Sound's Familiar Read online

  She sighed and closed her eyes, laying her head on her paws. There was no one here for her, not one who would make her theirs.

  Oh well. The thought of following some movie star around sounded boring as hell. They had to stay close for a bit for their magic to mesh, and Carol had dreams she wanted to pursue. Her perfect match would be—

  Stacey hopped off Carol’s snout, startling her. Carol opened her eyes to find someone holding Stacey with a glowing smile. “You must be mine.”

  Carol doggie grinned, aware she gave the impression of being a silly pup, but she couldn’t help it. The man holding Stacey was cute, a tall, thin man with blond hair and shining blue eyes. He radiated kindness. From the way Stacey was practically dancing in his hand she bet Stacey had found a sorcerer she could potentially bond with long-term.

  Across the room, a woman squealed, picking up one of the cat familiars. She was a plump, plain woman with nice eyes and a wide, beautiful smile. Trevor was a sweet guy who hadn’t managed to find a long-term bond. Maybe this woman would be the one for him. Carol could only hope so.

  The woman petted Trevor, causing the cat familiar to begin purring. “I think we could bond!”

  The cat squirmed free, causing the woman to slump. Carol watched, already aware of what the tabby cat would do. Trevor wasn’t the type to judge people based on looks alone. Besides, she could hear his purrs. He was definitely into the female.

  Trevor’s kitty form shivered, changing into a tall, stunning blond man who took hold of the woman’s hand. “Your aura is good. I think we can work together.”

  Thank goodness clothing reappeared when a familiar changed shape or the whole room would be getting an eyeful of Trevor’s Willie Wonka and his Everlasting Gobstoppers.

  Carol chuffed a laugh before putting her head back down. All around the room, she observed both matches and refusals as familiars found sorcerers and vice versa. Not one sorcerer approached either her, the tiger, or Brent, who was back to snoring lightly in front of his air conditioner. She closed her eyes, prepared to nap once more through the matching process.

  “Hmm.”

  Carol shivered at the deep, masculine voice. There was a slight rasp to it, as if he’d recently gotten over a cold.

  “Oh, Mr. Sound, welcome to Familiar House!” Perky Patty was practically gushing all over the...guy who...

  Mmm, what was that scent?

  Carol opened her eyes.

  Holy.

  Fuck.

  Jonah Sound, younger son of one of the richest men in L.A., had walked into her Familiar House, and he was even more attractive in person than he was on the Internet.

  She kept her gaze on the dark-haired sorcerer as he wandered the room. His eyes drifted from one familiar to another, but he never stopped his slow stroll, not even when Perky Patty tried to take his arm and lead him toward the smaller feline familiars.

  When he stopped in front of Brent and smiled, Carol thought that maybe her friend had found a sorcerer, but Mr. Sound moved on, shaking his head when Skipper tried to steer him to where the three current owl residents were perched in the rafters.

  He stopped in front of the tiger, who stared at him with bored golden eyes. The tiger stood, stretched, and turned his back on Mr. Sound.

  Ouch. That had to hurt the man’s pride.

  If it did, Mr. Sound didn’t show it. He merely chuckled again, sending another shiver down Carol’s spine. What the hell was going on?

  And why was her anima beginning to hum the closer Jonah Sound got to her?

  Jonah Sound’s gorgeous hazel eyes landed on her. They widened slightly before he smiled. “Well. Hello there, Ms. Wolf.”

  Carol lifted her head and studied him. Now that he was standing in front of her, she realized he had an absolutely decadent scent. It reminded her of the time she’d walked past a Starbucks that had been placed next to a chocolate shop. She’d practically puddled into a ball of furry goo right then and there, but Stacey had dragged her away before she could make a fool of herself. Well, any more than she already had.

  This man smelled just like that, and Carol was having a hard time not licking him to find out if he tasted as good as he smelled.

  “What’s your name?” Mr. Sound was staring at her, his smile widening when Carol opened her mouth to answer. For a second, she’d forgotten she was still in wolf form and therefore couldn’t speak.

  “Her name is Carol Voss,” Skipper replied, appearing a little confused. Apparently, she’d expected someone as rich and powerful as Mr. Sound to pick a more socially suitable familiar. Predators didn’t stroll down Rodeo Drive or ride in limos, at least in Perky Patty’s mind.

  Carol stood and stretched, making sure her nose was as close to Jonah Sound as she could get without getting smacked for crotch-sniffing.

  Hmph. You do something once...

  Mr. Sound laughed. “I think she might be the one.”

  Carol gave him her best toothy grin. She agreed wholeheartedly. She’d never experienced such...longing for another person. Her wolf and her anima were both purring in anticipation of leaving with this man.

  Carol was surprised when he sighed happily. “Oh, yes. I think she might do nicely.”

  “Sir, are you sure?” Skipper glanced between them, apparently dumbfounded.

  “If she is, then yes.” Mr. Sound turned his gaze back to Skipper.

  Carol wasn’t sure she liked that, his gaze on another woman, but she had no ground to stand on. At best, it was shaky. They hadn’t even spoken yet, let alone begun a true familiar-sorcerer bond. But if what she was sensing was any indication, she and Jonah Sound were about to start one hell of a partnership. She nodded fiercely, giving the go-ahead.

  Mr. Sound placed his hand on her head, scratching just behind her ear. It felt so good her eyes crossed. “Start the paperwork.”

  Carol nearly did a happy dance right there on the ugly floral couch. She had a sorcerer! And not just any sorcerer, but a fucking hot, powerful one. Best of all, Jonah wasn’t a man who lived off his family’s money. He was a member of the MCU, which made him a badass hottie working in the same field Carol had gotten her degree in. He was absolutely perfect for her. She couldn’t have dreamt of a better partner. She did a mental fist-pump and hopped off the sofa, her tail wagging a mile a minute. She couldn’t wipe the goofy, toothy grin off her face if she tried.

  Score one for the wolf!

  Chapter 2

  Jonah watched with a sense of satisfaction as the perky blonde woman shuffled away. If the wolf named Carol accepted him as her sorcerer, he’d have a familiar once again. His animus had started to become unstable, his dreams haunted by visions of Terra Noctem—the Night World, the world of the dead. A sorcerer with unstable mana—whether anima or animus—could find his soul drawn into Terra Noctem, or worse. If it went on long enough, he could become a wither, forever hungering for the magic of Terra Mundus. It happened all the time to blood sorcerers if their vile practices weren’t stopped in time, as their magic raged and forced the change onto them. The only thing he’d found that would stop a blood sorcerer from killing—and turning—was incarceration in solitary confinement. It was a death sentence either way, as the sorcerer’s mana pulled them apart from the inside without a familiar to balance them out. Blood sorcerers rarely lived to old age.

  He never wanted to meet one who had. The thought was horrifying.

  He was nowhere near that point, thank the gods, but going for a month without a familiar had made him keen to find a new one.

  His animus was reaching for her anima already, eager to find the balance that had disappeared when his last familiar refused to renew their contract or deepen their bond. It had happened so many times now Jonah could count his past familiars on both hands and one foot.

  Jonah was thirty years old and had gone through eleven partners. He had thought he’d find his perfect familiar by now, but after being rejected so many times, he’d almost given up hope.

  Until now.

>   The wolf was staring at him with a doggie grin, her body small by wolf standards. She had a narrow snout and a black nose. Her golden eyes watched him curiously, but she wasn’t pulling away. If anything, she was slowly inching closer, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed at him.

  Good. That was an excellent sign. It meant that she—

  “Sir?” Ms. Weber glanced between the two of them with an air of concern. “I have the paperwork for you and Ms. Voss to sign if you still want to.” She stared at the small poodle who came to sniff at him, smiling. “Of course, there are other familiars who might match better with you.” She made it clear she preferred the smaller, less-ferocious familiars with every word and gesture.

  Jonah bit back his annoyed sigh. Why Ms. Weber was following him around when there were other people trying to gain her attention was beyond him. He wasn’t all that interesting. There was a fucking movie star not that far away from him, trying to get her to acknowledge him, but no. She was fixated on Jonah, on turning him away from Ms. Voss, and he had no idea why.

  A wet nose touched his hand. Jonah turned his attention back to Carol, half forgetting that Ms. Weber was even there. Already, a tentative bond was forming between them. He could sense their magics testing each other, another good sign. He could tell her link to Terra Mundus—the human plane of existence—was firm. She’d make an excellent anchor for his magic. “All right. Do you want to shift now or after we get to my home?”

  A familiar and sorcerer needed to be close to each other for their magic to mesh properly. If they fully bonded after a year and a day, they could be apart long enough for the familiar to work away from the sorcerer, but that didn’t happen often.

  Many familiars were given free housing and sustenance by the sorcerer or Familiar House, giving them the freedom to work or not as they saw fit, though most either worked with their sorcerer or chose to be homebodies. It sucked for the familiars, but a familiar could live their entire life without a sorcerer, whereas a sorcerer couldn’t survive for long without a familiar. He’d observed—and fought with—the results. It wasn’t pretty.

  The small poodle shook its head and sneezed, already moving beyond him, but still, Ms. Weber watched it with affection. “Mr. Sound?” Ms. Weber clutched the papers to her chest, her expression hopeful. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “No.” Jonah snatched the papers from her hands, almost tearing one of the sheets. It was all legalese about how he would pay room and board for the familiar, he wouldn’t abuse the familiar, the contract was in effect for blah blah blah. All the rules that had been drilled into him since he was a child, clutching his anima toy and dreaming of a bond that would last his whole life.

  “Ms. Voss? Do you want to sign here or at my home?” He’d do whatever his little wolf wished so long as she followed him home.

  She edged Ms. Weber away from him with her shoulder. Then she glanced at him and started for the double doors.

  Apparently, she was ready to go. Jonah nodded and followed her, opening the front door for her.

  “Wait! You haven’t signed the paperwork!”

  Jonah tried desperately not to fry the woman. She’d been annoying him since the moment he’d arrived, steering him away from his favored type of familiar. He’d have to have a word about her with Patrick Burns, who ran this particular Familiar House. She wasn’t supposed to try to influence a match. She was supposed to be there for the well-being of the familiars and to make sure they had what they needed to survive. If she was giving the large predators a hard time, he’d see to it that she was removed from overseeing the meet and greets at the very least.

  “We’ll be signing at my home.” He tried to smile, aware it probably seemed as rigid as it felt. The woman was beginning to exasperate him. There was no law or part of the contract that said it had to be signed in front of witnesses, or even at the House. “Once they’re signed, I’ll have them couriered back to you immediately.”

  “But—”

  “I believe Ms. Voss is leaving without me.” Jonah spun on his heel and walked out, sighing in relief when he was down the steps. Carol was trotting down the street, her tail and head high, practically dancing in a puppyish, endearing way.

  Jonah watched her, certain that she was going to be full of sunshine. “My car is this way.” He pointed the opposite way that she’d been walking, almost laughing when she lifted her head even higher and trotted past him.

  Yup. This one was going to be a handful.

  Jonah took the lead, taking Carol to his car and opening the back door. “Once you’re human, I’ll let you in the front, but for now I think you’ll be more comfortable back here.”

  Carol hopped right in and settled on the blanket Jonah had draped across the back seat for whatever familiar he wound up with. She placed her head on her paws and closed her eyes with a contented sigh.

  Huh. That was his blanket. He’d nearly forgotten his appointment and had grabbed the one off his bed without thought. From the way she was nuzzling it, though, she must really like his scent.

  He found himself curious as he climbed behind the wheel and started his car. Was Carol tiny, like her wolf form indicated, or tall? Were her eyes golden or a different color? Would he like her as much as she seemed to like him?

  It didn’t take long to arrive. The Sound family kept more than one home, his favorite being the house in Santa Monica. Even in winter, the sun on the water and the sound of the waves soothed him as nothing else could. But those homes belonged to his father. Jonah had his own residence apart from his parents’ mansions, a sweet two-story townhouse he’d bought at auction and renovated himself. One his mother couldn’t just waltz into and change on a whim whenever it suited her.

  For an eagle shifter, she could be very flighty, but his father adored her and wouldn’t change a thing about her. Neither would Jonah. She’d proven that predatory familiars were just like everyone else. Their only quirk was they preferred their steaks on the rare side.

  Jonah pulled into the garage, hoping Carol would be impressed with his home. The garage opened up onto a stone-tiled foyer. To the right of the garage was his office space, where he spent quite a bit of his time researching magical crimes and their aftermath. The bathroom next to it held a small shower for when he came home covered in bodily fluids. It had happened often enough that the shower stall had become a necessity.

  The great room was where he lived and entertained, with a comfortable sectional, a huge television, and all the game consoles he could squeeze into the entertainment center. To the right of the stairs were the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen had French doors leading to a small deck, giving Jonah plenty of room to entertain his family and their familiars or any friends he invited by. Jonah would sit out there sometimes and stare at the city lights when he was weary from another day on the job.

  The second floor held three bedrooms, one of which was the master. He’d installed a large clawfoot tub in the master bath, along with a glass-walled shower big enough for two. A vanity sat between two sinks, ready for a woman’s makeup should he ever find someone to bond with permanently. The second bedroom he’d set up as a guest room—now Carol’s room—and the third was a home gym.

  God, he hoped Carol liked his home. He’d sweated blood and tears to make it as comfortable, airy, and livable as possible.

  Carol sniffed the air before heading right for his office. She nudged the door open with her snout, glancing around before trotting to the great room and huffing happily at the game consoles. She danced delightedly at the tiny reading nook he’d set up between the great room and the kitchen. It seemed his new familiar liked to read just as much as he did.

  Once in the kitchen, she barked at some birds that had dared to perch on the deck railing, sending them fluttering into the mid-morning sky. Her tail started wagging a mile a minute as she watched them fly off. She moved away from the window when the last of the birds disappeared, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and shooting him a questioning glan
ce.

  “The bedrooms are upstairs. Would you like the tour before we sign the paperwork?”

  Carol nodded eagerly before running up the stairs, tail still wagging.

  Jonah followed at a slower pace, grinning as her nails clicked on the hardwood floors. No doubt at some point she’d come running in, skidding across the surface like a goofy dog. She had that sort of aura about her, as if she were part fierce predator, part happy puppy.

  He’d done the spare bedroom up almost hotel-like. He hoped she’d add her personal touch to the room, but for now, it was a blank slate, ready for her to make it her own.

  The sound of her rummaging around amused him, but he let her be, instead choosing to head back downstairs. He grabbed some soft drinks for them. Not only did they have paperwork to file, but he was dying to find out what his familiar looked like under all that fur and cuteness. He took the drinks to the round dining room table he’d chosen to fit the space. It easily seated six, eight in a pinch.

  It wasn’t long before she returned, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth in a very dog-like way. This was one wolf who seemed to like the comforts of home.

  “Can you change? We need to talk.” Jonah ignored the way that doggie grin immediately disappeared. “I’d like to meet you in your human form too.”

  The air around the woman shimmered. A small-boned woman stood before him, her red hair cut in a long, wavy bob. Her big brown eyes were the same gold as her wolf’s. She wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, with red canvas sneakers.

  If she was over five foot two, he’d eat his wand.

  “Hi.” She waved warily, her smile shy. “I’m Carol.”