The Telepath’s Associate (Charmed Away Temp Agency #5)

Prologue

“This is your room,” Isaac said with a bounce to his step, gesturing to one of probably seven guest rooms in his and Maverick’s home. The place was massive, way too big for two people, but right now, that was okay. While Alistair got his life back on track, he preferred the quiet.

“Thanks…”

Isaac wrinkled his nose, his expression apologetic. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but–”

Alistair stopped him with a shake of his head. “It’s what I need. It’s okay.”

His smile was strained, and he did his best not to reach for the bands around his wrists.

He came to Isaac’s home to start over. As much as he hated the cold metal on his skin, he had learned to accept them as his new normal.

He needed them. And now, his entire focus was getting his life back on track so he could see his kids again.

Isaac, being the caring brother that he was, moved on without drawing attention to the elephant in the room.

“You’ve got your own bathroom, and the fireplace works if you’re feeling chilly.

” He waved toward the door. “A laundry service shows up every week, so just bring your laundry to the mudroom, and they’ll take care of it. ”

When Alistair raised an eyebrow at his little brother, Isaac scowled at him. “Shut up. I’d do it myself, but I’m way too busy with my new job.”

He didn’t begrudge him that. Alistair had spent most of his life in the military.

It wasn’t all bad, he wasn’t on missions all the time, but it wasn’t the life he wanted for his siblings.

His little brother had thankfully not followed in his footsteps and went to school to become a lawyer instead.

It meant he was leading a different lifestyle than Alistair had, and he only teased a little about needing a laundry service.

Alistair had wanted to be there at his graduation a few weeks back, but the last few years had been… rough. After the military decided they couldn’t fix him, they discharged him into the care of a facility that was supposed to help him. When that didn’t work…

He refused to look down at the bands again, but he could still feel them like heavy weights on his wrists. He drew in a steadying breath. He needed them.

He didn’t make it to Isaac’s graduation.

It wasn’t safe. But now that he’d stabilized enough to feel comfortable being around his family again, he was taking up Isaac’s offer to stay a while and recover.

He felt a little like he was starting his life over from scratch, and the prospect was daunting even with familial support. He didn't want to do it alone.

A hand on his shoulder made him flinch, but Isaac didn’t take offense.

For a long time, Alistair couldn’t be touched by others.

That his brother could touch his arm and not send Alistair into a flashback was a huge improvement.

He reminded himself of that whenever he could.

He’d come a long way. Even he could see it now.

“Al…”

Forcing himself to smile, he looked down at his little brother. “I’m alright.” Isaac shot him a look, and he rolled his eyes and corrected himself. “I’m improving. I’ll be alright.”

It took a lot of therapy to accept that fact.

When his ex-father-in-law suggested the bands, he had initially refused.

Most people would consider them barbaric, and he thought with enough time, he’d get past it on his own.

But when his therapist told him his recovery would likely be years, not months, he caved.

Something had to give, and when his ex-wife had threatened to stop him from visiting his kids, he’d taken the only option he had left.

He’d miss their whole lives if he spent them in an institution. He didn't want to do that.

The magic blockers weren’t pleasant in the slightest. They were painful if he even tried to use his magic, and any flex of magic was like a shock to the system.

But that wasn’t the worst part. It was the way they cut him off from everything that had mattered in his life that left him feeling cold.

He couldn’t commune anymore, couldn’t feel the spirits or the connection that tied him to his family.

He was cut off from the world, and while he was grateful that the nightmares had subsided and the flashbacks didn’t haunt him like they used to, he felt the sacrifice every day to get that kind of peace.

But he did find peace. And that had to count for something.

“You will be,” Isaac agreed, squeezing his shoulder gently. “I’m going to help you get back on your feet. Starting with a job.”

Surprised, Alistair turned around to study his brother. “I haven’t even started applying yet.”

Isaac waved a hand dismissively. “You’ve got time for that, and to figure out what you want to do, but for now, I figured any work would be good to start things off. And the temp agency I used to work at is always hiring. I already called and put in a good word for you.”

A temp agency? Alistair had never considered it before.

Then again, he hadn’t given much thought to what he planned on doing now that he was stable enough for work.

The only thing he was qualified for was being in the military, and he’d been medically discharged when he couldn’t get his head on straight.

“You’ll get to choose the jobs you do,” Isaac continued. “That way you can turn it down if something makes you uncomfortable. And the company owner, Morana, is great at accommodating people. She won’t be bothered if you turn something down.”

Alistair considered it with a frown. It would be nice to try out a few career fields without being forced to commit to one.

Give himself a chance to get his feet wet without added stress.

He’d never once thought about work outside the military before.

He’d always assumed he’d be in service for the rest of his life.

He didn't have a clue what he wanted to do.

He trusted his brother more than he trusted anyone else.

Isaac was the only one who didn’t treat him like a threat or like he was broken even when he was at his worst. Alistair valued it more than words could say.

His eyes strayed to the window, where he saw Isaac’s dragon mate flying in the distance.

When he’d been struggling, Maverick told him it was Isaac who’d changed things for him.

Alistair would be a fool to ignore that.

“Okay,” he finally said, letting out a long breath. It felt too fast, he still felt unsteady after so long struggling alone, but if he wanted his life back, he needed to start somewhere.