Fangs and Fur- Beta Read Along
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2025 by LA Magill. All distribution rights reserved for the exclusive use of Wicked Women LLC.
Dili crossed her arms over her chest and ignored the vampire. Hadrian kept staring at her, but he didn’t push the conversation.
The amount of time meant so little to her. Two and a half centuries would pass in the blink of an eye. That wasn’t what bothered her.
Despite what Hadrian had said, Toad would be nearly immortal. The most horrible could still happen, but walking by her side? After Toad served his contract, he would live as long as she did, and if she could make it possible, longer.
It meant Dili would never have to say goodbye to another familiar.
Not so long as she drew breath.
She controlled the shudder threatening to wrack her shoulders. No other familiar had given so much for her. Especially a cat, nonetheless. Of all of those who’d chosen to walk, fly, slither, or swim by her side, the cats had always been the proudest. For Toad to accept the yoke of a true master meant everything to Dili.
The weight of his choice sank like an anchor through her heart, grounding her as she hadn’t felt for eons. The feeling of belonging was comforting, but almost overwhelming. His sacrifice lifted the certainty of her sorrow… and it felt like too much. Too much to hope for and too much to receive.
The witch knew in that moment that she’d never voice her discomfort with Toad’s choice. It was his to make, and so it was hers to accept.
She may have felt quite undeserving, but as always, Toad was right.
Which, unfortunately, also meant that Toad had to be right about his vampiric service, too. No matter if the next two hundred and fifty years were as arduous as she expected, the trials would be worth it. Probably.
Still, she didn’t have to like the vampire that came with the package deal. At least he’d only be a temporary nuisance—and Dili would make sure he remained just a nuisance and nothing worse.
The witch searched for Toad’s green eyes. Her heart ached when she met his glowing gaze, now understanding that his choice had everything to do with choosing her.
He blinked back. He knew.
“You’re right, but it’s a shame we’ll have to translate through him the whole time,” Dili said.
Toad meowed, and Hadrian translated. “He says it’s a small price to pay.”
“Easy to say now,” Dili muttered.
The witch dropped her head for a moment and sighed. One vampire wouldn’t be too terrible. Not really. It’d be nothing compared to being imprisoned by the divine.
So, she rolled her shoulders back, cleared her throat, and got to work.
“Have you ever taken on a witch’s familiar for a disciple?” she asked in a crisp tone.
For the first time, Hadrian paused. He glanced sideways at Toad, but the cat turned his head away, refusing to make eye contact.
“I take your silence as a no,” she said flatly.
He didn’t contradict her.
“Have you at least had the pleasure of collaborating with cats before?” she asked.
“Collaborating?” Hadrian repeated.
“Of course. What else would it be?” she asked.
The vampire paused again. “Well—”
“Well, nothing,” Dili interrupted, but she didn’t particularly care about being polite. “He is your apprentice: no less, and no more. You do not care for him. You do not live with him.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree,” Hadrian said, voice smooth as ice. “But on that last note, I hoped we might come to some sort of arrangement.”
Dili smirked. “Was the lightning bolt not clear enough?”
“Quite clear, fair witch, though where I go, my disciple must follow. Are you implying you’d like us both to leave?”
“No,” Dili said.
“Then you see the problem,” Hadrian said lightly.
“Your—” Dili jabbed a finger toward the vampire. “—living situation doesn’t concern me.”
“But it does. Technically, you invited me into your home, so—”
“By trickery,” Dili cut him off. “And it won’t happen again.”
Hadrian pursed his lips, eyeing her critically, but he kept his mouth shut.
Dili crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
Toad meowed as if they were both being dramatic.
Hadrian grunted. “That is not helpful.”
“What did he say?” Dili asked. She hated not being able to understand her familiar.
“Something I’d regret repeating out loud,” Hadrian muttered.
Toad meowed in protest, which Dili supported, but the vampire disregarded them both. Instead, he pushed up from the tree and began pacing in front of Dili. A playful smile tugged up at his lips, making the gaunt lines of his face more severe.
“So let me get this straight: you won’t let me stay,” he said.
“No.”
“But you also don’t want us to go,” he said.
“No, I don’t want Toad to go.”
Hadrian side-eyed her. Toad meowed loudly, enough for both of them to glance his way.
“He says you’re being unreasonable,” Hadrian translated, looking far too smug.
“I’m sure he did.” Dili’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“He really did,” Hadrian said.
Dili grunted, unconvinced. “Unreasonable would be blasting you with more lightning, and I’m not, am I?”
“A kindness for which I’m deeply grateful.” Hadrian paused in his pacing to give her a theatrical bow.
Dili fought the urge to roll her eyes. “I recognize Toad serves you. That doesn’t mean I have to get along with you.”
Hadrian grinned. “I’m not so terrible once you get to know me.”
“I don’t want to get to know you.”
“You wound me, fair witch.”
“Stop calling me that.”
The vampire inclined his head in mock deference, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. “If you insist… Pinky.”
“P-pinky?!” Dili scoffed.
“Well, since you have yet to introduce yourself, and you reject my compliments, what else—”
“My name is Dili,” she interrupted him.
His smile widened, showing off his fangs. “I know.”
The witch nearly gave in to the urge to berate him for his insufferable manner, but she didn’t want to feed into his teasing.
Hadrian appraised her stony silence for a moment more, then he surprised her. Instead of goading her further, he stopped pacing and faced her. As he held her eye contact, the irritating glint in his green eyes faded. Then, he spread his arms with his palms toward her.
“I understand this situation is unwanted on your part—”
“If that isn’t the understatement of the century,” she muttered.
“—But Toad is my responsibility now, and I will make the best decisions I can for us both,” Hadrian continued. ” I wanted to include you because he cares more for you than anyone or anything else in the world, but I won’t let you interfere with his training, nor will I sacrifice my wellbeing for your comfort.”
Dili stared at the vampire, but no defensive quip sprang to her lips.
After a moment, Hadrian cleared his throat. “So, I must ask of you, Dili DaRise, do you really want to drive me out, or will you help us?”
Dili couldn’t answer. Her head darted toward Toad, who watched her as intently as the vampire did, his tail swishing back and forth.
“I…” the witch trailed off.
An uncomfortable silence built between the three of them. Of course, Dili wanted to help; she wanted to support Toad in any way she could.
But that was just it. Dili knew nothing about vampiric life outside of the constant need for blood, and the violence that could follow when that need wasn’t met. More importantly, she also didn’t know what kind of training Toad needed from Hadrian to learn blood magic. Besides providing synthetic blood, she didn’t think there were any other substances she could make to support Toad, and she doubted her other talents would be of much use, either.
The witch held her familiar’s unblinking gaze. She had lived too long and survived too much to make any agreements in ignorance. If only she could still have communicated with Toad without going through that vampire…
“Something tells me you care about Toad the same way he cares about you,” Hadrian’s gentle voice lifted the tension in the air.
Keeping her eyes on the black cat, Dili whispered, “With all my heart.”
Toad’s pupils dilated, and his whiskers flared. He blinked at her, and her chest ached with the quiet in her mind.
A low grumble came from Hadrian’s direction. “Well… that wasn’t the answer I wanted, but it will have to do for now. I can’t begin training him anyway until I recover from the turn.”
That wasn’t what Dili had wanted to hear from him either, but at least he’d given her a clue about how she could help. She tore her eyes away from Toad and cocked her head at the vampire.
“You mean… you need to feed before you can begin instruction?” she asked.
“Well, yes.” Hadrian swept his arms up and down his body. “There’s not much of me to spare at the moment for blood magic.”
Dili didn’t understand what he meant by that, but she still fished around in her right pocket and withdrew the large synthetic blood bag.
But before she could utter a single word, Hadrian pounced.
Next chapter coming Friday, September 19.