Magical Midlife Love (Leveling Up #4) - K.F. Breene Page 0,63

rough, “because I monitor dangerous things. Within this bar, you are the most dangerous thing. You are wild and unpredictable, mouthy without worrying about the consequences, and too confident for your own good. I can’t sense much power in you. You’ll be killed if you keep this up.”

“I’m the most dangerous thing in the bar, but you’re worried I’ll be killed?”

“You are the most dangerous thing because you’ll incite violence. You’ll say the wrong thing and set someone off. If not for my control of the situation, you would’ve created a problem already. Tensions are high in this territory. There is a lot of power, strength, and aggression with a lack of proper higher structure to keep it contained.”

I lifted my eyebrows, thinking about defending myself. About telling him that he had it wrong, and even if he didn’t, I’d be just fine to defend myself, thank you very much. I’d lasted this long—I could keep going a while longer. But Austin was approaching the door now, and I figured he could weigh in.

I gave Sir Stares-a-Lot a thumbs-up and stepped away, looking out the door. Austin approached with a short, bull-faced woman who was nodding at whatever he was telling her. His bearing was stiff, and I saw the fatigue lining his eyes. Stress. He was under pressure.

Kicking myself for not having noticed that before, I pulled the mute off his link and trickled healing magic into him, taking the edge off. Soon he’d be right as rain, still stressed but less tired.

His gaze snapped up, pleasure and gratitude filling the link. He nodded, the gesture barely perceptible.

I gave him a little smile and couldn’t help a stupid wave. He had plenty to do, though, and I didn’t need to bother him with my stuff. I ignored Sir Stares-a-Lot and made my way back to my seat, having to squeeze in again, this time pushing more toward Niamh’s chair so I wasn’t as close to Kace.

“Here.” Kace moved his knees again, but not so far this time, reaching for me to help me pass.

“No, no, I’m good, honest.” I tried to twist away from his fingertips. “It’s fine.”

He nodded, and I’d almost made it past him when he placed his hand on the small of my back, the feel of his touch all wrong. The pressure, the size of his hand, the warmth.

It was at that moment that I realized two things. The first was that I’d grown so accustomed to Austin’s touch that I knew it by feel. I knew when it wasn’t his, and it felt wrong.

The second was a lot more jarring.

Eighteen

Rage bled through me, but it wasn’t my rage.

Movement made me jerk my head up before I could fully lower into my seat.

Austin reached us in a few steps, his face still hard but his eyes burning.

He grabbed Kace by the back of the shirt and ripped him upward. Kace’s butt caught the back of the chair, and it toppled over. His shirt ripped up the back and he dropped, struggling to get his bearings.

“Crap.” I hurried forward, knowing this had happened because Austin had sensed my discomfort through the link. He didn’t have all the information and was just trying to protect me.

Austin let go of Kace’s shirt, letting him fall to the ground, then grabbed his arm and swung him toward the back of the bar.

Just like last time, I magically sent people running from the bar, closing them off from the action. Only Niamh and one other person remained, Sir Stares-a-Lot. Niamh wasn’t bothered by my spell, but he clearly felt my shove and was pushing back.

I didn’t have the time to make a point.

I slapped an inverted shield around him to keep him from seeing what went down. Austin was ashamed of his darkness, and if he let it leak out again, he wouldn’t want everyone to know. The spell was crude but serviceable. And although the big shifter got to work fighting it immediately (he couldn’t see me, but I could still see him), it was a powerful spell. Not even Austin would have been able to break out of it. Probably.

Austin pinned one of Kace’s arms with one hand and grabbed his throat with the other. I grimaced, knowing Kace could easily land a punch on Austin’s exposed face. If he still had that knife, he could stick it into Austin’s exposed neck.

“Hey, hey.” I paused with my hand on Austin’s shoulder, only then registering that Kace’s eyes were