AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Magnus saw the fear on her face. He leaned toward her, covering her hand with his own, a tender smile replacing the worry lines that creased his brow. “I’m not going to let him hurt you. He’s not going to get anywhere near you. I promise.”
She blew out her pent-up breath. She tried to think, and as these thoughts passed through her mind, she wondered what the smartest course of action would be. Carvin needed to be stopped, and the pride needed to be protected. She looked up to find Magnus staring at her intently.
“What would a panther matriarch do?” she asked. Despite her own terror, she wanted desperately to help. She wanted to fix this, and perhaps by doing so, she could prove to the pride that she was worthy of their devotion.
She would need to prove herself … that she knew. Maybe this would be the best way. She needed to show the shifters of Magnus’s pride that she was capable of handling her own disputes, her own problems.
Magnus’s deep voice answered her immediately. “Draw him out.”
His response came as no surprise. It made sense that the leader of the pride would face a threat head-on.
Magnus shook his head as if he knew exactly where her thoughts were headed. “I don’t want you doing that, Alexis. You’re human, and you’re fragile. Especially when compared to panther shifters.”
Alexis thought about this for a moment. “Maybe. But we’re just going to have to go about this strategically. You and I need to make sure I’m not defenseless against Carvin. But when he showed up at the expo, he scared the shit out of me, Magnus, and I don’t want to feel like that every time he’s around.”
She shook her head. “I want to fight him. And if he’s lurking around my apartment and rallying shifters to cause problems for you, then let’s end this now. I want to help. I want to show the pride that I can do this. That I don’t need you to fight all my battles for me. And …” She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. “That’s not to say we can’t fight him together, but we need to do this together. You need to let me help.”
Magnus was quiet as he mulled over what she said. Slowly, he nodded.
“We need to come up with a plan. Tell me what you’ve got in mind.”
TWENTY-THREE
ALEXIS
Magnus and Alexis sat at the table for a while as they discussed plan after plan. Each one they came up with found fault with each and ended up starting anew with another.
This went on for hours. Every time Alexis thought she solidified a brilliant idea, Magnus figured out a way for Carvin to breach their defenses. Since he absolutely refused to put her in harm’s way, they had to scratch that idea and try again.
Frustrated, Alexis slammed her hands down on the table. “Magnus, using me as bait is the only thing that makes sense. Why can’t you be reasonable? If you and your men are nearby, what could possibly happen?”
He shook his dark head. “It’s too risky. What if something goes wrong? What if you get hurt?”
She poured another glass of wine and took a sip. “I literally can’t keep going back and forth on this. You’re being unreasonable. You know I’m right. If I was a shifter, you’d have no issue with my plan.”
Magnus clenched his teeth. “You’re right. But you’re not a shifter. You’re a human, and you can’t defend yourself against an animal, especially a panther. So, you be reasonable. This isn’t a game we’re talking about here. It’s your life.”
She stood, taking her glass of wine with her, and made her way to him. He pushed his chair back, and she straddled him. Once they were face to face, and she had his undivided attention, she kissed him.
“I love that you’re trying to protect me, but using me as bait will draw Carvin out.”
He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. His arms came around her, entrapping her within the confines of his appendages.
“It would be nice not to have to look over my shoulder. Constantly waiting for Carvin to make a move against me. Or worse, against you.” He shook his head, frustrated. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”
She shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning in to kiss him again. “I’m not sure, but we’ve got to come up with something.”
Magnus was silently thoughtful for a few moments. Alexis, figuring he was deep in thought, sat in comfortable silence on his lap. She was happy to be within the confines of his arms, happy to share in the headaches and obstacles that were part of being together.
“What about this?” Magnus said softly, his voice magnified because of their proximity. “You and I will act as if everything is normal. We’ll go about our days as if nothing is wrong. We’ll work, we’ll go home together, everything we would do if there wasn’t an issue looming over our heads.”
He stroked her cheek. “In the meantime, I’ll station teams of men and women, all shifters, around your apartment, your job, and you. You’ll be protected twenty-four hours a day. They’ll stay completely out of sight. You’ll never even know they’re there unless you need them. If you don’t know they’re around, neither will Carvin. That’s the important part.”
Out of everything they had come up with so far, this plan made the most sense. Alexis could live with this, especially if these teams that Magnus would put together stayed out of her way.
If they didn’t interfere with any of her day-to-day activities, what would the harm be? She nodded in approval. “Yes, I think that could work.”
Magnus smiled, looking grateful that they finally had come to an agreement. “However, I want you to put a tracking app on your phone. I want to know where you are at all times.”
