Page 47 of The Librarian’s Familiar

“Why not?” As he spoke, both sets of laces came undone, like they’d somehow come to life and slithered onto the floor. He hadn’t felt a thing. He knelt and did up his laces, again, then paused, glancing up. “You did that when I left the library.”

Because if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was to tie laces.

“I did. I wanted to check out your ass.”

“Unfair advantage.” August stood. Charlie had his coat on, as well as a knitted hat. He was probably going to get too hot, but that was better than the alternative, although now he had no excuse to hold him close and keep him warm.

He lifted his hands. “I use what I have. Ready?”

“Always.” He smiled. He loved going to the lake and was glad he was the one taking Charlie.

Then Charlie added, “I won’t be offended if you don’t want to hold my hand in town.”

Words stuck in his throat. “I want to, but I’m not sure I’m ready to do that.” Everyone knew him or his family, and they’d talk and whisper amongst themselves, and then word would get back to his parents, and he hadn’t said anything to them. While he was used to people talking about him, it was for his skills on the ice, not what he did in bed. That was private. It should only be between him and the person he was with. It shouldn’t matter to anyone else.

And it wouldn’t matter that much in town, aside from the gossip and the shift of attention he would face, mostly because a bunch of single guys would suddenly start offering him their number. But someone might take a photo of him and Charlie together and post it online—another August North sighting—then people would want to know who he was with and why he was holding a man’s hand, and then the rumors would start, and the questions would rise. Everything he’d done over the last twenty years would be scrutinized.

What if old flings and hook-ups suddenly put two and two together and came out of the woodwork to sell their story?

Was there still money to be made by dropping his name?

How long did he need to wait until his name was a distant memory no one cared about? Five years? Ten years? He didn’t want to put his life on hold for another decade, but he wasn’t ready now either, and he didn’t know when he would be.

What if he never was?

“I get it,” Charlie said, but there was something in his voice that made August wonder for how long Charlie would wait. It wasn’t fair to demand secrecy.

And now they had the fated mates bond, which was also a secret.

“You need to be aware that some of them are perceptive witches, and even some shifters will be able to tell that something about you has changed,” Charlie said. “They can sense the bond, even if they don’t know what they’re sensing. However, those with a bond will work it out.”

“Shit.” He hadn’t thought of that. “Will they know it’s you?”

“No, they won’t be able to tell who it is, and you don’t have to tell them anything. However, most bonds happen between same-sex couples.”

“Are we talking ninety-nine percent or seventy-five percent?” How much wiggle room did he have?

Charlie gave him a look like he was extremely disappointed. Which was somehow worse than being annoyed and snapping at him. If Charlie had told him to get over himself, grabbed his hand, and marched him out the door, it might’ve been easier.

“According to the Coven database, it’s a little less than the former. I can guarantee you that even if people don’t know the official stats, it’s the first thing they will think of. So maybe you need to have a good hard think about this thing. Because it’s not a secret you can keep around so many paranormals.”

“That’s the trouble with this town. Too many bloody shifters, always using their heightened senses.” Him included.

“Yeah, but it’s nice not to worry about revealing a bit too much. Even for me. Did no one ever ask about the fur in your hotel rooms?”

“No…because I always had a good luck stuffed polar bear made of polar bear fur.”

Charlie’s eyes widened. “Fuck, that’s some serious planning.”

“My grandmother made it.” She’d given it to him when he went away to boarding school.

“I’m hoping it was made of not-shifter.”

August grimaced. “I would like to agree with you…however, with that particular grandmother, anything is actually possible.”

“Yet you still carried it round?”

“Dressed in the team colors, so no one asked about the polar bear fur in my room because they all knew about the toy.”