Page 31 of Ivory's Familiars

Ivory groaned, “Libby …”

“Come on, my little sex demon. Help a sister out,” she batted her eyelashes, looking pathetic and Ivory completely lost it.

She began laughing hysterically over the ludicrousness of the situation. Libby joined in, grabbing the bottle from her and taking a healthy swallow. And this right here was exactly what she needed, she realised. She didn’t need the quiet or solitude with her thoughts. She just needed her politically incorrect best friend, a bottle of wine, and a chance to talk about the sexual aptitude of the three men upstairs. And for the next twenty minutes, that’s exactly what she did.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but this has totally made my day,” Libby informed her, polishing off the last of the bottle.

Ivory snorted. It had totally made her day too when she had first awoken. Now she was halfway to drunk at ten in the morning with three men in her apartment who wanted to be tied to her forever because a damn cat said so. But if they were going to be tied to her with anything other than a coven bond, she wanted it to be because they liked her – the same way she liked them.

“Dammit, Ivory! I know that look too. You’re thinking too much again,” Libby’s voice interrupted her introspection.

“I guess I am,” she admitted, beginning to feel annoyed with herself again.

“Tell me what’s rattling around in that head of yours.”

Ivory hesitated, “It’s nothing.”

“Now you listen here,” Libby grabbed her shoulders and gave her a small shake that had her stomach revolting a little over the wine breakfast, “It’s not nothing if it’s bothering you. So spill. Besides, you just told me the length and girth of your three lovers’ dick sizes. I think we’re a little past withholding information.”

She giggle-snorted over that. Libby did have a point, “I like them.”

Libby pursed her lips, “Well, considering you screwed their brains out, I’d say that’s a good thing.”

“No, Libby. I like them as in Ilikethem,” she emphasisedlikeso Lib would catch her drift.

“Oh … which one?”

“All of them.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I say this is a good thing. I’ve never heard you say you like anyone before. Looks like all your Christmases have come at once,” Libby patted her knee, “Don’t over analyse it. Just let it be for now,” she advised.

It was actually good advice, but Ivory was a do-er, and an impatient one at that. When she had a problem she wanted it resolved immediately. Besides, that wasn’t the bulk of the problem, “It’s not just that, Libby. They –” She broke off, desperately wanting to confess everything to her good friend but knowing she had to hold back, “They found out something about me – something I’ve never told anyone,” she ended with a half-truth.

Libby’s clear blue eyes focused on her intently for a moment, “I assume you’re talking about what you’re running from? I’m not stupid, Ivory. I notice things. I’ve known you were hiding something for a while now. And no, I don’t want to know,” she held up a hand, forestalling Ivory’s nervous response, “People have secrets. It’s okay. Lord knows I have my fair share.”

Ivory studied her friend and for the first time, she saw sadness in her eyes. Had she been so focused on keeping her own secrets, holding onto her own problems, that she had failed to see her friend was also in pain? “I’m sorry, Lib. I –”

But Libby slapped her hand over her mouth, “Ivory, please. We’re all good. I won’t pester you and you won’t pester me. Cool?”

“Cool,” she agreed, still feeling a little ashamed and like she was betraying their friendship by not revealing her true self. But the revelation that Ronan, Vaughn, and Seth were familiars –herfamiliars – and somehow also mates to her inner panther …? Well, it was about all she could handle today.

“Okay, without telling me what your fine bodyguards have discovered, tell me how they reacted. I assume not well if you’re so anxious about it.”

Ivory thought about their reactions – shock and awe pretty much covered it, “On the contrary, they said all the right things … again.”

“Okaaay,” Libby spoke slowly, “So, what? You’re back to not believing them again?”

“That’s just the problem; I do believe them,” her shoulders slumped, “I’m worried I can’t be what they need.”

That much was true at least. Even in her state of shock, she wasn’t oblivious. She had seen the fragile hope on Vaughn’s face, the sheer joy on Seth’s, and the tentative look of expectation in Ronan’s eyes. They had said she was a miracle. How was she supposed to live up to those kinds of expectations?

Her mother had told her what little her father had passed on to her. She understood that a familiar’s urge to serve their coven and their witch was ingrained bone deep. It was a duty and an honour they were born with. The three men upstairs were born knowing their purpose in life but had been unable to fulfil it. For men of action, she knew the waiting and the fruitless searching must have been hell. Was she supposed to just magically fix that? She was naturally very magically inclined. Her mother had always been surprised with how powerful her magic had been as a child. Especially given they had no coven to study and practice with. But her abilities didn’t matter if she didn’t understand the rules or the politics of the game. She had never been immersed in the magical world. She was pretty much clueless.

“Ivory. Just let yourself be. Don’t force anything. Things have a tendency to work out the way they’re supposed to in the end.”

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