Corviticus University: Void

by J. E. Cluney

  I couldn’t contain the grin as the feel of all my guys made my skin prickle with excitement. I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be, and I grinned wider as Skip leaned closer to draw in my scent. I heard his deep intake of breath, and it thrilled me as my grandmother began snapping some shots.

  “You didn’t say ’say cheese’,” Natalie pouted.

  “They know it,” my grandmother scoffed.

  “You smell edible,” Skip whispered in my ear as he leaned closer.

  I felt Marcus stiffen a little, but he didn’t push any thoughts into my mind.

  Ollie, on the other hand, didn’t seem too fussed by it.

  I loved the feel of his arm around my shoulders, and the temptation to turn and lean into him was niggling at me, but I fought it.

  Now was not the time.

  But if what my grandmother had said was true, they were all my mates. So there was no need to fight what I felt.

  I could have them all.

  And that thought thrilled me to no end.

  I sat on the lounge with Natalie and my grandmother while Dixon and the guys were in the game room playing pool and having a few drinks. Natalie would be driving them home, and they’d be staying in the area for a week. We were planning a few things to do after uni, but I’d gotten a text from Emma about shopping Sunday after my morning shift, which I did really want to do. They were fine with that, as my grandmother wanted to cook a big roast for me Sunday night anyway. And they’d just see me after shopping.

  Natalie had one photo album open, and I was loving all the photos from their childhood of her and my father. There were some of my grandfather too with them as well. Some in the backyard or out and about on the farm. A photo of all of them posing next to a big red tractor, and various family trips around the States.

  There were even some of them on ponies and horses.

  “This one here was him on old Tom, he was such a trustworthy old boy,” my grandmother commented as she pointed at the big bay horse my father sat on.

  “Do you still own the farm?” I asked.

  “No, without Warren, I couldn’t manage it. Besides, I didn’t mind moving into a smaller home now that I didn’t have the kids. It was just a big, old, empty house. I moved into a house on the other side of town, still have enough land for some animals though. And then Hayley wanted to come back and study. She thought by being in the States she’d have a better chance of meeting her mate, since so few ‘wolves live in Australia. Then she met Daniel,” Trish explained as she adjusted her glasses on her nose to better inspect the photos.

  “We have some photos of your parents too. When they passed away, we got quite a few of their possessions, since Linda wanted nothing to do with them. I wanted to send them to you, but I worried she’d get rid of them,” Natalie said as she reached for another photo album on the floor.

  My heart jumped at the thought of seeing photos of my parents. I’d only seen a few wedding photos from my aunt’s computer. I thought all other traces of them were gone.

  Of course all their belongings would have gone somewhere after their death.

  I sat in bridled anticipation as Natalie opened up the photo album.

  The very first photo made tears spring to my eyes.

  It was a black and white photo, apparently from a baby shoot. My parents looked overjoyed as they held a small baby, their eyes filled with complete love and adoration.

  “They had a shoot done when you were born,” my grandmother murmured as she touched my arm comfortingly.

  Natalie handed me the album, and I slowly turned the pages.

  There were photos of me as a baby. My mother looked gorgeous. With long blonde locks and deep chocolate eyes, and an average build. I guess I got her eyes and straight hair, but got the color more from my father.

  My father, on the other hand, was athletic looking from the pool photo, and he had a short brown beard that suited him and mousey brown hair. We were in the pool, with me floating in a donut ring as a baby with a straw hat on my head.

  Natalie shared his stunning ocean blue eyes.

  As I slowly sifted through the photos, I grew. From a baby to a toddler. There were photos of us at a picnic, even one of me in the Veterinary center with my father. I looked so happy and loved, wearing a bright yellow shirt with a smile on it.

  There was another of us at the beach, building sandcastles and playing. I wore a pink one-piece with a frilly skirt, which I vaguely remembered from some deep part of my mind.

  There were photos of me on my birthdays with my stash of presents, then my first day of kindergarten. I didn’t even remember it really. Just the odd flash here and there.

  The whole album was full of photos, of memories that were to be cherished.

  “You can keep this one now,” Natalie murmured as I sniffled. I hadn’t even realized I’d begun to cry.

  “Don’t cry, darling. They loved you, you were their sunshine and light as they used to say. These are memories you should be happy about, not sad about. Just because they’re gone, doesn’t mean they’re not still with you, in here,” my grandmother murmured as she touched my chest over my heart.

  I managed a weak smile as I wiped at my tears.

  ‘You okay?’ Ollie murmured into my mind.

  ‘I’m okay. Just sad about my parents. I’ll be fine.’

  ‘Want us to come in?’ Marcus asked.

  ‘No, you guys keep enjoying pool. Who’s winning?’

  ’Skip and Lucas, obviously,’ Ollie scoffed.

  ‘Dixon is being our referee, making sure there’s no magical cheating,’ Marcus smirked.

  “Well, sweetness, I think we should go and get desert ready. I bought ice-cream and custard, so everyone can have their pick. But I want to heat the apple crumble up first, would you like to come and help me?” my grandmother asked, pulling me from my mental conversation.

  “Sure,” I nodded as I closed the album. I’d cherish it forever. All the memories captured within its pages. To see my parents as they enjoyed themselves.

  “There’s another photo album, but I’ll leave it here for you,” Natalie said as she plucked another from the pile. This one had a deep maroon cover.

  “What’s in it?” I asked as I stood with my grandmother.

  “More photos of your parents. Before you were born though,” she said with a sweet smile.

  I just nodded. I’d like to check it out, but I was emotionally worn out after the first one. I’d look at it in bed after dessert.

  I followed my grandmother into the kitchen as Natalie headed off to find Dixon.

  “So, when do you think you’ll claim that kangaroo shifter? And the warlock?” my grandmother asked as she headed for the fridge.

  I just gave her a shocked look as I tried to decipher her meaning. Claim… as in?

  “Don’t go all shy on me, Allison. This family has always been quite open. Natalie tries to act like she isn’t around Dixon, but when he’s not around, there’s nothing we don’t talk about,” she laughed as she pulled the large dish of apple crumble from the fridge.

  “Um, I’m not sure,” I murmured as I played with my charm bracelet.

  “Don’t wait too long. They feel the pull to you as well, it’s quite clear. And they’re obviously meant to be your mates,” she shrugged as she put the dish into the microwave.

  I decided to busy myself by grabbing out some bowls and spoons.

  “I don’t know. It still seems a little weird to me. They’ll all be mine? How will that not cause jealousy between them?” I asked as I focused on setting the bowls around the table, leaving one on the counter. I wished Marcus could enjoy it with us, from Dixon’s words, it sounded delicious.

  “Not if you balance yourself between them. And from my understanding, once the bond is complete, there will be no hostility between them, they’ll all understand the love you share.”

  My hand faltered as I set a spoon down.

  Love. I’d never considered the term with them
. It was not a word I threw around lightly.

  She noticed this as she came over and gently took my arm.

  “It is love, Allison. Even if you’ve only known them a short while, you feel as though you’ve known them far longer, don’t you?” she murmured, cocking her head at me. Those deep ocean blue eyes glittered as she looked right inside me.

  “Yes,” I said, swallowing down my uncertainty.

  “It is a true bond. Mates. You are all drawn together by forces outside of your control. Fighting it will only bring suffering in the future,” she said, her mouth tugging up in the corners as she smiled. “You are meant to be together.”

  How could she be so certain? I wouldn’t pretend I didn’t feel the pull towards them. But surely it was just standard physical attraction. Nothing more ‘destiny’ like.

  ‘We felt it,’ Ollie informed me.

  ‘Have you thought about any other guy since meeting us?’ Marcus added.

  ‘Well, no,’ I answered honestly. It was true. They’d been the only ones on my mind, despite the obviously handsome men I’d seen at uni or coming into the cafe.

  They were the only ones I wanted.

  ‘We’re the same,’ Ollie said, and I knew he was being completely honest. I was the only girl they thought of.

  Well. Not quite.

  ‘What about Lucy?’ I questioned.

  ‘She’s different. You know that. A no strings attached thing. Purely sexual. Besides, she’s a part of this little mate thing anyway, right?’ Ollie defended himself.

  I smirked as my grandmother got the ice-cream and custard from the freezer and fridge.

  I guess she was, technically.

  I got a very sudden image from Ollie’s head of Lucy and I, and I just mentally gasped at him.

  I could see his face going beet red as he squashed the image down, while Marcus laughed mentally at the thought.

  To be honest, it wasn’t something I didn’t find intriguing.

  I’d never considered myself bisexual, but then again, I’d never given it much thought.

  And was it technically bisexual if it was actually Lucas?

  Who knew.

  “Dessert’s ready!” my grandmother hollered, snapping me from my mind as I jumped.

  The smell of the hot apple crumble made my mouth water, but I waited until everyone else had arrived before serving myself some up with custard.

  I gave Marcus an apologetic smile, but he just shrugged it off as he took up his standard position against the door frame.

  My pixie side was over the moon with the sweet, delicious goodness, and I found myself going for seconds as the guys all spoke about camping trips and more.

  It sounded like it would be happening soon, and my family would be a part of it.

  Finally.

  This group of people, they were my family.

  This was home now.

  5

  I sat in my bed, smiling stupidly to myself as I flipped through the pages of the photo album. So many beautiful snaps of my parents together. Plenty of photos where they’d obviously snuck a shot.

  There was one of my father treating a dog in his center, and one of my mother smiling fondly as she sat reading a book on the lounge.

  It was glimpses into their lives as a happy couple together.

  They’d travelled a bit it seemed, with photos from the Sydney Harbour to Ayers Rock and plenty more. There was a shot of them posing before the sign for the Queensland/NSW border, and photos of my dad perched on a motorbike.

  It was perfect, seeing them like this. The way they were before me.

  They’d been happy.

  And when I reached the last few photos, I found some shots of my mother, heavily pregnant, as she did some sewing for me. Making my own baby clothes. There was one of my father smiling back at the camera as he put together a baby cot, and another of him painting what could only be my nursery.

  I sniffled, allowing the tears to run freely down my cheeks.

  I’d felt Ollie and Marcus look into my mind to see if I was okay; they’d chosen to stay away while I took in the captured memories.

  It eased my soul, knowing they’d had a happy life before their untimely deaths. That they’d been deeply in love.

  It was everything I could’ve hoped for.

  A soft knock on the door tore me away from the pictures, and I shut the album and slid it into the bottom drawer of my bedside table.

  “Come in,” I called out as I wiped my eyes.

  The door swung open, and Lucas gave me a soft smile as he walked in. He’d obviously showered and changed into his pajamas. I found it adorable that he was wearing a blue pajama set along with his pink fluffy bunny slippers.

  It was definitely his look.

  “You okay?” he asked gently as he sat on the edge of the bed beside me.

  “Yeah, just looking at photos of my parents,” I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

  “Sounds like they were amazing people, I’m sorry you never had a chance to properly know them,” he murmured.

  “It must be hard for you, with how your family is so torn,” I said, shifting the focus from me.

  “Maybe not as much as I thought,” he mused, giving me a perplexed look.

  “What do you mean?” I frowned.

  “My mother, she was kind to me the last time I saw her. She seemed saddened, and remorseful. Maybe she isn’t as displeased with me as I thought, and just doing as my father wishes,” he said, and I could see the war raging behind his eyes. My chest ached for him. To have lost my family was one thing, but for him to have his alive but estranged was another. But by the sounds of it, not all hope was lost.

  “If that’s true, you should try to reach out to her more. I can safely say, I’d do anything for a chance to spend even a minute with my mother. Don’t let yours fall through your fingers if she’s still here and wants a relationship with you. It is a two-way street, I know that. But maybe, if you reach out, she’ll realize that there is still hope to mend things,” I suggested.

  Those forest green eyes focused on me, and he managed a warm smile.

  “You’re wiser than many, you know that, right?” he murmured.

  I just chuckled and shook my head.

  “What brought you up here?” I asked, knowing it probably wasn’t to talk about our families.

  “I made something for you while listening to your grandmother and Skip. She’s taken a liking to him. At least he’s put a shirt on now, but they’re all still awake downstairs and chatting away like they’ve known each other forever,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  “It’s not like they’re my family or anything,” I snorted, but the grin made it clear I meant nothing by it. I was glad they were all getting along. I’d grown tired though and had to leave the boys and my family in the living room, knowing I had work in the morning again. Another full day, then a half day on Sunday.

  “Trish is a fiery one, although, I imagine Natalie would be too with a few drinks,” Lucas winked, and I snorted.

  “You said you made me something?” I focused back on the original subject.

  “Right. This.” He held out a small silver pentagram necklace.

  “Like your tattoo,” I remarked, remembering the tattoo I’d seen when he was Lucy, on the left side of his chest. The memory made my cheeks burn and I pushed it away.

  “Yes. A pentagram is not satanic. It symbols protection. I’ve infused this one with some protective magic. Should any harm come your way, I’ll be informed, and it has a tracking spell on it, so should you need me, I can find you instantly,” he said as he offered it to me.

  “Should I be worried that you can find me whenever you please?” I smirked.

  “Not at all,” he said earnestly, but his mouth tugged up into that gorgeous lopsided smile that made my heart swoon.

  “It’s beautiful, thank you,” I murmured as I accepted it and held it up for a better look. Each tip of the star in the pentagram had a stone within the ring of t
he design. The elements, I realized. Red for fire, blue for water, white for air, green for earth, purple for spirit. An element not many considered an element, but my supernatural books had said otherwise.

  “Here, I’ll help you put it on,” Lucas offered as he took it back.

  I moved forward and turned to perch on the bed beside him as I looked to the side and held my hair up.

  “You can wear it always. Even in the shower. It’s not spelled, so you can still take it off,” he noted, and I smiled at the fact that he’d thought it necessary to inform me of that. I trusted him though.

  A hot shiver coursed through me as his hand brushed my neck when he looped the necklace around. I held my breath as his smooth fingertips danced over my nape, making the hairs stand on end as he did up the clasp.

  My heart beat a little quicker at his touch, and I found myself smiling.

  Maybe my grandmother was right. He was one of my destined mates.

  No other men had ever made me feel the way they did. Just their touches lit my soul on fire.

  “What’s it like, when you become Lucy?” I asked, needing to tame my thoughts.

  “Interesting is one word for it,” he murmured, his fingers lingering on the back of my neck. They trailed down, sending a sweet shiver through me.

  “Do the orgasms feel the same?” I asked, completely curious.

  “No. The ones I have as Lucy last longer, but they’re not always as strong. As myself, they’re powerful, but short-lived. They’re both good in their own way,” he said as he traced small circles on the back of my neck.

  I sighed softly, enjoying the sweet touches.

  “What’s the two penises like?” I smirked, and he chuckled as he shook his head. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to know.

  “Well, that second head is positioned perfectly to rub the g-spot,” he sighed. “It’s quite like a two-pronged penis. It’s more like another one grows from the top of it. So missionary style or similar is best to get the full effect,” he breathed, leaning closer to me as his fingers trailed over my neck.

  My breath quickened as I imagined what it would be like.

  “Do you prefer to be her?” I asked, turning my head his way more.