Mighty Quill (Sanguis et Fauna #1)

by Emmaline Strange

nothing about me was celebrated. Or sacred. When my sister had experienced her first shift into an elegant panther, a sleek and deadly predator, my father had gone misty-eyed and said she inherited his mother’s speed and strength. Then he’d look at me and say I inherited her nearsightedness.

I’d come up with the perfect, hearty menu for a fall evening: wild mushroom and butternut squash risotto, served with roast duck. Risotto was one of my signature dishes, and I was eager to impress Thor with the meal.

Cas took a step toward me, and I took a step back. If he got any closer, I didn’t know what I would do—lick his neck, probably. Good grief.

Finally, she opened her purse and pulled out a leather case that contained her tools: forceps, scalpels, and scissors. She also had a dozen or so jars, some pipettes and slides, zip-lock bags and sealed containers. Her pocketbook was like that of a serial killer version of Mary Poppins.

“You do yoga?” I scrunched up my nose, uncomfortable now that all eyes were on me. “Every day, if I can.” “I can’t even picture that,” he said. “Why not?” And why would he want to picture it? “You’re just so…” he gestured at me. “Uptight.” “Why do you think I do it?” I asked, eyebrows raised.

Sometimes, it seemed like he only existed in the kitchen, a ghost who haunted my stove.

“Egads! You are a bisexual! We must tell the Church.”

We’re roommates. I have no idea what I’m doing, and it would be way too messy. Right?” I asked, like I really needed her to confirm I was making the right call by keeping some distance. Lucy considered this a moment. “I, personally, am fond of mess,” she said, a twinkle in her eye.

and slash or

I chuckled, and turned to the mirror to fuss with my hair. I decided against styling it, largely because I never did, and didn’t really know how.

All at once though, Thor pulled back and rolled off me, panting. I made to pounce on him, but he kept me at bay with a firm palm on my chest. He shot me a lopsided grin. “You have to go,” he said. Go? No, obviously what I had to do was quit hockey and drop out of school so I could spend the rest of my life in this bed. “Huh?” Thor pushed against me. “You told me your team bus leaves at seven.” “Finding it difficult to care,” I told him, dodging his hand and lowering my lips to his neck.

Cas was always so gentle I was shocked he’d kicked the stuffing out of someone. Embarrassed though I was, it definitely had me some type of way. “What?” Cas asked, glancing at me. “What, what?” “You’re smiling.” I supposed I was. “You like me.” Cas huffed out a laugh. “No shit.”

I took in the décor of the bathroom, which included a giant baroque oil painting of— “Cernunnos.” “Who?” I turned to Thor, who was watching me with a look of amusement on his face. “Cernunnos. He was a Celtic god, protector of wild things. It was said under his mediation all the animals of the forest found peace together.” He sighed, gesturing at the painting. “Apparently he was always horny on main, too.”

Thor cleared his throat. “Try not being gay with that staring at you every time you shower.”

“Well,” I said, trying to figure out how to word this. Suffice to say I was glad we’d taken a little time to calm down. “The first time we…make love—” Cas snorted. “Make love?” I gave his butt cheek a swat. “Hey.” “Sorry.” “Anyway,” I huffed. “The first time we—” “—make love?” “Will you stop?”

“So…how do you know who’s the Alpha?” I burst out laughing before I could stop myself. “What?” Said Cas, annoyed. Still chuckling, I tangled my fingers in his sandy hair, tugging until his head turned to the side. With his cheek on the pillow, we could both have a full view of ourselves in the mirror above my dresser. “Look at you,” I said, half teasing, half reverent. Cas looked absolutely wrecked, eyes dazed as he stared at our reflection: him on all fours, back arched, ass begging to be spread and bred.

“Did Thor come back? Was he pissed you left? Are you okay? Did you break up?” “Easy, easy,” I said, raising my palms in supplication, wincing at the barrage of questions. “Don’t you ‘easy’ me,” she said. “I’m serious. I’ve been worrying all weekend. You seemed so freaked on—is that a hickey?” I clapped a hand to the side of my neck. “No?” “I guess you made up then.”

“I think we should date,” I told him. Thor huffed out a nervous little laugh. “Isn’t that what we’re doing already?” “Rolling around in bed together is not dating.” “Oh, so you want me to wine and dine you, is that it?” I turned to face him, bracing a hand on my hip. “Yeah,” I said, bristling. “You have a problem with that? Is courting not a part of your fancy mating process?” He blushed and gave me a sweet smile. “Alright,” he said. “If that’s what you want. Prepare to be wooed, Cassian Rhodes.”

I wasn’t imagining things. There was a hedgehog in my bed, where my boyfriend had been sleeping peacefully after some really hot sex. During which, he’d bitten the ever-loving crap out of the side of my neck, as part of his magic family’s crazy mating ritual. His family who could all turn into animals. I wasn’t prone to fits of denial.

Underneath my overwhelming relief that I wasn’t romantically committed to a hedgehog for the rest of my life, I felt the prickles of anger.

I had to try real hard to not show how much his cute little gestures affected me. In answer to his look, I yanked my t-shirt collar to expose the wound he’d left on my neck. “Am I dying?” Thor clucked, looking at the bite. “Don’t be so dramatic.” “That’s rich, coming from the guy who spent forty-eight hours as a hedgehog because he was a little embarrassed.”

“Your bare ass is on my counter.” He pulled back, brows raised. “I’m sorry, your counter?” I scoffed. “If you can tell me where the toaster is, we can call it your counter.” “Fair point.”

This is where I cook. The food. That we eat.” “I know,” he said, scooting forward to kiss my neck, correctly assuming that licking the bite he’d left there would crumble my resolve. “You eat my ass, too, though.”

Now, meaning—without a fauna. It stung. After all these fucking years, it shouldn’t have. Now that I had a fauna, it shouldn’t have stung. After all that I’d been through—his distaste should not have been able to hurt me any longer. But it did. I stuffed the hurt down, deep inside, suffocating it.

I listened eagerly for Cas, wanting to meet him at the door. When I heard him on the other side of it fumbling for his keys, I opened it wide, leaning against the door frame to block his path. “Welcome back,” I said. He squinted at me, suspicious, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag. “Hey, you.”

“I decided having a roommate isn’t for me,” I said casually. “Didn’t really like sharing my space with a casual acquaintance.” “Oh?” “Yeah. And I just changed my major, so I need a dedicated place to work.” “That’s cool,” said Cas, grinning, playing along now. “What’s your new major?” I grinned back. “Creative Writing and Literature.” “Congratulations, man. This is a great place though, shame you don’t need a roommate. The kitchen is beautiful.” “Well,” I said, grabbing Cas by the lapels of his jacket. “I found my boyfriend and I needed more privacy.” “Oh yeah?” His eyes darkened, as he allowed me to tug him down the hallway toward our bedroom. “Definitely. We get pretty loud,” I said, leaning in to suck on the side of Cas’s neck. I left a searing kiss on the side of his jaw. “And he’s real possessive of that stove.” Cas laughed, tackling me onto the mattress. “Possessive of more than the stove, I think.”