Page 32 of Me and My Christmas Familiar
Kit dropped onto the bed as Lachlan sat beside him, brows furrowing.
He is unhappy. He is unhappy with me. He is unhappy we had sex.
Pangs of pain and panic rolled through his gut. He clasped his tail, squeezing it as if he could hold it tight enough that he wouldn’t fall apart.
“I spoke with Grady, and I’ve done some thinking.” Lachlan stared at his knees.
He is going to ask me to leave. He decided he’s had enough. Lachlan is going to stop being my witch. I’m going to stop being his familiar. I’ll lose Lachlan forever!
“I will stay a cat!” Kit cried out.
Lachlan turned towards him, eyes widening.
“Once I work out how to shift back into a cat, I will stay that way. Forever! I promise. Then I can be your cat familiar, and you won’t ever have to see me as a human ever again. You can forget I have two forms. We’ll pretend you never saw me as a human.” The words tumbled together.
“Then you could love me as your cat familiar. Then you will pat me, hold me, and love me.” Kit’s voice strained. “You’ll let me sleep with you. I won’t be lonely, and you won’t be lonely.” Tears slipped from his eyes. “We’ll both be happy together. And you will never have to look at me in my human form ever again. I promise!”
“Oh. Oh, Kit. No,” Lachlan whispered. He reached out and gripped Kit’s hands, squeezing tightly.
“Please.” Kit would beg if he had to. “Please.” He fell to his knees before Lachlan, clasping his legs.
Lachlan made a choked noise.
“I promise I can find a way to turn back into a cat,” Kit said. “Then we’ll be happy, and it will be just as it was. Please, Lachlan.” He rubbed his wet face against Lachlan’s legs.
“Kit, no.” Lachlan leaned down and stroked Kit’s hair and shoulders. He shook his head. “No. It isn’t right, and I don’t want that.”
Kit whimpered. He sobbed.
Lachlan doesn’t want me anymore. He doesn’t love me.
By turning into a human, he’d ruined everything between them. Kit closed his eyes as all the fight went out of him.
“Kit. That’s not what I meant. I don’t want you to stay a cat.” Lachlan crawled down onto the floor. He pulled Kit against him, stroking his back.
Kit leaned into the touch as he sobbed.
“I’m so sorry, Kit. I’m saying this all wrong,” Lachlan said. “Kit, just listen, please. I don’t want to lose you.”
Kit froze in Lachlan’s arms.
“But this is all so new to me. I’d never been with anyone before last night. I’d never even kissed anyone.” Lachlan’s hands moved up and down soothingly on Kit’s back. “I’d like to take things slow between us. I like you, Kit, not just as a cat, but as a human too. I want to see what we could be to each other.”
Kit pulled back, gazing into Lachlan’s eyes.
Lachlan gave a shaky smile. “But is it all right if we take things a little slow?”
Kit nodded. “I can do that. I… I don’t quite know what you mean. But we can be slow. We can be whatever you want.”
Lachlan laughed. “I just mean that we can spend time together and learn more about each other as humans.” He paused. “Although, I suppose you know everything about me. I’ve told you so much about myself.” He cupped Kit’s cheek. “But I’d like to do things with you and get to know you not just as a cat and see how we fit together.”
“And I can still be your familiar?”
Lachlan let out a breath. “I’d be happy if you stayed my familiar.” Then his gaze flittered over Kit’s face and landed on his lips. “I’d like to kiss you now. Can I kiss you?”
The air stuttered in Kit’s lungs. “Please.”
Then Lachlan leaned forward and gently pressed their lips together.
