Page 37 of Ivory's Familiars

“Look out!” Libby’s voice shouted in warning.

Matthew spun, the knife embedding in his right shoulder instead of his heart, where she had been aiming. She glared in Libby’s direction – betrayed again. A blinding blow sent her sprawling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and starbursts behind her eyelids. The prick had sucker punched her.

“Bitch!” he screamed, clutching his wounded shoulder, “I tried to be nice. I tried to be nice. I tried to be nice,” he repeated over and over again and Ivory realised he had completely snapped his leash now.

Vaughn, Ronan, and Seth were all shouting now, struggling futilely against Matthew’s magical hold. Apparently, a knife in the shoulder wasn’t enough to break the witch’s concentration. She tried to raise her hands again, only to find them heavy and a sense a lethargy coming over her. What was happening?

“What’s the matter Ivory?” Matthew asked, bending over her, “Feeling sleepy?” he stroked a contradictory gentle hand over the slope of one breast. She couldn’t even flinch away from the hated touch, she was so exhausted.

“Did I forget to mention what my main power was? I’m a syphon, Ivory. I can literally draw your magic from you.”

Ivory felt tears blurring her vision.Powerless. She was powerless.

Matthew laughed, “I guess you’ll just have to lay there and take it, huh?” He stood and reached for the button on his jeans.

Her heart stuttered when she realised his intent and her eyes automatically sought out her lovers. Their eyes were filled with impotent rage as well as anguish as they continued to snarl, roar, and thrash. Blood was beginning to leak from their noses and eyes and she could see terrible bruises and lacerations splitting the skin of their necks and wrists as their bodies fought the magical bonds keeping them in place.

“Don’t worry, boys. I’ll let you watch while I fuck your tramp before I skin you all alive.”

“Libby, please! Help us!” she yelled at her friend, frantic now for any kind of hope. She saw Libby flinch at her words but she made no move to help, not even raising her head to look at her.

Matthew laughed again, the sound really grating on Ivory’s nerves now, “She won’t help you. Libby’s a good little familiar. She knows her place.”

Ivory felt the last of her strength waning as blackness began to cloud her vision. What was she going to do? She had no magic, she was –a complete and fucking idiot!She screamed suddenly, berating herself internally. Matthew said he was a syphon, draining her magic. Her telekinesis was a part of her magic. But her panther was a part ofher. She was her spirit animal, the second half of her soul. Her panther was her birthright from her grandmother’s side. It didn’t come from her grandfather’s witch bloodline. And what was better? Matthew had no idea she was part familiar.

She focused her mind and sure enough, there she was; a female predator ready to fight for herself and for her mates. Ivory didn’t hesitate, allowing her animal half to surface, rejoicing in the simplicity of the panther’s mind; defend. It took mere seconds for the shift to be complete – her vision sharpened, sounds became acute – and she didn’t hesitate, launching herself at her enemy.

The look of sheer shock on Matthew’s face was laughable, but it was the scream of absolute terror that had her panther purring in triumph. Her body twisted – ever agile – forcing him to the ground on his back. Her claws were burrowed in his chest and her teeth buried in his neck before he could call up his magic. The sharp, metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth and assaulted her senses, heightening the thrill of the kill. Her prey’s frantic yelling and thrashing body almost dislodged her, but she hung on with her front paws, back paws bucking and digging at his sensitive, soft stomach. Within seconds, the screaming was reduced to gurgles, and then to a whistling sound … and then to nothing. When the body beneath her finally stopped moving, the white panther raised her face to the sky and roared her victory.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The moment Ivory’s teeth had embedded in Lee’s – or Matthew’s – jugular, his hold over them had broken. Ronan landed heavily on his knees but was up and running in a second, desperate to reach Ivory. He saw Vaughn do the same and gestured him in the direction of Seth, who was struggling to stand. He heard the roar of victory, deafening in its intensity, and knew her prey must be dead. Seems they were obsolete – completely useless, just as they had been when Matthew had been hurting her. He wasn’t sure he would ever get the images of that psycho touching her out of his head. But for now, he would try to content himself that they were all safe.

He flung himself at the amazing white beast, her face and paws now stained red with the blood of her tormenter. He was a little disappointed he wasn’t the one to rip the piece of shit to shreds, but at least Ivory had gotten her vengeance; “Shift, babe. I need to see you,” he said, feeling the white jaguar purr under his stroking hands.

Seconds later, he had a handful of naked Ivory and he couldn’t help touching her and kissing her everywhere. More hands reached for her and he snarled, before reigning in his cat, recognising that it was just Vaughn and Seth, their movements as equally desperate as his own.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Ivory was repeating, stroking them and kissing them frantically in return, “Are you okay? Seth? Your hand,” she looked devastated as she gripped the bleeding appendage lightly.

Seth smiled, his eyes unfocused and Ronan realised he likely had a concussion in addition to the damage done to his hand, “I’m fine,” he assured them all.

Vaughn wrapped his arms around Seth, not letting go of Ivory’s hand. His eyes were beseeching as they looked him over. Ronan understood exactly how he felt. He was never letting any of them out of his sight again.

“I’m sorry.”

They all spun around, pushing Ivory into the middle of the circle of their bodies. Libby, the traitor, was on the ground crying. Ronan’s lip lifted as he snarled. He wanted to subject her to the same fate as her master.

“Please Ivory …” Libby sobbed, “let me explain.”

“Shut up!” he yelled, seeing Ivory wince at the woman’s words.

“Explain, what? That you were never my friend? That you came here to set me up? That you let him terrorise me for months?” Ivory demanded, pushing them out of the way.

“Please, Ivory, you have to understand. I’m his familiar,” Libby implored, “I did everything I could. I’m the one who told you to get help, remember? I gave you their number. I knew who they were. I knew they could help you. I did everything I could,” she repeated, tears streaming down her face.

The new information seemed to give Ivory pause, “You knew who they were? You knew they were my familiars?”

“Well, no. Not that part. That must be fate or something. I just knew that they were the remaining familiars from the Panthera Coven. I knew they’d figure out a witch was behind all this and I knew they’d be able to protect you.”

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