Chapter 9 #2
“I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve never been…
magical.” Even as she said the words, she thought about the hunches, and what she called instinct, that she had learned to rely on throughout her life.
As far as she knew, normal people didn’t have that sixth sense that had steered her in the right direction time after time.
“I saw it with my own eyes. And felt it. You have power, mi amor. Perhaps it was latent up to this point, but you won’t be able to stuff that genie back in its bottle. You’ll have to train to control it and temper it to your will.”
“I’m not sure about any of this, but if you’re right about me having some kind of fire magic, then I can definitely see your point about controlling it.” She yawned, the stresses of the day catching up with her.
“You are tired,” Mark observed. “We can discuss this tomorrow. For now…” He took the plates away and piled everything on the tray then rolled the table to an out-of-the-way spot near the door.
He then turned back to the bed and started unbuttoning his shirt.
“We will sleep. And I will hold you through the night and make sure you are all right.”
Her body perked up a bit at the sight of his bare chest, but she really was exhausted. Her spirit might be willing, but her flesh was weak at this point. It craved sleep more than Mark’s irresistible body…for the moment.
Still, she couldn’t help salivating just a little as he stripped. Just for her.
And then, he climbed into bed with her, spooning her from behind and tugging the covers up to cover them both.
Sometime in the night, he must have removed her clothing, too, because she woke naked in his arms, in the hour just before dawn. They came together, a slow, soundless loving. A meeting of bodies and hearts in the quiet of the darkness that still shrouded the world. Then, she dozed again.
The next time she woke, the sun was shining, and Mark was gone from the bed. She could still feel his presence, though, and she knew he hadn’t gone far, or for long.
She showered and dressed, heading out into the house in search of Mark. Or breakfast. Preferably both.
She ran into Leena and Miguel, who was in his human form this time, in the hallway, and they exchanged greetings.
It was Leena who told Shelly where to find Mark.
Apparently, he and Julio, Leena’s mate, were having a big discussion about the building project, and Shelly would be most welcome to join them, according to Leena.
Following the other woman’s directions to something called the Morning Room, Shelly knocked somewhat hesitantly before entering.
She wasn’t exactly sure she would be as welcome as Leena thought, but when she poked her head in the door, Mark was all smiles as he stood from the table.
He ushered her inside and even pulled out a chair for her next to his.
He’d greeted her with a kiss, right in front of the other men in the room, and she realized they probably all had heard the tale of their sexcapade the day before—if they hadn’t been there in person.
Shelly felt the blush flood her cheeks with warmth but kept her head as high as she could.
She had nothing to be ashamed of. She was a consenting adult, and everything she’d done with Mark in the jungle had felt absolutely right at the time.
She might be a little embarrassed now, but there was no use crying over spilt milk. And besides, shifters probably had different rules than other people, right? She certainly hoped so. Otherwise, this job might get a little uncomfortable.
“Mi amor, you met Julio yesterday. And this is Keith. He built the warehouse using Redstone plans,” Mark said, then proceeded to go around the table, introducing the half dozen men who each had some part to play in the planned and ongoing construction on the island.
What followed was a lively discussion of what had been done so far and where they planned to go from here.
Shelly noticed Mark had taken her sketch book from her room and showed a couple of the designs she’d been playing with the day before to the others.
She didn’t mind, though normally she would have preferred to only show finished drawings to her clients.
But, of course, nothing about this job was normal.
When she’d entered the room, she’d been afraid things might feel awkward after what they probably had witnessed the day before, but it wasn’t.
Much to her relief, they didn’t make her feel strange.
In fact, they treated her like an old friend—a somewhat different attitude than she had received on arrival.
It was almost as if she had passed some sort of test and was now somehow a bit more accepted among these secretive people.
Janice came in with trays of food, placing them in the middle of the table, but everyone waited for Shelly to select her breakfast first. It was strange, that, but very considerate.
She was hungry enough to fill a plate for herself, but there was plenty left, and as soon as she had hers, the men descended on the platters like locusts.
They spent the next hour eating, talking and going over her designs.
They also talked about the improvements that could be made to the warehouse she had mentioned the day before.
Shelly was really pleased with how cooperative and knowledgeable these men were proving to be.
Working with them would be a pleasure, if this meeting was anything to go by.
“Do you have any women on your construction crews?” Shelly didn’t feel too intimidated being the only woman in the room, but at one point, she felt it only fair to raise the question.
Mark laughed. “Actually, we have quite a few,” he replied as all the other men smiled.
“In fact, while Julio might be lead carpenter on the Clan hall project, it’s Leena who is the project manager.
She’s the one who will be doing all the oversight, scheduling, and generally keeping everybody on their toes. ”
“My mate is hell on wheels in a pretty pink plastic safety helmet,” Julio agreed with a wide grin.
“She has more experience than I do when it comes to construction. She is a civil engineer by training and worked for a few of the biggest human construction companies as a project manager, among other titles, before we got together.”
“She was a perfect fit for the project here, and I asked her to give up her career on the mainland to work for the Clan,” Mark put in. “Julio is representing her at this meeting, since it’s just a preliminary discussion and she had a prior commitment with their son’s teacher.”
Julio shrugged. “The move here worked out well for all of us. We both wanted to be close for our cub, and he can grow up here out in the open, not needing to hide his dual nature. It’s a blessing, truly. Miguel is thriving, as are the other children already on the island.”
“That’s why getting construction underway quickly is so important,” Mark agreed. “We want to bring as many families here as want to come. We want this to be a place where the next generation can grow up in peace, out in the open, able to explore in either of their forms without fear of discovery.”
Shelly began to understand how very dedicated all of these people—not just Mark—were to this project. They shared his vision and strong desire to make it a reality.
When the meeting broke up, it was just before noon. Mark suggested a stroll on the veranda, and Shelly was glad to get outside, even if it was hot out there. The island had some very refreshing breezes, and in the short time she had been there, it had impressed her as a tropical paradise.
Mark took her hand as they walked slowly to the balustrade.
The view from up here showed them the small harbor and that very reflective warehouse they had discussed at length during the meeting.
If Shelly had her way, the thing would be coated with a more inviting skin ASAP.
One that wouldn’t act like a mirror sending the blinding rays of the sun toward the mansion at least once a day.
“Mi amor, I have a favor to ask,” Mark said, sounding almost hesitant. She stopped and looked up at him.
“What is it?” She was concerned by his reluctance.
“Would you be upset with me if I asked you to stay another night on the island? I know I promised that you’d be home later today, but something has come up, and I really need to stay. I ask that you stay with me, since my heart will not rest easy if you are on the mainland and I am here.”
Was that all? Sure, she hadn’t planned on a second night on the island, but it really wasn’t that big a deal.
“All right,” she agreed quietly. “To be honest, I’m still feeling a little woozy from yesterday, so I don’t mind staying put for another day.”
His smile was both relieved and concerned. “If you have any discomfort from the magic, Abuela can help. You shouldn’t hesitate to consult her. Or Judy and Jim, who are both healers. They can help with more mundane complaints. And if there’s anything I can do, all you have to do is say the word.”
“No, I’m fine. Really. Just tired from whatever that was yesterday.” She still couldn’t bring herself to believe it was actual magic. She was human. Not magical at all. Right?
“Good. Because we’re about to be welcoming some very important company.
Their visit is why I have to stay. We’re opening formal relations between my Clan and the tigers.
That’s what the phone call was about yesterday.
The tiger Clan has had a rough time of it lately too, and they have a new king and queen.
Allowing them to visit here is a first step toward an alliance that could help us both rebuild our Clans. ”
“Seriously? Shifter royalty?” She was a little mystified by the idea but also very intrigued.