Me and My Christmas Familiar (An MM Monster Christmas)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

L achlan stared at the ceiling, Kit’s seed cooling on his stomach and groin. Lachlan’s arousal and pleasure ebbed as his breathing and heartbeat slowed. Kit fumbled for Lachlan’s undershorts, which he used to quickly wipe them.

Slowly, the reality of what had just happened sank into his mind.

He’d had sex with Kit. He’d experienced his first time with another. And it was with his familiar. It had been amazing and everything he hoped his first time would be.

Still, the truth was he’d fucked his familiar.

Was that even allowed? Surely there must rules against it.

And not only that, but he’d managed to further complicate their already very complicated relationship. At the moment, he already struggled to assimilate his concept of Kit as a human and as his cat familiar. And now he’d just slept with Kit in his human form.

Kit’s body sagged against Lachlan. “I love you,” Kit whispered. His arm wrapped around Lachlan’s stomach. After several moments, his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

Lachlan wrapped his arms around Kit, squeezing him tight as the guilt gnawed at him. Why had he done this? Why had he made everything worse and more complicated by letting his libido run away from him?

Lachlan’s mind raced. The minutes slipped by. He needed space. He needed to think out what had just happened. Careful as he could be, he slid from Kit’s embrace, holding his breath. He quickly dressed, glancing at Kit’s sleeping form to check he didn’t wake. His cat ears twitched in his sleep.

As Lachlan crept to the door, a pang of guilt flashed inside him for leaving Kit like this. Kit didn’t deserve this. But everything was just happening too fast.

And Lachlan wasn’t leaving Kit forever. He just needed a moment to breathe and think. Then they could talk and work things out. He closed the door behind him. He padded across the main room to the front door. He pulled on his robes and hat and left the apartment.

Snow lay heavily on the stairs and in the alley below. And still, it kept falling.

How long would this snowstorm last?

Pulling his robes tighter around him, he ran down the stairs and to the bakery door. It swung open and then slammed shut behind him as he dashed inside. He glanced at the door. It had never slammed like that before.

He stood in the darkness of the bakery. After a few seconds, the lanterns flickered awake.

Odd. They usually lit far quicker than that.

Letting out a breath, Lachlan tried to embrace the calm of the bakery, of his hearth, of his safe space. He just needed a little time to collect his thoughts. Then he’d talk to Kit again, and they’d work everything out.

He took off his hat and robes and set to work. With the bakery shut during the snowstorm, it didn’t need the same level of preparation. But they’d still be using the space to make food for the family. And this was still Lachlan and his family’s hearth. It needed to be cared for.

He lit the incense and said a blessing at the altar. He created a simmer pot on the stove and brewed some tea.

He took a sip of the tea. He wrinkled his nose in shock at the harsh, bitter taste.

“What?” Lachlan never made a bad cup of tea.

The stove sizzled. Lachlan turned to watch the simmer pot boil over, the water steaming as it hit the hot metal.

“Curses!” He grabbed the handle, pulling the pot off the burner. He cried out as the heat singed his hand. He released the cauldron, and it fell off the stove, spilling its contents onto the floor.

Hand still burning, he stared at the watery mess.

How had that happened? And why had he just grabbed the handle like that?

From there, everything continued to go wrong.

He knocked over a basket of dried herbs, scattering them across the floor. The oven smoked until he bent over, coughing. When he mixed ingredients to make bread, he got the measurements confused, and it ended up a sticky, unusable mess. With a cry of frustration, he tossed the dough into a bowl. The bowl clattered and fell to the floor, making more mess.

How is this happening?

He gritted his teeth as he cleaned up the floor once again. This never happened to Lachlan. He never had a bad day in the bakery. He was a hearth and kitchen witch. The strongest in the family. This was where he thrived. This was where he found peace and strength.

He took a step back from the counter, trying to calm his breathing. He sat down, but the chair did not move directly behind him to catch him. He cried out as he knocked the chair over and fell to the floor.

Lachlan closed his eyes.

Something is wrong. I am wrong.

Was this because of Kit? Was he being punished for taking a shifter as his familiar? Or for having sex with his familiar? Had he polluted and distorted his magic?

Lachlan rose, rubbing his arse.

The door to the bakery opened. “Morning, Lachlan.”

Lachlan spun to face Grady.

“I had sex with Kit!” Lachlan blurted.

Grady froze.

“I had sex with my familiar, and now I think my magic is wrong as punishment!” Lachlan’s voice shook.

Grady closed the door behind him. “I see.”

“Is that wrong? Did I do wrong?” Lachlan’s voice cracked. “Is my magic not working because I slept with my familiar?”

Grady frowned. “I doubt it. Ever since you found out Kit is a shifter, you’ve been off. I think your mind isn’t clear, so it’s probably affecting your magic.”

“So there aren’t any rules about sleeping with familiars?”

Grady seemed to think for a second. “I mean, normally familiars aren’t shifters. But he is. So I’m not sure there are clear rules about this. I mean he wanted to have sex, right?”

“Yes.” Lachlan thought of the night before, of Kit’s eagerness to touch Lachlan, to please him. His cheeks flushed. “Yes, he did.”

“And you wanted to have sex with Kit, right?”

Lachlan nodded. He’d definitely wanted to. “I did.” He ducked his head as the heat spread down his neck. “It was my first time…with anyone.” He didn’t allow Grady to respond to that. “I’m so confused and don’t know what to do.”

Grady stared at him for several seconds. Then he stepped forward and clasped Lachlan on the shoulder. “Look, this whole situation is pretty unusual. I don’t think there are clear rules about this because, like I said, shifters aren’t normally familiars.” He paused. “But you want my advice?”

“Please!”

“I think you have three options,” Grady said. “One, you can try having a relationship with Kit, being romantically involved and having sex. You don’t have to rush into it. You can just take it slow.”

Lachlan’s stomach tightened. “But what if it’s wrong?”

“Like I said, you’re in an unusual situation and I don’t think there are set rules. If you both want to be in a relationship, if you both want to have sex, whilst also being a familiar and a witch, then why not?”

Lachlan frowned, could it really be that simple?

“Two, you can try and be friends. No sex, no romance, just friends whilst he is also your familiar.” Grady grimaced. “But I’ll be honest. I see how Kit looks at you. He wants option number one. He loves you, he desires you, and he also wants to be your familiar.”

Lachlan’s throat tightened. “I think you’re right.” He supposed Kit’s yearning for him had been very obvious to everyone. “What about the third option?”

“You part ways.”

The floor felt like it dropped from beneath Lachlan’s feet. “No,” he whispered.

“He’s only been your familiar for a little while, a witch-familiar bond can be broken with space and time if it is new,” Grady said. “It’s not like a mating ritual, which is permanent. If you parted, told him you were releasing him from being your familiar, that bond would eventually weaken and then dissipate into nothingness.”

Nothingness. Their bond would dissipate into nothingness.

Nausea rolled through Lachlan. Everything in his body rejected Grady’s words. Losing Kit, not having him as a familiar, not having him in his life—just the thought sent Lachlan into a wild panic.

“No.” Lachlan shook his head. “No. Not that.”

Grady squeezed Lachlan’s shoulder. “Then I think you have only one option left, little brother.”

Lachlan frowned. “I guess… I guess I do.”

Grady gave him a wry smile. “And uh… I should probably tell you. You and Kit were not exactly quiet last night. Be prepared for everyone knowing what you got up to.” Grady clapped Lachlan on the shoulder. “Thin walls and all. But I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your first time.” Grady chuckled.

Lachlan’s jaw dropped as embarrassment flooded his entire body.

Grady laughed even harder.