Falling for Them Volume 3: Reverse Harem Collection

by Amy Sumida

  “You sent me dead animals!” she snapped, feeling sick at the waste of life because of a mad man.

  “Well, I had to move on to Plan B when Plan A didn’t work, didn’t I? I tried to woo you – no deal. So I figured I’d scare you into my arms; ‘Oh Lee, I’m so scared! There’s a crazy person sending me drowned bunnies! I need your help, Lee. I need you!’” he recited in a high pitch voice, “But you didn’t do that, did you Ivory? No – you went and hired these three Neanderthals instead. Useless, redundant creatures,” he griped, literally spitting on Seth as he passed him, “Their bloodline is practically extinct. They failed in their duty. Pathetic.”

  This time he kicked Seth solidly in the ribs as he passed and Ivory felt her anger returning full force; “Don’t!” she snapped.

  Matthew spun fast, grabbing her face in one hand, “Don’t?” he questioned, “Don’t? Of course you wouldn’t want me to hurt lover boy. I admit, when they first showed up, it pissed me off. And then when I realised you were spreading your legs for them … I’ve never felt so much rage before. You wouldn’t even go out on a date with me and yet, you’re quite happy to fuck animals. That’s when I realised I had been going about this whole thing wrong,” he tightened his fingers on her face painfully, “You’re a filthy slut, you see. A walking cunt who enjoys being gangbanged. You like it rough, bitch? Is that it? I was just too nice,” he slammed his lips down on hers, teeth biting cruelly, and his tongue forcing her mouth open.

  She fought his hold, her hands gathering magic instinctively, and her leg raising to knee him in the junk. Hard hands grabbed her wrists as her captor chuckled, his hot breath fanning across her cheek and making her want to vomit; “Now, what did I say about using your magic?”

  Fine, no magic, she thought, continuing to bring her knee up. He must have seen the intent in her eyes though, because he twisted the lower half of his body and her knee landed harmlessly against his thigh.

  “Naughty Ivory. You do like it rough, huh?” he let go of one of her hands, rubbing at his crotch grotesquely.

  She turned her head away, worried she was going to vomit all over him. He was nuts – completely and utterly freaking insane, Ivory realised. And very likely a sexual sadist as well, wondering how he had hidden this side of himself so completely from her. She looked to her right, Vaughn and Ronan were straining, still pinned to the thick tree trunks. They were snapping and snarling even in their human forms – their rage over hearing and seeing their mate reduced to a sexual object, palpable. She knew if they were given even the barest chance, they would rip Matthew to literal shreds in seconds.

  A small sound, had her focusing on Seth. Although his green eyes were glacial, he wasn’t raging like her other lovers. Instead, he looked calculating, moving his eyes northward in the direction of the knife impaling his hand. Her eyes followed his and narrowed, understanding his meaning. Clever kitty. Time to get them out of this mess, she thought, renewed determination filling her. Her eyes sought Seth’s, asking for permission and forgiveness at the same time. He gave a small nod of his head and she acted quickly, not willing to waste another second.

  She stretched her free hand out, commanding the blade to rip out of wood and flesh, and sent it hurtling towards Matthew’s exposed back.

  “Look out!” Libby’s voice shouted in warning.

  Matthew spun, the knife embedding in his right shoulder instead of his heart, where she had been aiming. She glared in Libby’s direction – betrayed again. A blinding blow sent her sprawling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and starbursts behind her eyelids. The prick had sucker punched her.

  “Bitch!” he screamed, clutching his wounded shoulder, “I tried to be nice. I tried to be nice. I tried to be nice,” he repeated over and over again and Ivory realised he had completely snapped his leash now.

  Vaughn, Ronan, and Seth were all shouting now, struggling futilely against Matthew’s magical hold. Apparently, a knife in the shoulder wasn’t enough to break the witch’s concentration. She tried to raise her hands again, only to find them heavy and a sense a lethargy coming over her. What was happening?

  “What’s the matter Ivory?” Matthew asked, bending over her, “Feeling sleepy?” he stroked a contradictory gentle hand over the slope of one breast. She couldn’t even flinch away from the hated touch, she was so exhausted.

  “Did I forget to mention what my main power was? I’m a syphon, Ivory. I can literally draw your magic from you.”

  Ivory felt tears blurring her vision. Powerless. She was powerless.

  Matthew laughed, “I guess you’ll just have to lay there and take it, huh?” He stood and reached for the button on his jeans.

  Her heart stuttered when she realised his intent and her eyes automatically sought out her lovers. Their eyes were filled with impotent rage as well as anguish as they continued to snarl, roar, and thrash. Blood was beginning to leak from their noses and eyes and she could see terrible bruises and lacerations splitting the skin of their necks and wrists as their bodies fought the magical bonds keeping them in place.

  “Don’t worry, boys. I’ll let you watch while I fuck your tramp before I skin you all alive.”

  “Libby, please! Help us!” she yelled at her friend, frantic now for any kind of hope. She saw Libby flinch at her words but she made no move to help, not even raising her head to look at her.

  Matthew laughed again, the sound really grating on Ivory’s nerves now, “She won’t help you. Libby’s a good little familiar. She knows her place.”

  Ivory felt the last of her strength waning as blackness began to cloud her vision. What was she going to do? She had no magic, she was – a complete and fucking idiot! She screamed suddenly, berating herself internally. Matthew said he was a syphon, draining her magic. Her telekinesis was a part of her magic. But her panther was a part of her. She was her spirit animal, the second half of her soul. Her panther was her birthright from her grandmother’s side. It didn’t come from her grandfather’s witch bloodline. And what was better? Matthew had no idea she was part familiar.

  She focused her mind and sure enough, there she was; a female predator ready to fight for herself and for her mates. Ivory didn’t hesitate, allowing her animal half to surface, rejoicing in the simplicity of the panther’s mind; defend. It took mere seconds for the shift to be complete – her vision sharpened, sounds became acute – and she didn’t hesitate, launching herself at her enemy.

  The look of sheer shock on Matthew’s face was laughable, but it was the scream of absolute terror that had her panther purring in triumph. Her body twisted – ever agile – forcing him to the ground on his back. Her claws were burrowed in his chest and her teeth buried in his neck before he could call up his magic. The sharp, metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth and assaulted her senses, heightening the thrill of the kill. Her prey’s frantic yelling and thrashing body almost dislodged her, but she hung on with her front paws, back paws bucking and digging at his sensitive, soft stomach. Within seconds, the screaming was reduced to gurgles, and then to a whistling sound … and then to nothing. When the body beneath her finally stopped moving, the white panther raised her face to the sky and roared her victory.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The moment Ivory’s teeth had embedded in Lee’s – or Matthew’s – jugular, his hold over them had broken. Ronan landed heavily on his knees but was up and running in a second, desperate to reach Ivory. He saw Vaughn do the same and gestured him in the direction of Seth, who was struggling to stand. He heard the roar of victory, deafening in its intensity, and knew her prey must be dead. Seems they were obsolete – completely useless, just as they had been when Matthew had been hurting her. He wasn’t sure he would ever get the images of that psycho touching her out of his head. But for now, he would try to content himself that they were all safe.

  He flung himself at the amazing white beast, her face and paws now stained red with the blood of her tormenter. He was a little disappointed he wasn’t the one to rip the piece of
shit to shreds, but at least Ivory had gotten her vengeance; “Shift, babe. I need to see you,” he said, feeling the white jaguar purr under his stroking hands.

  Seconds later, he had a handful of naked Ivory and he couldn’t help touching her and kissing her everywhere. More hands reached for her and he snarled, before reigning in his cat, recognising that it was just Vaughn and Seth, their movements as equally desperate as his own.

  “I’m okay, I’m okay,” Ivory was repeating, stroking them and kissing them frantically in return, “Are you okay? Seth? Your hand,” she looked devastated as she gripped the bleeding appendage lightly.

  Seth smiled, his eyes unfocused and Ronan realised he likely had a concussion in addition to the damage done to his hand, “I’m fine,” he assured them all.

  Vaughn wrapped his arms around Seth, not letting go of Ivory’s hand. His eyes were beseeching as they looked him over. Ronan understood exactly how he felt. He was never letting any of them out of his sight again.

  “I’m sorry.”

  They all spun around, pushing Ivory into the middle of the circle of their bodies. Libby, the traitor, was on the ground crying. Ronan’s lip lifted as he snarled. He wanted to subject her to the same fate as her master.

  “Please Ivory …” Libby sobbed, “let me explain.”

  “Shut up!” he yelled, seeing Ivory wince at the woman’s words.

  “Explain, what? That you were never my friend? That you came here to set me up? That you let him terrorise me for months?” Ivory demanded, pushing them out of the way.

  “Please, Ivory, you have to understand. I’m his familiar,” Libby implored, “I did everything I could. I’m the one who told you to get help, remember? I gave you their number. I knew who they were. I knew they could help you. I did everything I could,” she repeated, tears streaming down her face.

  The new information seemed to give Ivory pause, “You knew who they were? You knew they were my familiars?”

  “Well, no. Not that part. That must be fate or something. I just knew that they were the remaining familiars from the Panthera Coven. I knew they’d figure out a witch was behind all this and I knew they’d be able to protect you.”

  Ronan grimaced. They hadn’t figured out a witch was behind this and they hadn’t protected her.

  “That doesn’t make this okay. You betrayed me. You let him terrify me! You should have told me!” Ivory yelled.

  “I couldn’t! I’m his familiar!” Libby yelled back – as if that explained everything. And it kind of did – to Ronan anyway. But Ivory couldn’t possibly understand, having never had a familiar before. She confirmed his thoughts when she sneered;

  “What does that have to do with anything? You have free will, don’t you? It’s not like he was controlling you.”

  Libby pursed her lips and looked away, not saying anything.

  “Ivory …” Ronan started, not wanting to defend the treacherous woman, but wanting to make sure his lady had all the facts, “She’s his familiar.”

  Ivory released a sound of frustration, pulling at her glorious white hair, “Why does everyone keep saying that like it’s the be all and end all?”

  “Because it kind of is,” he replied, taking her hand from her long locks and smoothing out her tightly clenched fingers as he continued, “Familiars and their witches are bound on a metaphysical level. We are everything our witch needs us to be; lover, friend, spy, murderer. We do have free will, but the innate desire to do the bidding of our witch and make them happy often overrides that. Especially if a witch is abusing their powers,” he added, beginning to get a clearer sense of the situation now that the bloodlust was leaving his system.

  Ivory frowned fiercely but seemed to be thinking. She looked to him, then Seth, then Vaughn who were still solid walls at her back, “Do you feel the need to obey me, no questions asked? Is that how it is with all familiars? Witches can just control them and make them do anything they want?”

  Vaughn shrugged and answered her, “Pretty much. We live to serve our coven, our bloodline. Usually a witch doesn’t ask anything of their familiar that they are not willing to do. But, if they do … our witch can force us.”

  “That’s despicable!” Ivory sounded angry.

  “It’s just the way it is. Besides, usually a witch and their familiar are best friends. A witch wouldn’t make their familiar do anything they didn’t want to do. But … there are always exceptions,” Seth said, looking towards Libby with a hint of pity.

  “Is this true, Libby? Did Matthew force you?” Ronan hated seeing the tentative hope on Ivory’s face. The betrayal from someone she considered a friend – family – was cutting her deep. He could tell she desperately wanted Libby to say yes. Hell – he was hoping and praying that Libby had been forced too. Otherwise, there would be no stopping Vaughn’s panther from seeking retribution from hurting their mate. As it was, he wasn’t sure it would be enough. Vaughn’s panther was an aggressive bastard.

  Libby’s eyes darted fearfully to Matthew who was virtually unrecognisable, “I’m his familiar,” was all the woman said.

  “Libby, look at me,” Ivory stepped in front of her, sending Seth and Vaughn a quelling glance when they tried to hold her back.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Libby muttered.

  “Yes it does. It matters to me. And it’s going to matter to the three big cats behind me too. Did he force you?”

  “Yes! Of course, yes! I’m not some fucking pyscho! I don’t go around stalking people for fun! Matthew was a fucking bastard, okay?! He was an abusive, crazy prick! I hate him! Is that what you want to hear? I hate him!” Libby screamed, tears returning to stream down her face.

  Ronan swallowed, making eye contact with the other two. Seth’s eyes predictably held sympathy, Vaughn’s were still hard as flint but they were now directed at the fallen witch. She was telling the truth – they could all scent it. And the one thing they all hated were abusive arseholes; they were protectors to their core. For a witch to abuse their familiar in such a way? It was disgusting.

  Ivory sighed, running her hands over Libby’s hair, “Okay, Lib. It’s going to be okay,” she gestured with her head, “What do we do with him?” Ivory asked, not flinching as she looked toward the bloody remains of her tormentor.

  Even Ronan winced when he saw the amount of blood pooling around Matthew’s body – it was starting to congeal in the heat. What’s more, the skin on his stomach had been completely shredded, causing his innards to now be outtards. But Ivory was looking at the messy remains with nothing more than curious disinterest. Female predators were darn scary, he thought, making a mental note to never piss off her inner cat. In fact, he would just start working on becoming her favourite right now.

  He swept her up into his arms, causing her to yelp, and started making his way out of the woods, “Now we call the conclave and get them to deal with it,” he told her, “And you – you are never leaving our sight again.”

  “Fuckin’ A. You’re to be within touching distance of one of us at all times,” Vaughn commanded, supporting Seth with an arm around his waist.

  “Preferably naked,” Seth added, somehow managing to grin even with a knife sized hole all the way through his hand.

  In his arms, Ivory glowered; “You do realise I’m the one who saved all your arses, right? Why do I have to be the naked one?”

  Ronan smiled down at her, stealing a kiss from her pouty lips, “Because you’re the prettiest.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Six hours later and Ivory was completely exhausted. Once they had trekked back to her home above the bar, Ronan had placed her in the shower before calling the witch conclave to report what had transpired. She wasn’t ashamed to admit that she had curled up on the tile floor and allowed herself to bawl her eyes out for five minutes before agreeing with her cat and acknowledging she had no other choice. Lee – Matthew, whatever – would have raped her and killed her men, she had no doubt about that. Still – she had killed a man and she was g
oing to have to live with that.

  She smiled, hearing the rumble of male voices down the hall. At least she wasn’t going to have to live with it alone. She got the feeling she was going to have three very large, very possessive housemates who would support her through it. At least, she hoped she would. It was one of the reasons why she was procrastinating in the kitchen, fiddling with the dirty dishes instead of in the bedroom with Vaughn, Ronan, and Seth.

  It had taken less than an hour for two representatives from the conclave to show up. They were both marshals and Ivory was happy to see they were not bat shit crazy. Her three familiars had explained the situation in its entirety, from them taking on the job as her bodyguards, to discovering Ivory was a descendant of the Panthera bloodline, and finally Matthew’s insanity and Libby’s involvement. An additional two marshals had arrived within another hour, with two senior witches and their familiars arriving a couple of hours after that. The mess that was her former stalker was dealt with in quick order – nothing like a little magic to clean up a crime scene. And the entire magical entourage had settled into her once spacious living room. With four marshals, three witches, and six familiars in it – including Libby – it hadn’t seemed so roomy.

  Ivory was saddened when she thought of her friend. The sassy, vibrant, mouthy woman she knew had disappeared beneath a guilt-ridden, tortured, broken person. The betrayal she felt over Libby’s involvement cut deep but what hurt worse was the knowledge of the abuse Libby had suffered at the hands of her witch. He should have been her greatest friend and ally; her family. But instead, he had abused his position and harmed that which was most precious; his familiar. Ivory was feeling just as guilty over her ignorance. How could she not have known Libby was in trouble? Some friend she was. It just proved you never really knew what was going on behind closed doors. Libby had been taken by the marshals for further questioning but Ivory fully intended to stay in touch. As far as she was concerned, they’d both kind of been shitty friends, what with the whole stalking thing on Libby’s part and the obliviousness on Ivory’s. They’d make it up to each other though.