Not my Ripley. She lived in tight, black leather and didn’t care about showing skin. She was probably the sexiest librarian in The Library of the Profane’s history. She was also extremely good at her job. I knew she thought the whole Chaos thing was this massive fuck up on her part, but I knew it happened for a reason, even if we didn’t know why yet.
She had been focusing on all the Major Arcana in her deck and the Five of Swords, but she drew the Three of Pentacles too. A team was forming, and I could see it clearly now. Chaos made me a part of the group the Three of Pentacles signaled by what he called an upgrade just to please Ripley.
The Five of Swords said conflict was coming, but the Three of Pentacles was about teamwork. Ripley would have a team to fight it. She had a god, and now she had me. I had a feeling more would be showing up as the days passed.
I needed to focus and watch as my cat because Ripley wouldn’t be paying attention. She completely ignored the Three of Pentacles in her deck and was still trying to figure out the rest of the deck. Sure, the other cards were important, but she couldn’t do this alone.
Someone wanted Chaos back in the mortal coil. That blew up in their face because I got the feeling no one could control that god. I mean, he got offended over Oreos and stuck a cock on my head. He turned Hettie into a roach because he didn’t like what she said to him. Honestly, the only thing controlling him right now was Ripley because he had it in his head, they were getting married.
I had hands now. I could access the books here without Ripley to turn the pages. I knew what I needed to do, and there was only one way to do it.
I knew Ripley better than anyone except her twin sister, Ravyn. She’d let me in the library if I changed into the cat, and I could still read over her shoulder, but I had a body now and I could do more than just give her advice and snark on her choice of men.
“I’m going to need a place to stay and a library card,” I said.
Ripley was still ogling me and checking me out. If I could count on her for one thing, it was sexually objectifying anything with a penis. She had restraint when it came to acting on it, but she had a healthy appreciation for the male form, and she had no problem telling anyone that. She also had this weird way of knowing who she could say shit like that to and not end up losing her job.
I could totally admit to being one of those vain fucks that liked it when someone like Ripley sat there staring at me like she wanted to rip all my clothes off and fuck me right in the middle of the werewolf porn section. Except she needed to focus. I waved my hand in front of her head.
“Earth to Ripley. My face is up here.”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I’ve always thought you had this thing going with your voice where you’d sound sexy reading the fucking phone book, and now you aren’t a cat anymore. Your body matches your voice.”
Chaos set his book down and reached for his remaining Oreos.
“I’m a little offended you didn’t look at me the way you’re looking at the cat. I’m a fucking god, and he licks his own testicles.”
Ripley finally snapped her gaze away from me and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“Oh, please. Even if you’re a god, we all know if men could blow themselves, they would.”
“I’ve never even considered the possibility,” Chaos sniffed. “Women and men line up for the honor. If I’m in the aether, I can just think it, and my seed forms a new galaxy.”
“Ew. Keep your sperm away from me,” Ripley said, wrinkling her nose.
I got the feeling most people didn’t insult Chaos to his face, and if they did, they didn’t live long. Ripley was riding a fine line. This god had a massive ego problem, and he might think it was cute she didn’t immediately agree to be his bride, but he didn’t strike me as being a patient god.
He threw back his head and laughed.
“Only in the aether. In my vessel, we’ll have powerful little demigods. You’re not ready for that yet. The cat needs a bed and a library card.”
That was…totally odd. I took him for being a jealous asshole if he couldn’t even handle me toppling his Oreos. I thought he would regret giving me my body back and take it away when he saw Ripley checking me out so hard. She hadn’t voiced it yet, but it was pretty obvious I would stay in her apartments.
“You’ll stay with me, of course. I’ll find a place to put you. Come to my desk so we can see if you get approved for a card.”
When I was stuck as the cat, I slept on the pillow on the side of the bed she didn’t occupy. Chaos hadn’t tried barging into her bedroom, but he knew I was in there at night and he hadn’t killed me, yet.
Chapter 13
Ripley
T
he two wolves looking for historical records on their pack were still waiting and totally put out with me that I ran away just because I heard my familiar in distress. The rest of the supernatural world didn’t get them like witches and warlocks and did not understand the bond. Shifters looked down on familiars because they couldn’t shift like them. Unless a primordial god wanted to impress a familiar’s, witch and changed them with a flick of his wrist.
I was still trying to process Felix having human form and even staying with me while dealing with two wolves throwing a tantrum because I didn’t pay them enough attention.
“Do you know who we are, witch?” one of them growled, his eyes flashing amber. “You know which pack we asked you to look into. We’re practically royalty. We could have your job with just a phone call.”
Chaos must have exceptional hearing because he was at my desk in seconds.
“Are you threatening my witch?”
I’ve never seen a shifter back down from a fight, even if they were outmatched and sure to lose. Chaos was massive, and he just gave off this vibe of power and danger.
Don’t ask me why I kept poking him because he could easily kill me. Both wolves visibly paled and shrunk back. It was kind of beautiful.
“We wouldn’t dream of it. We just got a little upset when she ran away when she was helping us.”
Chaos got right in their personal space.
“She was running to me. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, sir,” the wolves stammered.
“Good. Maybe you can clear up some things I’ve been reading about wolves. Do your cocks really—”
I did not let him finish that sentence. I think everyone except Chaos was grateful I found the stack number for the books they needed and sent them on their way. Chaos just looked utterly confused as he watched them scurry away.
“Why did you do that, my witch? If it embarrassed them to answer, then they should take it up with the writers of those books I’ve been reading.”
“House rule. No asking my library patrons questions about their dicks. Have you picked a name yet, or are you just engrossed in all the sex?”
“I’m doing both, but I don’t like any of the names I’m reading. It seems like names are being reused. People have the same name as someone who might have abused the name that was given to them. I need a name no one else has.”
I got that, and it wasn’t his arrogance speaking. Names were powerful, and I’d seen entire lines shunned because of one person. A family name lost respect in an instant because of the actions of one person.