I shared a bit about myself and talked about Celestia. The guys seemed fascinated to know about what it was like to be raised by a Mistress compared to their lifestyles, and I told them as much as I could before dinner was ready.
They had been waiting for Noah and Faelia to return before they ate together. It felt nice to join in, and I was a bit hungry since we hadn’t eaten a lot earlier because Celestia and the others wanted to study.
We had finished dinner in peaceful silence, and now we were all hanging out in the living room. Each of us enjoyed a slice of cheesecake Faelia had made that morning and had put in the freezer to frost. Thankfully, Gabriel had remembered to pull it out.
I was sitting between Noah and Gabriel, finishing up my cheesecake before I relaxed. It wasn't long before I began to fall asleep, resting my head on Noah's shoulder.
I heard the doorbell ring, but I didn't concern myself, my mind already drifting and unbothered.
"Hey, Hunter," Noah greeted. "I think Arielle fell asleep."
"Hey, Noah...oh. Uh..." he trailed off, sounding surprised.
"That's Gabriel, Noah's younger twin," Rainer informed.
"Younger?" Hunter asked and paused. "He looks like the older one."
"Why does everyone say that?" Noah mumbled.
"Because he literally looks older," Axel huffed.
"And cooler," Griffin added.
"The truth hurts," Asher stated calmly.
"Hmph. I'll carry Arielle home," Noah announced. My body lifted up and I stirred slightly, nestling my head against Noah's shirt.
"Once she gets into a deep sleep she'll probably change back," Hunter pointed out.
"Most likely. Oh, Hunter, this is Faelia. I don't think you guys met," Noah introduced.
"We did. I saw her in the forest. She's the one who woke me up. Evening, Faelia," Hunter replied.
"Evening, Hunter. Yes, we've met. I didn't think he was connected to the familiar Noah met. At least now I know," Faelia hummed. Then I heard her whisper, "Noah and Arielle are dating now."
"Hey! Don't go telling everyone," Noah hushed, trying to keep his voice low.
"Ohh? Good. Arielle was extremely happy after meeting you, so I'm glad you stepped it up," Hunter stated proudly.
"You’re pretty chill compared to your appearance," Noah commented.
"What do I look like?" Hunter asked.
"Grumpy," Noah and Gabriel replied in unison.
I heard a bit of snickering, and Hunter groaned. "Let's go, Noah. Make sure you carry Arielle properly," Hunter mumbled, and I heard his footsteps fade.
"I'll go with them. You guys, the laundry is folded in your baskets. Don't you dare ruin shit, or I'll make all of you clean this house till it sparkles," Gabriel threatened.
There was a moment of silence before Asher whispered, "Gabriel's scary."
"I take it back. He's the devil twin," Rainer whispered back.
"We're going," Noah announced.
"Make sure you take care of Arielle," Rainer replied.
"Ya, don't drop her," Asher ordered.
"Gabriel, be the backup catcher if Noah's clumsy and trips," Griffin added.
"Sure," Gabriel replied.
"I'm not even clumsy!" Noah snarled.
"Sure," Axel replied.
"Whatever," Noah groaned, and then we were moving. I felt the cool breeze of the night and I stirred, a bit chilled.
"Wait," Gabriel ordered. I heard fast footsteps fade before they returned shortly. I felt something warm drape over me, making me relax in Noah's arms.
"It's cold so we should keep her warm. At least until she changes back," Gabriel suggested.
"Isn't that your jacket?" Noah asked.
"Your point?" Gabriel replied.
"Hmm. I feel anyone else would be threatened by your slick advances, but I couldn't be bothered," Noah replied.
"That's because I'm your harmless younger brother," Gabriel teased.
"Harmless my ass," Noah mumbled. "Just let me get the first date at least."
"Of course. To be honest, we kinda never asked her if she'd date more than one person," Gabriel pointed out.
"Oh. Good point," Noah replied. "We have to ask her that the next time we get a chance."
"Are you two done? I'm cold," Hunter complained.
"You're a phoenix shifter," Gabriel countered.
"So? Not like I use my flame to warm my body. Waste of energy," Hunter huffed.
"Barely any energy for someone with your level of power," Noah commented.
"Hurry up, or I'll make sure Arielle can't go out with either of you."
"That's blackmail!" Gabriel and Noah said in unison, and I felt my body sway at their fast movement.
"At least it got you two moving. I'm tired," Hunter replied, sounding amused.
It was quiet for some time, the swaying movement making me sleepy once more.
"What if she doesn't want to date both of us...or even the others?" Noah whispered.
"We'll figure it out when the time comes. She's your girlfriend. As long as she's happy, that's all that really matters. It would suck, but I think the others would rather see her smile than cause trouble," Gabriel replied.
"Even you?"
"Even me. Though I'll tease you even more just to make your life a living hell," Gabriel added.
"And they say I'm the devil twin. Nonsense," Noah muttered.
"Take Arielle out after we know who our next Master or Mistress will be. There's always a bit of spare time before we join in the training," Gabriel suggested.
"There you go acting like the older brother again," Noah commented, but I could sense the joy in his voice. "Okay. Thanks, brother."
"You're welcome," Gabriel replied.
I smiled as I finally allowed myself to sleep. I didn't wake up until later in the night, realizing I had shifted back to my familiar form. I was cradled in Noah's shirt and Gabriel's jacket, enjoying the scent of cinder and lavender that I knew was Gabe's.
That night I dreamt about Noah and the others, making me wonder if I'd be able to date all of them.
Guess I wouldn't mind sharing myself with all of them.
"We get the sauna all to ourselves?" I asked, walking into the heated room with my pink towel wrapped around my waist.
I'd just finished being a part of the first half of Celestia's gym class. I didn't need to be there for the second half, so Celestia said I could do whatever I wanted.
I ended up meeting Faelia in the halls, and she suggested we enjoy some sauna time. Since it connected to the girl’s changing room, at least I could check on Celestia when she finished her class.
Faelia had a special card that allowed her access to the wooden box, and I couldn't be happier to enjoy some alone time with her. Celestia was still busy and adjusting to the schedule of Aslan. Not to mention the guys were constantly watching her and taking turns enjoying some time with my Mistress.
I wouldn't deny that I was beginning to miss her presence, but I knew with sharing herself between six other men it was going to be difficult for her to balance and add me into the equation.
My hope was once the trials concluded, we'd get to go home for a break with Magnor and enjoy a few days as a family again.
"The benefits of being a senior. I worked my butt off to reach this point. Plus, I just nagged Othello until he gave in. He can't stand my nagging." Faelia giggled as she placed her card key on the little counter ledge near the door and walked to the side across from me to lay down.
I followed suit, laying down and sighing in relief. I glanced over at Faelia and couldn't help but blush. Faelia had loosened her towel and laid there naked in all her curvy glory. Damn! Her body is legit perfect. How?
Faelia noticed my gaze and turned her head to give me a wide grin. "In the sauna, you can be naked and free! You should try it." She giggled as my face grew redder.
"Um...I don't have a perfect body like you though." I pointed out.
Faelia burst out into laughter. "Ariel
le Rainbow. This temple is NOT perfect in the least hahaha. It's only because of my Fae genes that I come close to looking as perfect as you and others think. We live in a world where perfection is based on what we see on magazines and the internet. The moment you don't fit those categories, it doesn't matter if you’re human, a familiar, or even Fae like me."
"Did you get made fun of before?" I asked.
"Plenty of times. Even by my own Fae people. They call me Faelia the forbidden," she whispered with a sad smile.
"Faelia the forbidden? Why?" I asked, angered by the weird nickname. Faelia sighed, looking up at the ceiling before she raised her right hand to stare at it.
I followed her gaze, and my eyes widened at the flicker of fire that hovered above her index finger. It grew stronger and, in seconds, the flame danced around her arm, shifting into different colors.
"You’re...Wait. Faelia, you're a hybrid?" I asked in astonishment. Faelia turned her head toward me once more with a broad smile on her face. She snapped her fingers, and the fire disintegrated into smoke.
"Yup, and we all know how hybrids are looked upon, even in this day and age where different shifter races are mingling with one another. They're fine with mingling, but the moment they have a hybrid child, that's where the trouble begins."
"But...why? Why doesn't anyone do anything?" I asked, furious that many hybrid shifters and familiars were either outcasted or attacked. Faelia had been so nice to me and accepted me with ease. Why would someone hate her?
"Before the council, the dimensions were essentially ruled by Kings or Queens. Some people didn't like the ruling, but it was by far the fairest option compared to what we deal with now. Council leaders are stubborn and won't submit to change. Doesn't matter which dimension you go to. Even Othello is stubborn, but once he raised me, his mindset changed," Faelia explained.
"Is Othello like your guardian?" I asked.
"Yes. Long story short, Othello found out about what I was, and my parents begged for him to protect me. He was kinda like Magnor, but really strict at times. It wasn't until he witnessed my own people bullying me to the point of wanting to exile a child that he put his foot down. Since then, he basically took me on as his own. Once Miona came into the picture, it kinda felt like we were a family." Faelia sighed, lowering her hand and relaxing once more.
"To everyone, the Fae are perfect creatures who think of the good for everyone. It's not until your own kind turns on you and shows you the darker part of your race that you realize not everything that glitters is gold," Faelia whispered.
"Faelia..." I whispered.
"I don't regret my past though. I went through a lot and, because of my forbidden nature, I ended up meeting my men. We grew up with one another, and even though they loved to destroy everything and cause trouble, I love them. They made me a better and stronger person. All I need is to make a ‘How To Wrap Your Harem Around Your Finger for Dummies’ handbook," she joked.
"Why is it that whenever you’re counting down, people run like the world is ending?" I asked. The thought popped into to my mind because when she counted down at their house, Axel and the others ran like the world was indeed ending.
Faelia giggled. "Ah, let's just say when I reach five, I have no mercy on anyone. If you're in the room, you're getting the same wrath as the person who committed the crime. The older students learned that the hard way and once that happened, it spread like wildfire. Now no one messes with me. Not even the professors. Only Othello and Miona can tell me what to do since I think of them as parents rather than professors."
"I think that's pretty awesome though," I giggled. We sat in comfortable silence for a while before I wondered about the guys.
"Faelia?"
"Yes, Arielle?"
"Do you think...I can date more than just one familiar?" I asked.
"I don't see why not," Faelia replied. I looked at her, noticing her eyes were closed and she'd put her hands behind her head.
"But I'm currently dating Noah," I pointed out.
"Your point?" she asked.
"Do you think he'd break up with me if I said I wanted to date the others?" I asked. I hadn't forgotten the conversation Noah and Gabriel had when I was ‘asleep’ while they carried me home with Hunter.
It lingered in my mind, making me wonder if I could share myself the way Celestia shared herself with her men. It looked difficult to do, and I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
"Noah will not break up with you," Faelia reassured me. "You know about their upbringing, right?"
"Yes. Gabriel told me," I replied.
"Then they shouldn't have a problem. They watched their Mother be in love with a raven and a dove familiar, and she shared herself equally. I'm sure Noah wouldn't mind sharing you, but you could also ask," Faelia suggested.
"I've never been on a date before though. What if I screw it up?"
"Arielle, be yourself." She opened her eyes to look at me before she continued. "I'll tell you this. Noah fell in love with you the moment he saw your familiar form. He talked about how beautiful you were for the remainder of the walk and couldn't stop talking about the encounter. I've known Noah long enough to know he doesn't fall for anyone easily, and neither does Gabriel. Also, familiars aren't like humans who can fall in love with just anyone."
"They can't?" I asked.
"Familiars can sense if they're compatible with someone. It's like a pull or a feeling that runs through you when you look or think about the familiar or familiars in question. When you think of Noah do you feel that?" Faelia inquired.
"Well, I feel kinda warm and fuzzy. Like, my heart pounds fast and thinking about him makes me really excited, and my body feels weird, especially when I'm in human form." I confessed.
"And when you think about the others?"
"Well...it was the same with Gabriel. Not because he looks like Noah or anything. He just gave off his own vibe, and I really liked it. Rainer, Axel, Griffin, and Asher...they all give me a different sensation that makes me want to be closer to them. To learn more about who they are. I've never gotten the same feelings with other familiars around here," I explained.
Faelia had a pleased grin on her face as she nodded. "Take everything a step at a time. With my men, it was hard for me to think of dating all five of them at first, so I focused on one, then two, and so forth. None of them rushed me, and it gave me time to balance myself between them. Noah and the others are very patient, and I believe if they all are interested in dating you, they'll be willing to go at your pace."
"Okay. So I'll just focus on Noah for now, and then can move on if I'm ready to?" I clarified.
"Yup. Let your feelings run their course, and don't feel afraid to slow down if you think everything is going too fast. You're the decision maker in this relationship once you start sharing yourself and as long as you communicate with the others involved, you shouldn't struggle too much. I'm here if you need extra help. Once you're comfortable with telling Celestia, she'd most likely support you as well."
"She's been really busy. I don't want to burden her," I admitted.
"I doubt you'll burden her, Arielle. I understand that the transition stages with Aslan are stressful, and Celestia is probably dealing with her own issues with everything that occurred before. I suggest you tell her when you deem is the right time. You don't want her thinking that you wanted to keep it a secret," Faelia suggested.
I sat up and frowned, feeling a bit panicked at Celestia thinking wrongly. "I don't want her thinking I didn't want to share it with her."
Faelia sat up and grinned. "One step at a time, Arielle. Don't panic yet. I haven't met Celestia, but I assume she's rather laid back and understanding. When you think things are lifting off with Noah and the others, you can tell her. She's already met Noah, correct?"
"Yes. She met him the day you came to pick him up," I replied.
Faelia nodded and leaned back to rest against the wooden wall. "Then you don't need to worry. If I were in Celestia's shoes, I
'd probably already know something was brewing between you and Noah."
"You think she knows?" I gawked at her.
"Celestia's raised you for what, fifteen years? She's practically a mother. She'll know, even if she's not telling you. Either way, be patient and when you think it's right to tell her, feel free to. I believe your Mistress who loves you will want you to be happy. If you’re in a harem relationship that provides such happiness, she'd have nothing against it," Faelia confirmed.
"You're really knowledgeable, Faelia," I pointed out.
"Not really. I'm still learning and growing, but years ago I experienced much of what you guys are going through now." She smirked.
"Thanks for always helping me." I bowed my head towards her.
"So formal. That's what friends are for," Faelia replied. We smiled at each other before we heard footsteps outside. Shadows of walking girls made their way past the door.
"Guess class is over. Hmmm..." Faelia trailed off, her eyes beginning to glow different colors.
"Faelia?" I asked. Faelia’s smile widened, and she blinked a few times before she turned her attention to me.
"I think we're about to witness something exciting," Faelia beamed.
"Exciting? Is my Mistress going to kick some ass?!" I asked with excitement. It was LONG overdue for some fighting action with all these girls who've been pestering my Mistress.
"Maybe yes, maybe no, but I'm not missing the action. Let's go take a peek," Faelia encouraged, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her waist.
I smirked, my body already buzzing to have a little payback from all the annoying torment Celestia had received over the last few weeks from the girls in our class.
It's time to Bru-Ree some bitches!
"Hey, Rainbow. We need to talk," an irritated voice bit out.
I knew that voice and mentally groaned. It matched the annoying girl named Jess in Celestia's class. I think her name was Jess? Wait, why do I care again?
"What, Jess? Wait, it was Jess right?" Celestia replied, and I grinned proudly at her tone.
Arielle Rainbow (Familiar Blessed Chronicles Book 1) Page 16