the children were out of the way, Allie reached for a couple of bags and then turned to set them on the counter, only to stop when she saw the Walmart bags still there.
“Liam, we need to get these bags out of the way and up to our room,” she said, setting the bags she held on the counter next to the sink.
“What are they?” Liam asked, handing her the bags he’d taken to set down as well.
“I’m not sure,” Allie admitted as she led him back to start grabbing the Walmart bags. As she handed Liam a couple of the lighter bags, she added, “They’re some things Magnus bought us, so say thank you.”
“Thank— Oh, wow! Is this for me?”
Allie glanced over to see that the bags she’d handed Liam were now on the floor and he was holding up a brand-new navy blue winter coat with red and white stripes across the chest and matching navy blue insulated pants. The boy was staring at the coat and pants like they were the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. She looked at Magnus, surprised to see that he appeared uncomfortable.
“Yes,” Magnus said, and then cleared his throat and added, “Well, Victor mentioned maybe taking you kids out tobogganing after lunch, and I thought you might need something a little warmer than that jacket you were wearing when we—” His words ended on a startled oomph when Liam dropped the coat and pants and launched himself at the man, leaping up to catch him around the neck like a monkey.
“Thank you, Magnus!” Liam shouted excitedly, hugging the man as he caught him before he could fall.
“You are more than welcome,” Magnus murmured, hugging the boy briefly back before setting him down. “Now, why do you not go hang that up while I help your mother carry the bags upstairs?”
“Show him where the coat closet is, Sunita,” Elvi instructed as she began to set down the rest of the bags she carried.
Sunita, Grace, and Teddy rushed Liam off to the vestibule with the closet, chattering excitedly now about going tobogganing.
“Thank you,” Allie said quietly, meeting Magnus’s gaze, and then she turned away and headed for the stairs with the bags she’d grabbed. She was aware that Magnus was following with the remainder of the bags, but her mind was distracted with what Stephanie had said. He was probably the only one who was likely to be willing to turn her, and she needed to be turned to continue to be Liam’s mom.
But what would he expect in return? What did being a life mate entail? She had no idea how to broach the subject with him. Or if she even should. How was this kind of thing usually done? She had no idea.
“Where are we putting this stuff?” Magnus asked as he followed her into the room. “Did you want to set the bags on the bed and sort through them now so you can see if there is anything you need that I did not consider?”
“Yes, that’s fine.” Allie set her own bags there even as he did. She then opened the first bag and started to retrieve the items inside, very aware that Magnus was hesitating to leave.
“I was not sure which shampoo you would like but that one smelled pretty. If you prefer a different kind, I can return it and get another.”
Allie glanced to him with confusion, and then followed his gaze to the bottle of shampoo in her hand and realized she’d been staring blindly at it for a couple of minutes. Shaking her head, she turned and set it on the dresser. “No. It’s fine. Thank you. I just—” Whirling back, she blurted, “You can’t read me because we’re possible life mates.”
Eleven
Magnus stared at Allie for a moment, and then turned to close the bedroom door. It would seem they were going to have the conversation he’d been agonizing over during the last two hours as he’d shopped. He’d worried about how to broach the subject, along with where and when, but it looked like it was happening now and here.
Taking a deep breath, he faced her and opened his mouth to begin the speech he’d come up with on his shopping trip, only to close it again as she asked, “That’s true, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
“Stephanie said Liam will be able to read and control me in the next year or so. She said that he’d use that against me. Not on purpose,” she added