*Oona’s POV*

I sat silently for a few seconds. "Thank you, Sebastian. You have provided me with great clarity. Do you know how Andy will fare once I am gone?"

Sebastian cocked his head at me. "If that comes to pass, which would be a great misfortune, it would be as though you had never visited him. But heed me, Oona. Andy's human heart may belong to Juliet, but Andy is not solely human. Even a mated incubus is not monogamous."

I lifted my eyebrows. "But Sebastian..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oona, to be mated is an emotional bond, not an exclusive one. I suggest you talk to Andy before you decide to throw yourself in the Styx." He sat back and gave me a look, strong chin up and his left eyebrow a little higher than his right. Hmmm...

I supposed I had learned all that I could. "Er, alright, thank you again, Sebastian. If I don't see you again-"

"-Oh, pooh! I'll see you later, my dear!" He rolled his eyes a little at me and gave me the ghost of a smirk.

---

I had gone from Sebastian's dwelling to Andy's living room again, where I found both cats waiting. I recounted what had happened, leaving nothing out. They both listened attentively.

It was profoundly difficult to reveal that I had learned that I loved Andy. I apologized profusely. Crow said he understood, as they both loved him too. After watching him for so long, he didn't see how I could not. Seeing it from that perspective, I felt somewhat better.

Once I had finished, Femme sat up a bit. "Talk Andy, tell him." She paused, tilting her head. "Oona. Not give up. Andy like. Touch dick many!" I couldn’t help but smile.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Femme. As agreed, I'll do my best to try and keep Andy on task with your care while I can." She made a little set of the motions with her front paws and let out a small purr.

I had the urge to pet her like a housecat, but I had never done such a thing before, though I had seen it many times. I wasn't certain of the method. I had watched Andy and Juliet pet both Crow and Femme, and they seemed to like it, but perhaps it was contextual?

Femme had seen me reach out my hand a bit before I stopped myself. She stood and butted her head affectionately against it, then rubbed along it, and so I carefully stroked along her back a few times. Her purring was loud and made me happy to hear; I realized I was grinning like a youngling.

"Oona, have you never petted a cat before?" I shook my head. "Ah, well, here are a few tips. If you see a cat offering you its belly to rub, proceed with caution, many will attack you if you do. Also, stroke in the direction of the fur. And if the cat begins to drool or make muffins, you have truly succeeded in petting it in the correct fashion." Eh?

"Making muffins?" I had never seen a cat bake.

"It is a idiomatic expression. Also called making biscuits or kneading." Crow started making the little paw motions Femme had been making earlier. With each paw alternating in its contraction, I suppose it did look a bit like dough manipulation. "Also, some cats may groom you with their tongue, which is rough. Generally, this is affectionate." I nodded. Interesting.

Both cats looked at each other. "Good luck, Oona." Femme nodded.

I nodded, and walked to the bedroom. I felt my heart had begun to race as I crossed the open doorframe.

Notes

Sebastian knows an awful lot about Andy. on the other hand, he’s hundreds of thousands of years old and knows about everything.