bronx feel like he was being sucked into a dark vortex. He didn’t need to ask Kenya where she’d gotten the mistaken impression, she wasn’t worthy of being loved. There’d been hints in everything she’d said about her mother.
“There are some things you need to know about mates. I’ve mentioned some of them, but those points bear repeating. Fate never makes a mistake, and we’ve been mated for a reason. Mates are attracted to each other physically, even if they aren’t like anyone you’ve ever been attracted to in the past. Some shifters wait decades to find their mates, and fate always finds a way to ensure their paths cross.”
“Letting someone bite me is damned scary.”
Bronx appreciated her honesty and was more than a little relieved to find out this was her biggest concern because he’d make certain she was so distracted, it didn’t occur to her to be scared.
“I promise to make this one of the most spectacular experiences of your life. I want it to be a sweet memory you carry with you forever. This is on me, I’ve let you worry about this far too long. Let’s go.” He should have claimed her in the shower when he first took her home.
Tell Audric we’ll be ready to travel tomorrow. The two of you work out the details and text me.
Already set up—you’re predictable, big brother.
As much as Bronx loved his brothers and sisters, there were times when they were a real pain in the ass.
Kenya appeared to be lost in thought as Bronx drove through the gates and down the long drive toward his house. He only lived a few minutes from the club, but they’d been stopped so many times before they could make their escape, the trip seemed much longer than it actually was.
“What’s more frightening, being mated or traveling back in time?” When she didn’t answer right away, Bronx wondered if she was considering the two options he’d given her or if there was something else on her mind. The word deserve floated through his mind again as he parked in the garage. When he placed his hand over hers, Kenya seemed startled to realize he’d already turned off the engine.
“Talk to me, Kenya. We are mates. No one in the entire world will ever care more about your hopes, dreams, and fears than I do. I want to be the first person you think about sharing good news with as well as the one you run to when you need a shoulder to cry on.” The garage lights were slowly dimming, but he didn’t miss the single tear trailing down her perfect cheek, its silvery trail glistening in the fading light.
“I’m afraid to be happy.”
Was she serious? The answer seemed so odd, at first, he wanted to outright discount it—but he’d learned people rarely lie when they are admitting a personal failing, which meant she’d probably reveal something deeper if he was willing to listen. The moment would be lost if he moved her into the house, so he stayed still and waited. “It’s probably more accurate to say, I’m afraid to let down my guard and enjoy the moment. Every time I’ve let myself relax, I’ve been blindsided.”
“Give me an example, so I’m sure I understand what you’re saying.”
“The apartment I was living in was perfect. It was cheap, close to the campus where I was taking a class, and also close to the small coffee shop where I found a part-time job.” She took a deep breath and seemed to sink deeper into the supple leather seat. “It was also close to the dealership where I knew you spent most of your time. I needed to be able to watch you, learn your habits.” She finally met his gaze, regret easy to see, but it was the start pain of loneliness that made his heart clench.
“Guilt erodes the soul, Cheŕ. If I’m not holding it against you, I don’t think you should either. Your mother convinced you the other half of a totem held the answers to your prayers—all you had to do was find it. Let me ask you this—why did you stall for so long? What changed?” He knew her soul had recognized him as her mate. What he needed was for her to see it for herself.
“My landlord wanted to… barter my rent. When I refused, he evicted me to give the place to a woman he was already seeing on the side.” Bronx suspected her previous address was in the report Israel put together—he’d make certain the man paid for what he’d done to Kenya. “Before you point out that he can’t legally evict me if I was paying rent, save it. We all know how easy it is to get around those rules.” She was right, there were enough loopholes in most rental agreements for an elephant to waltz through.
“You’re stalling, mate. Tell me what made you put off trying to steal my amulet.”
“I liked you.” The words came out in a rush, and he knew the hurried admission surprised her. “I saw how nice you were to people, and as crazy as it seems, I could tell you suspected someone was breaking in. I could feel your awareness. Why didn’t you call the police?”
Aww, his mate was no one’s fool. Good.
“There was something about the residual ripples of your energy—something in those lingering vibrations I recognized. I knew we hadn’t met, but there was something… something I couldn’t identify.” He’d suspected the little intruder was his mate, but until he’d scented her in the alley, there wasn’t a way to be sure. She watched him for long seconds before giving him a small smile.
“Touché.”