“No, make me be loyal to this guy.”
“Which guy?” I asked, keeping my face neutral to hide how intriguing this request was. Normally clients wanted me to bend the will of their partners to be loyal to them. That wasn’t something I was willing to do but I was more than willing to hear them out and write anonymous letters to the magical council to watch out for them in the future.
“The guy I’m dating. Nic. I think he’s the one.”
“Then you won’t cheat on him,” I said, arching a brow. “Or at least you shouldn’t. Is it so hard to keep your dick in your pants? If it is, again, I must suggest therapy or perhaps waiting for your true-mate.”
“I love him but…”
“But?” I asked, my crow surfacing to the forefront of my mind and clicked his tongue. “Love shouldn’t be followed by a but. Why’s it so important to stay loyal to this particular guy? I bet you’ve cheated on your partners before.”
In fact, I knew he had. He’d been hexed with magical mange twice before by different partners, but I’d never admit to my part in that. My loyalties lay with my friends, family, and magic. Clients were a whole different breed, and I’d take money from both sides of an argument if it was offered and didn’t step on my moral compass.
“I---”
“Let me guess,” I said, sliding my feet onto the floor and leaning forward. “This Nic guy is set to inherit his carrier’s cosmetics company any time now. The old dragoness has one foot through the door and the other on a banana peel. You could really use being in a family with that much money, huh?”
Jon swallowed hard and my eyes turned black from my crow. I turned my head to the side, letting my smaller inner beast take over my motor skills for a moment.
“How did you know that?”
“I am the all seeing eye of birds,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “I’ll tell you what, Jon, I can do this for you. I can make you loyal to Nic for all eternity.”
“Ummm… Maybe scratch the eternity part. I was thinking for a few months. Maybe a year. We need to get married and….”
“Eternity,” I said again. “Eternity unless you pay a lot more. I have your number now.”
The door he came through slammed shut, and he spun around on his butt to face it, putting out the candles with his momentum.
“What the fuck, man?! I paid you!”
“You did and I’ve heard you out. Don’t you know that magic has a mind of its own and you came here to do something very naughty,” I stood up and crossed the room. “You’re going to pay me and you’re going to confess to Nic all your wrongdoings. You’re going to tell him exactly what you want from him or you’re going to spend eternity with him. This life. The next and the next. Consider all the problems you’ll have with your true-mate and his. From what the birds tell me Nic’s true-mate is a giant of a man this time who is currently in anger management but loyal you can be…” I said, reaching out for him.
Jon crawled backwards away from me like he was a crab instead of a cheetah.
“Don’t touch me!” he hissed.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked, leaning closer and turning my head so that one black eye stared into his soul.
“How much?” Jon asked, pushing himself upright.
“Eternity or I’ll send you the bill for not stripping you of your freewill for being such a lowlife bottom sucker,” I spat the words out.
“I’ll pay!” he nodded hard and fast.
“And you’ll tell Nic why you pursued him.”
“No,” Jon shook his head. “Everyone loves Nic --- I’ll never get laid again!”
“Good. Maybe you won’t keep catching mange, then,” I said, pursing my lips. “Have we reached an agreement, or should I start reweaving your fate, Jon Alp?”
“I’ll---- I’ll do it! What the fuck, man? Do you think I won’t tell everyone about this?”
“Tell them what? That you came up here for my help stealing someone’s family legacy?” I arched a brow. “You have three days, or you’ll be stuck with him forever. His whims will be your only commands. Even with that one thing you’re not too keen on doing. He does want to do that. So much.”
“Just send me the bloody invoice!” he said, tossing his hands up and turning to sprint down the steps. He smacked into the shut door and had to backtrack a few steps and go out of it properly once he had it opened. I followed on his heels and locked the door leading onto the street once he was gone.
Back upstairs, my cousin, Preston, laughed his furry bear butt off. I didn’t like an audience with clients but once I realized who Jon was, I didn’t want to be in a confined space alone with him. Back in the day before Teal met Ciro, I’d have called him to keep an eye from outside, but those days were over. He was on a different continent trying to convince his triplets not to chew on his tail. That left me with Preston or Mori, and I had a gut feeling that Mori might not be too keen on what I did. Preston was cooler with it than I thought he’d be. I couldn’t imagine his carrier, Xenos of the Nightshade Bears, would approve of what I did any more than my own parents.
