Page 48 of A Roar for Magic

Hudson stormed out, practically leaving smoke trails. Several of his supporters followed, but most stayed, looking both amused and uncertain.

“Anyone else have concerns?” Rook asked softly. The room remained silent. “Then we’re done here. Everyone, dismissed.”

Pride members filed out, many nodding respectfully to Clover. His family lingered.

“Do you need anything?” Sabine touched his arm. “We can?—”

“Go home.” He managed a smile. “A true leader doesn’t need help for the most basic parts of his job. Besides, I have everything I need right here.”

Later, sprawled on Clover’s couch with empty pizza boxes scattered around, Rook finally relaxed. “Bench press a car while doing backward calculus?”

“Too much?” She grinned up at him. “I was going to add that you can also juggle flaming swords while reciting poetry in ancient Greek, but I thought that might be overkill.”

“Clearly you were trying to be realistic.” He pulled her closer. “Though I notice you didn’t mention my most impressive talent.”

“What’s that?”

“Putting up with your terrible sense of humor.”

She gasped in mock offense. “Excuse you, I’m hilarious. You’re just jealous because you can’t actually make it rain.”

“No?” He kissed her neck. “Then why do you always seem to melt around me?”

“Oh god, that was awful.” But she laughed, bright and beautiful. “We need to work on your pickup lines.”

“I don’t know, seemed pretty effective to me.” He captured her lips, swallowing her retort.

When they finally came up for air, she asked, “Think Hudson took the bait?”

“After that performance? His ego won’t let him resist.” Rook smiled against her skin. “You were magnificent, by the way. Terrifying, but magnificent.”

“He deserved worse.” She snuggled closer. “No one disrespects my mate. Even if he can’t actually juggle flaming swords.”

“Yet. Give me time.”

Her laugh filled the room, and his tiger purred with contentment. Let Hudson scheme. Let Justus plot. They had no idea what they were up against.

Together, he and Clover were unstoppable.

Even if he couldn’t actually make it rain.

TWENTY-NINE

Morning sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of Weaver’s Botanicals. The shop buzzed with magical energy – dried herbs rustling in their copper racks, crystals humming with stored power, and experimental potions bubbling in delicate glass beakers. But today, an undercurrent of anticipation charged the air.

Clover adjusted the flame beneath a copper pot, watching blue-green vapor curl upward in hypnotic spirals. “The tracking charm needs to be subtle. If Hudson suspects anything...”

“He won’t.” Banner leaned against the workbench, arms crossed. “Our boy Hudson never met a scheme he didn’t think he could outsmart.”

“So…about this scheme.” Weston examined a rack of bottled essences. “How exactly do we make sure he targets this formula instead of the real ones?”

Clover sprinkled crushed moonflower petals into the mixture, smiling as they dissolved in a shower of silver sparks. “By making it irresistible. Something that looks revolutionary but has just enough flaws that only an expert would spot them.”

“Like leaving the vault door slightly open,” Rook mused from his spot near the window. His presence filled the space, tiger energy a warm weight against her skin. “Too tempting to resist.”

“Exactly.” She stirred the potion three times widdershins. “The base looks perfect, but the molecular structure will degrade within hours of mass production. Hudson’s scientists will spot that too late to fix it.”

“And the tracking spell?” Banner asked.

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