3

“Did you know I was a goddess?” I asked Tracey an hour later when we were back at my house, sitting alone in the study which she mostly used for her office.

She flinched. “I wondered. I really did. Henry would get so scared sometimes about people finding out or your parents learning the truth. There had to be something more to your situation than what I knew if he was so desperate to get you out and safe on your own.” She studied me closely. “I take it you didn’t know?” She sighed when I shook my head. “How?”

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.

“Bev, I love you. You know I would never betray you and we’re sisters to me, right?” She looked relieved when I nodded. “Time to spill the beans then. I’m here for you for life, paycheck or not. Let me help and be the adult with Jasmine so we can keep you safe, okay?”

“Okay,” I rasped, and for the first time ever I didn’t hold any of it back. There had been things I’d kept from Grandfather even and that was… Never being fully honest with the people I cared for was traumatic.

It was time I acknowledged that and let it out.

I started at the very beginning with learning I could understand animals and how Clarence protected me. I told her about my family’s history of sacrificing the youngest child to boost the power of the oldest male and heir. She knew what I could do but not to the level I also admitted.

Then I told her all about being drugged, not just the quick version, and Wyatt. I confessed how he made me feel, but I didn’t like how overbearing he was and treated me. I didn’t know which side of him was real or to trust.

I told her about Kelton, Sergey… And now even Winter who refused to leave after the hearing and had come with us to my house. I rambled how scared I was and how Wyatt showed me the mark, knew which goddess blessed me—all of it and before I did. I hadn’t even been able to bring myself to look into it all as I needed time to process before jumping into the rabbit hole.

“Fuck, Bev,” she whispered when I was done.

I simply nodded and tried to mop up my face, having broken down crying at some point during all of that.

She came over to sit next to me on the sofa and hugged me. “Okay, it’s okay. That’s—fuck, that’s a lot, kid, but we’ll figure this out. I need to do a lot of thinking and catch up on all of that. For now, we’ll handle what they know but keep the rest quiet. You need to play your cards incredibly close to your chest. We don’t know these guys.”

“I know.”

“I will say Wyatt isn’t fucking around with you. He might be playing fun games and it all gets mixed in, but… He’s serious about you and protecting you. I could see it in his aura. So you do what you think is best, but I wanted you to know that. I love you, but how you were raised made you pretty dense when dealing with people. I figured you needed the insight.”

“Yes, thank you.” I hugged her tightly. “I like what he does to me, but it’s not…”

“What happens between a man and a woman does not indicate how a woman is in life. That’s play. That’s fun, and it’s fun I enjoy too.” She nodded when I blinked at her. “I like it a lot sometimes. Being strong means you’re strong enough to explore and see what you like. Fuck the stereotypes and bullshit, right?”

“Right.” I sighed in relief, settled on the topic now at least.

“Okay, then let’s go face the wolves.” She snorted when I gave her a shocked look. “They’re not werewolf monsters, but they’re men. Same thing as wolves.”

“Sure.” I stood when she did and followed after her, my head all fluffy after crying and getting that out.

She took us right to the living room where the three men and Jasmine were waiting. “All right, so let’s get a few things straight and settled.” She pointed to Winter. “First, you need to take a time-out somewhere else as you’re not up for being privy to what happened in the hearing.”

“Please?” I whispered when it looked like he might argue.

He sighed. “Okay, little sexy, but you gotta give me something later. It kills me to see you upset and you were so scared earlier.” The best I had was holding my arms open to hug him. He chuckled and took the offer, kissing my hair and rubbing my back. “It’s going to be okay. You’ve got this. Whatever is going on, I know you’ve got it.”

“Thanks, Winter.”

“I’m going to walk around outside and see how big this fucking place is and what you’ve got for protection,” he said as he let me go.

“He’s incredibly talented in protection enchantments and spells,” Wyatt told Tracey and Jasmine when they went to object. “And reading people, so if you’re hiring guards, he’s a good set of eyes.”

“I have that gift as well,” Jasmine informed him, but then sighed. “However, an intimidating male sitting in will help given how sexist our society is. We will speak and soon.”

He nodded and muttered something before a card appeared in her hand. “Call me anytime if it’s for Bevin.”

“You are a dedicated suitor,” she chuckled.

He shrugged. “She’s a special woman.”

I flushed as I went to sit on the couch between Tracey and Jasmine. It didn’t take long for Winter to get outside and out of hearing range, both Wyatt and Sergey looking like they were ready to burst with questions.

“Before we start on all that happened, you need to understand some of the politics the council alluded to,” Wyatt said. “The top-tier families have been making a push to get one of theirs on the elected council as head as they are the best and most powerful and all that bullshit. They have been challenging the council’s authority left and right.”

“So they want help with their familiars and gathering more power, but they’re also investing in Bevin as she’ll be a major player and a good ally,” Jasmine surmised, waiting until Wyatt nodded. “That’s helpful—exceedingly helpful, thank you.”

He met my gaze, his eyes serious and calm. “I’m here to help. You need to be protected, and I know we’ve had issues given we both had misconceptions, but I’m on your side.”

“I told her that I believe that, but let me make it clear that if either of you fuck her over or hurt her, there won’t be a hole deep enough for you to hide in from what we will do to you,” Tracey threatened with a smirk. “Or she will because now you know how powerful she is and can sic familiars on you.”

“Can you really do that?” Sergey asked me, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, and I only know because I had to protect myself,” I admitted, clearing my throat. “My parents had a dirty guard who… It was self-defense, and my brother was too neglectful of his familiar to understand I had done anything, simply thinking it protected our family.”

“So you own Familiar Treasures,” Wyatt stated, but his stare told me he needed me to confirm it.

“Yes.”

“Start from the beginning.”

“No.”

He ground his jaw. “No?”

“I agree,” Jasmine interjected. “You got a lot of personal information, but you’re not her mate or in a committed relationship where you should know that much. She can tell you in time when she’s ready, not like you have the right after what you learned at a hearing.”

Sergey held up his hand to Wyatt. “So what I saw you doing was making product? I couldn’t tell what it was though.”

I nodded, thinking that easy enough to answer. “I infuse the magic into the stuffing, or you saw me working on feline toys that the person we employ will finish. She sews things and handles a lot of it. Some of the bird ones I have to do almost fully, but it just looks like a mess if anyone finds it. My parents thought I just sucked at crafts.”

“Right, because you obviously had to hide all of this from them,” Wyatt muttered, shaking his head. “How you pulled it off amazes me. Truly, you managed a miracle. I get why it’s such a long list to get anything from the store now. I’ve been waiting for two years.”

I cleared my throat. “I already made something for Quinn. It’s actually a prototype he inspired after Tracey gave me some ideas. He’s so sweet I couldn’t help but make him something.” I winced when Tracey sighed. “I made the guts for a new one you can put on display. I worked a ton this week when I was thinking over stuff.”

“That’s not why I’m sighing, Bev. You’re a businesswoman. You’d give it all away for free if I didn’t stop you.”

I snorted. “Not to the rich jerks. Charge them out the ass.”

Jasmine coughed, trying to cover her reaction. “Good to know. Does that mean I can expect a consultation and something nice for my familiar?”

“Yes,” Tracey chuckled. “Mine has a few specialized toys and gathers magic for me and her like you wouldn’t believe. She asks to see Bevin all the time. She desperately missed her when we couldn’t see each other face-to-face after Henry died.”

“Yeah, that was…” I shook my head. Saying it was hard didn’t do the situation justice.

“You weren’t kidding that you weren’t as alone as I assumed,” Wyatt muttered, rubbing his forehead. “I know you won’t want me to know so much, but I think I need to see all three profiles to help. I have contacts just as Mr. Koval does.”

“Are you asking as her teacher and power assessor or aspiring lover?” Sergey snapped, clearing his throat when we gave him shocked looks. “Look, I figured out he was the one who things happened with, but the rest—”

“I didn’t know either,” I promised. “He was being—I didn’t agree or ask him to take all of that on, Sergey.” I shook my head when he opened his mouth. “Can we talk about the rest later, privately?”

“Yeah, of course, foxy,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m just… You’re a fucking millionaire all on your own and—this is a big shock.”

“I know. Sorry.”

“Hey, nothing to be sorry for. You told me there was more and you couldn’t tell me. I’m not mad. Not at all.”

“And I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, Mr. Tutor,” Wyatt drawled, smirking when Sergey flinched.

We answered several questions and filled them in a bit more about what my parents had been up to.

“As much as I’m sure you’d like to grill us all night, I think it’s best we get Bevin back to the security of campus,” Jasmine interjected. “And I’d like to speak with the security as her attorney with your help, Professor Wyatt. The decrees from the High Council should have already been sent out and this place doesn’t have the wards to block her from her bloodline if they make a move.”

“And they will. They won’t let this go,” Tracey agreed as she stood. “It’s imperative they not know about this place yet until we get it locked down.”

“Winter and I can help with that,” Wyatt offered.

“Some,” Jasmine accepted.

I nodded. That was smart. No one should be able to get through all of the security nor have one person handle it all. The best would be layered by different parties.

We grabbed our belongings and went outside to get Winter. Once the house was locked up, Wyatt laid down a spell circle and activated it so we were taken right to the security offices in the administration building.

“Oh, Ms. Millen, we were just about to call you,” one of the guys greeted. “You received a delivery via courier to the main gate.”

“I did?” I muttered, taking it from him. They would have already checked it for any malicious magic or danger. I thanked him, opening the box and seeing another smaller gift box inside closed with a ribbon and a card.

Something felt familiar and off about what I was holding, so I went for the ribbon first, lifting the lid and peeking inside.

And almost dropped it. A whimper slipped out as I tried to swallow down the wail that built in my chest.

“What is it?” Tracey demanded, others echoing her.

“Clarence,” I choked out, closing my eyes.

“The—your pet frog? He was still alive?” she whispered, covering up what she’d almost slipped.

“The one you were worried about?” Sergey asked.

My eyes popped open when the box was taken from me, Tracey holding it and reaching for the card. She handed it to me, but I shook my head, barely holding it together. She nodded and opened it.

“It’s okay, foxy,” Sergey murmured as he hugged me to him.

“‘Dearest Daughter,’” Tracey read. “‘I’m sorry to inform you that your precious friend has passed, and as I’m sure you wished to bury him, I made sure to send him right away. It’s a harsh truth of life that we lose those we love as you are learning now and will learn over and over again. Do your best to appreciate the time you have as people can be taken away at any moment. Be good. Mother.’”

“Well, that’s clearly a threat,” Jasmine sighed. “But one that can’t be acted upon given how it’s framed. Even the High Council can’t site them for contacting her as they were ordered to give back everything that was hers.”

“Don’t even think what you’re thinking,” Tracey warned me. “We all have risks, and life is a crapshoot. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. They’re trying to shake you and make you retreat from anyone who would have your back. Don’t let your mother play you like this.”

I bobbed my head. “There’s more to that message.” I cleared my throat and glanced at all the security personnel in the office we had the full attention of. “She used to say, ‘Be good or I’ll make sure you’re mated off to someone like your brother.’”

“Alex?” Wyatt checked, sighing when I nodded. “Yeah, he’s a rat bastard for sure.”

“He’s also very abusive,” I whispered. “That was the threat. She’d mate me to someone who’d hit me and terrorize me like he did, and she knew. Father didn’t—or didn’t care to know—as he would find that behavior unbecoming of his heir. But Mother blamed me for lots.”

Like her not being able to have more children, the gods punishing her for being willing to sacrifice the gift of a child they gave her. She blamed me, hated me for it.

“What do you want to do?” Tracey asked me gently.

I snorted, wanting to do something just as cruel. “Send her fertility pills since she can’t get pregnant anymore.”

“I’m sorry?” Jasmine questioned.

“Nothing, being mean,” I muttered, taking the box from Tracey. “I have to bury him. You guys do… Whatever.” I spun on my heel and walked out of the offices, ignoring when people called after me.

Oddly enough, it was Winter who fell in step with me as I walked out of the administration building. “You know where you’re going?” He sighed when I shook my head. “I didn’t think so. You want some help?”

“I don’t know.”

“If it were me, that little guy lived in captivity, so I would put him where he was meant to be free so he finds peace with the gods.”

I stopped and turned to him, only seeing him blurry because of the tears. “Yes, please. I want to do that. He deserves that for all he did for me.”

I saw the questions in his eyes, but he didn’t ask, simply nodding. “I saw some like him when I went on a trip in the rainforests in South America. I know a good spot if you trust me.”

“Okay.” I followed after him as we went around the side of the building.

He pulled me close and set the spell circle, activating it right after. He let me go when we arrived, but I kept close since we were… We were in a rainforest.

“Wow,” I breathed, glancing all around. “This is so much more than books or shows.”

“Well, you’re not a prisoner anymore, so we can take lots of trips and I’ll show you it all, little sexy.” He moved over to a tree and plucked a large leaf off of it. “Don’t put him out in the box. You don’t want what your mom touched and to litter in this place.”

“Right, right,” I whispered, taking it from him. Then I gently transferred Clarence onto it before moving over to the flowing stream Winter had brought us to. I squatted down and laid the leaf in the water. “Thank you for everything you did, my friend. I’m only alive because of you. Be at peace with the gods, and I will see you again one day.”

I let go and swallowed a sob as he drifted off. I watched until long after he was gone before standing again.

Winter was studying me with an intense gaze. “Why do I think that wasn’t just your pet frog, Bevin? Was he your familiar and you were hiding him?”

I shook my head, deciding to give him this since he’d done what I needed most to help my friend. “He was the first animal I ever heard speak to me, and he helped me hide my magic from my family.”

His eyes went bug wide as he tried to get his mouth to work. “You can hear animals?”

I nodded. “Don’t tell the others. They don’t know. It’s rare, and that makes it dangerous.”

“Yeah, really fucking rare, little sexy.”

“I know. I only told you because you did this for me today. I only just told Tracey. Only Grandfather knew and he died. I knew Clarence was dying when I left for school but to use him like this…” I shook my head. “Can we come here another day when I’m better dressed for it? I want to see it when I’m not so sad.”

“Sure, sure we can,” he agreed. “Let’s get you back to your dorm and we can order pizza or something.”

I glanced up at him. “I’m not lying.”

“I know, you’re not the type, but it’s a hard pill to swallow.”

I shrugged. “I know, but we can go see Julie, and I’m sure she can tell me something about you I shouldn’t know and prove it.”

He flinched. “The owl on campus? Julie?”

It was my turn to be shocked. “How did you know her name? Were you the one who saved and named her?”

“No, Derek was. I just know the story because it happened at the end of his junior year, and all the guys were laying into him still that fall when I was a freshman.”

I gaped at him. “ He’s the sweet and kind guy she talks about? Professor Asshole? He saved an owlet and named her?” I froze. “He was pissed someone didn’t name their familiar in class.”

“He’s a beast about treating familiars well,” he agreed. “Okay, now I’m dying to have you meet my familiar and tell me everything he says.”

I nodded. That was fair. “Tomorrow?”

“It’s a date. Let’s get pizza and head back. I know a great place.”

I nodded and he brought us outside a building that he promised had the best pizza. I let him order and then added a bunch of what I wanted from the menu, hurrying to pay when he tried. He sighed, rolling his eyes at me.

I almost made a snarky comment about finding out my attorney cost me five million dollars so what was a big pizza order but managed to keep my mouth shut.

Barely.

We had to wait for the Chicago-style deep dish, but I didn’t mind, the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant on a Friday night was a nice reprieve for everything racing through my mind and swirling emotions. Clarence was really gone. I hoped it was natural and not my mother had killed an animal as a way to threaten me. I wouldn’t put it past her, but he hadn’t been doing well when I was leaving.

No, I would put money on that he died and my mother was sick enough to put him in the fridge or something for when she needed him. I shivered. Still fucked up but better than killing him to spite me.

Not that I’d put that past her either.

Winter left me to my thoughts and to zone out which I greatly appreciated. The order was called, and he gathered up all the boxes while I got the rest. I was shocked when he didn’t seem to note who was around when we went back to that same location.

“The manager here is a warlock who has wards up on this spot so no one sees the spell circles,” he explained. “There are lots of places like that. It’s cool.”

“It’s nice to get to enjoy that we have magic in our lives instead of being terrified of it,” I admitted, hugging him with one arm when he activated the circle.

He brought us right in front of my room and I let us inside. Everything smelled heavenly, so I didn’t bother changing from my professional clothes, diving right in.

It was seriously worth it. It was delicious and my favorite pizza ever. I gobbled up slice after slice as my mind kept spinning. I pulled my phone out and called Tracey.

“You still on campus?”

“Yes, almost to your room,” she admitted. “We were worried.”

“See you soon.” I stood and opened the door before plopping back on my bed. I waved her and Jasmine in when they showed up, sighing when Wyatt came as well, but Sergey was nice to see… And Kelton.

“You okay?” he asked me, his voice gentle as if he understood something big was going on that he couldn’t know about.

“I think I will be,” I answered before taking another bite. “Help yourselves.” I looked at Jasmine and Tracey. “I think we get the ward the school has. I learned in class that only students and faculty can use spell circles to get onto campus, but the rest go to the guard station. You have to check out too, not just circle away. We should have that at the house and the three of us can only do it.”

“Good, that’s a good start for what you want,” Jasmine praised, worry in her eyes as well. “What else?”

“I don’t know. That was as far as I got.”

“That’s a great start. We’ve got a lot of ideas,” Tracey cut in. “We just wanted to get anything off your mind that we could and handle it.”

I nodded, eating as I tried to ignore all the eyes on me. “I think we shouldn’t be seen together for a while. People know you as the face of the company and my parents already had people tailing me. Now that Ramon’s out and we’re handling other stuff, Jasmine should be our go-between if need be. I’ll figure a way to get you product.”

“So they know?” Winter asked, gesturing between Wyatt and Sergey. He waved his hand and put Kelton in a privacy bubble so he didn’t hear any of what we were saying.

“Know what?” Tracey asked.

He gave her an amused look. “Which company. I figured it out, so they probably will too.”

“No, we didn’t, but we know,” Wyatt grumbled.

“Bevin owns Familiar Treasures, right?” Winter nodded when we all froze. “I recognized you, Tracey, and she’s got this superpower with familiars, and people are talking about the assets she’s got and not just her body after something happened.”

“Fucking Ramon,” Tracey sighed. “Or your parents. Or that fucker Gregg. Jasmine, how are your criminal defense skills?”

“I’m not bailing you out if you kill someone,” I warned her, snorting when she shot me a hurt look. “Let’s be smarter and bury the body before you get caught, okay?”

“Yeah, that’s better,” she agreed.

“I can get your work stuff to Tracey and bring in whatever you need,” Wyatt offered. “It’s the least I can do for whatever you planned to give Quinn.”

“Yeah, okay, thanks,” I muttered, thinking that was the best play. She couldn’t just appear in my room given the wards at the school, and I didn’t know how to do that stuff yet. We needed some simplicity in our very, very complicated lives.

So I was dealing with the devil again… Who might not be such a bad guy after all.

Maybe.