Page 55

I took Logan down to the library so we could get her acquainted with the staff there and hopefully find some useful resources.

Margaret, our librarian, was beyond excited to have a task of this caliber ahead of her.

In addition to her library and duties, she was also the nest archivist and one of our longest-term residents.

We’d had a small handful of witches stay with us over the years, though they were certainly in the minority compared to the shifter population here.

I put Margaret on the task of contacting anyone that we were able to in order to see if we could arrange a digital meeting with Logan.

Our resident witch pawed at my arm. “Can I ask a question?”

“Of course, precious.”

“Why can’t I have Seth and Caden?”

“The only way for you to claim them would be for me to relinquish my claim, and if I did that, Kendrick and Shakti could challenge you. I’m not really sure what way the vote would go since you’re only a temporary Protector and not even sworn in yet. Safer for everyone if I hang on to them.”

“So matehood doesn’t supersede a Protector’s claim?”

I sighed, running a hand over my forehead. “Technically it would, but this is a complicated situation since I also claimed you. Do you trust me?”

“I think so.” She paused, eyes searching my face. “Yes.”

It was a strange realization to know she did.

Haru was the only one I trusted with my life, and I suspected it was the same for him.

I hadn’t done enough to truly earn Logan’s trust, but I would try to be worthy of what trust she did place in me.

“Hold on to that, then. In a more ideal situation, I would give both of them to you.”

“Do I need your permission to matebond Caden? Is that even something I can do? I don’t know how many matebonds a person can have.”

“I’m not going to interfere with your bonds. You can have as many as you like, though the more you have, the more complicated things get. Some packs will all bond, but many find it too overwhelming to have all of those additional emotions bouncing around.”

Logan walked by my side down one of the library aisles that held our actually useful metaphysical books: copies of grimoires, ancient texts, compiled manuscripts from various supernaturals around the world.

“Can I ask another question?”

“You’ve already asked several,” I pointed out. “You’re a Protector now, or at least you will be very soon. You can speak freely with me.”

“How come you and Haru aren’t bonded?”

I stopped short and spun to look at her, her gaze darting up to the ceiling to avoid mine. “I changed my mind. That’s plenty of questions already.”

“I’m sorry. I was just really curious. It seems like you love each other a lot.”

“I do love Haru, but bonding is a very permanent thing that opens you up to another being on a soul level. I’m brave about a lot of things, but I don’t want to trap him and bind him to me.”

Logan looked at me oddly. “You think being bonded would trap them?”

“To a life here, yes.”

“Not to be impertinent or anything, but I feel like if they really didn’t want to be here, they would leave.”

“This topic of conversation is done right now,” I declared. I wasn’t after pouring my heart out in the library. “If you have the energy, we should get you to give Velda the ability to see the monster.”

“What about Shakti and Calliope?”

“We’re working strategically. We don’t know how deep your well is so we’re going to work one by one. Eventually, it would be nice to get the entire nest able to see what the threat is, but I’m under no illusion that that won’t take some time.”

“I wish I knew more about my power. It’s frustrating having all of this untapped potential.”

“That’s what we’re working on.”

“Mistress.” We turned to see Margaret approaching. “I’ve sent out contact requests to all of the witches who have stayed here before. I’ll keep looking for Anya as well.”

“Thank you so much, Margaret. Please let me know the moment you hear from anyone.”

“Yes, mistress.”

Logan slipped her hand into mine and warmth blossomed through me. “Should we go see Velda?”

“In a minute.” I laid my hand over Logan’s arms, tracing my fingertips over her skin, more pleased than I should’ve been when goosebumps rose at my touch. “If you run out of magic, I’m happy to recharge you.”

Her cheeks flushed pink and a burst of arousal hit my nose a moment later.

“I’m not un interested,” she said slowly. “ Our kiss was…”

“Its own sort of magic?”

“Yeah.” Her voice came out all sweet and breathy.

“Haru and I can let you have time with your panthers again tonight. Or I can leave Haru if you’d like to play with him, considering he and Seth have gotten close?”

Her skin against mine sparked with heat, and the spike of arousal burst even stronger this time.

I laughed softly. “Precious, what’s going on in that little head of yours?”

“I’ve only thought about Seth with me before.”

“Do you like the idea of him and Haru?”

Logan nodded shyly.

“What about you and Haru?”

Her skin sparked again and I slid my palm up her arm to cup the back of her neck. “What about you and me?”

Her eyes were wide and luminous, the sensation of her power like fizz beneath my fingers.

As if I were drawn by a magnet, my mouth descended against hers, sparks rippling through my veins.

Far more hunger than was appropriate for the library coursed through me.

I licked into her mouth and backed her up against the shelving, my other hand sliding into her hair, craving that strange feeling of her magic bubbling out, and the intoxication of knowing it was because of me.

“Mistress?” I froze at Margaret’s voice, the tips of my fingers sporting claws that scraped gently against Logan’s skin, making her shudder, that damn scent like a cloud around me that wanted me to take her right here.

I forced myself to step back. “Yes, Margaret?”

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but you said to let you know the moment I heard from someone. One of the witches replied already.”

If the interruption had been for anything less important, I would’ve told Margaret to fuck off so I could focus on undoing Logan in the stacks, but alas, some things were more important than my libido.

I pulled the blushing Logan out with me to read the reply email.

A French witch named Amelie was our first respondent.

She had left her phone number. I had Margaret forward the message to my phone and brought Logan back to my suite so we could get started on her education.

Her panthers were instantly on high alert as we entered, both relaxing when they realized it was us.

“Hello, panthers.” I took it as progress that Caden didn’t snipe at me and had relaxed so quickly.

I passed Logan my phone, and she held her breath, pressing the call link in the email and waiting for Amelie to answer. I paced to work off my nervous energy.

We waited for four agonizing rings before a witch with a blonde pixie cut came onto the screen. “Hello there! Are you the baby witch?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Logan replied.

“Lovely to meet you. I’m Amelie. Why don’t you give me more information about the situation and then I’ll see how I can best help?”

So Logan did just that.

“You don’t know what line you’re from and why it was bound?”

“Nope. That’s part of why I’m trying to track down Anya.”

Amelie nodded thoughtfully. “How old did you say you were?”

“Thirty-four.”

“Have you had your first heat yet?”

“My what ?!”

“Your heat. Witches live so long that we’re not fertile all the time; otherwise we would overrun the world. Usually the first heat will kick in around thirty-five and then every decade or so after that.”

Logan looked desperately pale. Her panthers leaned closer, and Amelie waved to them both.

“Which one of these hotties is your mate?”

“Seth.” Logan bristled, pointing to the younger of the brothers. “But I would like both to be.”

“Ambitious.” Amelie laughed. “Helpful, though. Or at least multiple lovers is helpful, considering how unpredictable and unruly a witch’s first heat can be.”

“Do I have to have one?”

I continued my pacing, absorbing the words of the French witch.

“If you had stayed bound, I don’t think you would’ve had one, but lucky you, you’ve been unbound just in time. I can give you some recipes that helps with symptoms. Given the situation you explained, I’m going to assume that babies are not on the current schedule, is that right?”

“Very much not on the current schedule. I have way too much to deal with.”

“All right, I’ll dig up some fertility recipes too. And you can have whichever lovers can get you pregnant consume it and you should be perfectly fine during your heat.”

“I don’t have to take anything for that?”

“Well, you can if you want, but it’s much easier to unload the gun than to hope that a bulletproof vest saves you.

” Amelie sighed. “It’s so unfortunate that you’ve been disconnected from your birth family.

There’s so much that you need to learn and I can only cram so much into video calls.

But that being said, I’ll do what I can to help you. ”

“Thank you so much. How can I repay you?”

“Unclear at the moment. Let’s keep a favor on tap, shall we?”

“No!” Caden and I snapped at the same time. I turned the phone to face me. “Name your price now, witch. Let her decide if she’s willing to pay it.”

Amelie laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound. “Baby witch, my price is not defined yet. Your options are to accept my help and pay what I decide later, or I can simply abandon you all.”

Logan looked to me with an imploring gaze. She needed the knowledge, but I couldn’t let her bind herself to a witch without knowing what the cost was. Some of them were as bad as the fae with their deals.

“I’m sorry. I can’t let her make that deal with you.” I hung up on the witch and tossed the phone onto the bed.

“Yelena? Why did you do that?” Logan asked.

“Never ever make a deal where you don’t know the price.”

Logan turned to her panthers. “Caden?”

“Yelena’s right. It’s not safe.”

I eyed him curiously. I hadn’t quite expected him to back me up, but it made sense when he was protecting Logan.

“She was too interested in Seth,” I added as explanation. “He could’ve been the cost.”

“What the fuck?” Seth growled, though he wasn’t particularly threatening since he was still in his hospital bed, in the midst of receiving a banana bag to ensure that he was fully hydrated and continuing on his recovery.

“We will find you a new mentor,” I promised.

Logan sank against Caden. “I feel useless.”

“Not at all, precious. Why don’t we go talk to Velda? We can pour extra magic into her artifact and see if we can give her enough sight to see the monster.”

Logan huffed and indulged in a quick kiss with each of the panthers before she climbed off the bed. “Okay. Let’s go.”