Page 38 of The Librarian’s Familiar

If he wanted to see Charlie again, it was something they were going to have to contend with. But if the witch didn’t know where to start, August was miles behind the starting line.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Charlie waited until he heard the front door close. “Fuck!”

He tipped his head back against the headboard and stared at the ceiling, willing his eyes to stop burning. This wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. However, it was the first time it hurt because he didn’t want the guy to walk away. And the first time he’d told someone, hoping it would be okay…and they’d still walked away.

“Fuck.” As he tapped the back of his head against the headboard. There was nothing else to say. He flung the blanket back and padded through the house to make sure the front door was locked. Of course it was. He sighed and walked back through the almost dark house, turning off the kitchen light on his way, and then he stood in the bedroom doorway, knowing that he needed to do something with his clothes before going to sleep. He grabbed them off the floor and tossed them all in the laundry hamper, making it tomorrow’s problem.

He flopped onto the bed on his back, which was far less fun without a friend. He could not spend the next two and three-quarters years celibate. What else was he supposed to do?

Only sleep with witches who’d shun him in a heartbeat when they learned about his magic? Or humans who’d never ask such questions?

He wasn’t drawn to any of them; there was something about shifters and their energy that he liked being around. That he craved. He pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes pretending that he could sleep even though nothing was further from the truth. His body was wired, and his thoughts churned and sleep had never been further away.

Charlie wasn’t sure if he slept, but if he had, it was the worst sleep ever. He felt like he’d been up all night chasing his thoughts around and failing to catch any of them. Maybe he’d done that even in his sleep. He drank his first cup of coffee without tasting it, which was probably a good thing. Sunday was the one day he didn’t buy a coffee. It was the day he spent cleaning, doing laundry, and buying groceries. The usual shit he had to do no matter where he lived.

It was part of his routine, and he didn’t usually mind, as it was an excuse to get out and walk around the town instead of being stuck in the library, though he was sure in winter he’d be glad to be stuck in the library where it was warm and light, and he wasn’t paying the bill.

He gave his porridge an absent-minded stir, and even though he’d promised himself that he wouldn’t check the bond, he found himself doing exactly that, the same way he had twice before with his previous fated mates. It was unraveling exactly as expected without him doing anything consciously.

Could August sense it?

Had he been up all night, or had he walked home and gone straight to sleep?

It was a special kind of torture thinking about August in bed. Did he wear pajamas, or shorts, or was he a sleep-naked kind of guy? Probably the latter, given that he was a shifter, and they seemed to always be toasty. His teeth pressed into his lower lip even as he tried not to think about being wrapped up in those strong arms and what would’ve definitely happened in the morning, because he had zero self-control.

He wanted August.

And not in a fated mate kind of way. He’d never wanted one of them—the last thing he needed was for his magic to be stronger and wilder—and had always been very relieved when the bond undid itself.

This time, if it had become permanent, he wouldn’t have minded, and they’d have figured it out. Wouldn’t they?

He tried not to think about August being furious and betrayed because the only way he’d have stayed was if Charlie had lied, and that was not a good way to start a relationship. It was far harder not to think about August than it should’ve been.

But he’d better get used to it and get used to not seeing him because there would be no second time. There couldn’t be unless they flipped a coin and waited to see how it fell. Bond or no bond?

Permanent or temporary?

He blobbed the porridge into his bowl and added a swirl of maple syrup because he felt fancy, and needed the sugar hit, and then added apple and cinnamon. Fancy or desperate for a distraction?

There was a serving left over, which meant there was no reason to buy a coffee and muffin tomorrow, especially as the library was closed on a Monday. He usually did, though, so he had something to do. He’d take a book or his laptop and sit in the cafe for a bit before the chaos became too much. In a small town, it wasn’t as bad as a city, probably because there were fewer people. Already, he was getting used to their energy and finding order in the chaos.

However, in a small town, he needed to watch his magic. It was one thing to have witches and shifters all around, but no one was flaunting their magic and making things weird. Like August had said, shifters had a rule about not shifting in town, and witches seemed to keep their magic to small, barely noticeable things.

He took his coffee and bowl to the table, and his ass hit the seat as someone knocked on the front door. He glared as he drew in a breath and considered ignoring it. It was plausible that he was still asleep. Besides, it was unlikely to be a library-related emergency. If it was the prison, his phone would be going off. He glanced at his phone, but it was silent and dark. He put his spoon in the bowl, and the person knocked again.

Something in his gut made him get up. Who was coming around on a Sunday morning? He checked the time—it was still morning for another hour. He barely knew anyone, except August. His heart skipped a beat, and his dick twitched before his brain shot them both down.

The person knocked a third time.

“Coming.” He stalked over, his sock-covered feet silent on the carpet, and flung open the door. Even though his mind had jumped to August, he hadn’t expected it to be him. He rocked back. “Oh…”

August ran his hand over his beard. “I thought we should revisit this thing in daylight.”

“Errr, sure. I’m just having breakfast.” He stood to the side so August could pass.

“Slept like shit, too?” He seemed a little too pleased about that.