Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Rescue [The Shifters of Alligator Bend 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Charlotte Rose

  Swimming to the side of the boat, he climbed in carefully, trying to avoid toppling the vessel again. All he wanted to do was get some answers. When he looked at the expression on Serafine’s face, he suspected that not only did she know exactly what was going on, but it wasn't going to be easy to get a direct answer.

  A panting Xavier joined him in the boat.

  “I’m sorry, man,” Oscar said, still gasping for air. “I don’t know what the fuck came over me.”

  “I bet Serafine does,” Xavier said, loud enough for her to hear.

  But the second the strange woman realized they were back to human form, she started freaking out all over again.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” she screamed. When she saw the startled looks on their faces, she paused and started to take long, deep breaths. “No, no, this isn’t happening. This just isn’t happening. I stayed out in the sun too long. I didn’t drink enough water. I ate some spoiled food for lunch. I never actually woke up from my nap. That’s it. I’m still dreaming. This is just a dream.”

  The woman seemed so calm when she decided she was dreaming that Oscar hated to see Serafine reach over and pinch her.

  I wish I could pinch her, he found himself thinking, and wished that they were still in gator form so that Xavier could sense his thoughts and be in on the joke.

  “Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?” she asked, rubbing her arm.

  Serafine grinned. “You sure you’re dreamin’, girl?”

  The woman slowly turned her head toward Oscar and Xavier, and her breathing sped up again. “Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m not dreaming.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, neither can we,” Oscar said. Despite her frazzled state, he could tell she was gorgeous. He imagined the messy, curly brown hair she currently had pulled up would look gorgeous when spread out over a cool, white pillowcase. He could envision the curvaceous outline of her petite body through the dingy clothes and rubber boots that covered her. Her face was red from crying and hyperventilating, but her bright blue eyes had a gorgeous sparkle.

  Serafine reached over and smoothed the woman’s hair. “Would ya feel better if we made some introductions? I’m Serafine Maxtent. These two are Oscar Galvez and Xavier Dupart.”

  Oscar ran a hand through his wavy hair and nodded to the woman. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Xavier carefully reached out across the boat, extending his hand. He was so tall he appeared to loom over her, and Oscar didn’t begrudge Adele for looking even more nervous. But she allowed him a gentle handshake.

  “I—” She paused, as if uncertain whether or not to trust them with her name. “I’m Adele Roche. And quite frankly, I’m a little worried that I’m having some sort of hallucination, so I think perhaps I should be leaving.”

  Serafine chuckled. “Don’t worry, this is all real. I’ll explain in a second. First, let’s just make sure nobody happens to sail this way for a little bit.” She reached into her robes and pulled out a small bag. Opening it, she dumped a pile of black powder into her hand and tossed it into the air. Then, she started to speak.

  Spirits of the bayou

  Shadows of the water

  Invisible creatures of the world

  Gather ’round so you may hear

  Gather ’round so you may see

  Gather ’round so you may be

  Unified as one being

  Acting as our guardians

  Our shields and our protectors

  Hiding these forms from the light of day

  From the senses of searchers

  So even if they seek us out

  We cannot be found

  So let it be

  Brushing off her hands, she turned back to Adele and smiled. “That spell means we’re protected for an hour. Now, what are you doin’ out here, Ms. Roche?”

  Adele straightened up, as though she was trying to make herself look taller than her five-foot-five frame. But Oscar could see that she had gone white. “I—I’m a biology professor at Tulane.” She nodded toward a small box at the bottom of her boat. Oscar noticed that her hands were shaking, but when she caught him staring, she quickly stuffed them into her pockets. “I was out here collecting samples for my research.”

  Her voice cracked slightly, and she stopped to take a deep breath. Oscar felt sorry that she was so scared, but when he reached out to give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, she took a quick step back. He quickly dropped his hand, not wanting to intimidate her further.

  “Just as I was finishing up, I saw these two pull up in their boat and pull out beer. I tried to stop them, because this is a protected area, and only certain people are allowed to enter.” At this point, she stood up even straighter, throwing her shoulders back. Oscar couldn’t help but noticed the way her actions enhanced her full, round breasts.

  “You need to have a special permit,” Adele explained. “And the state doesn’t give those out to beer-drinking locals looking for a place to while away the afternoon.”

  Serafine laughed. “Girl, we don’t need no permit to be on these waters. This is our land.”

  Adele blinked. “Excuse me? Your land? These marshes are not your land. We’re several miles away from any sort of area that humans can inhabit.”

  “Yes, but as you might have noticed, we ain’t exactly human.”

  “I–I suppose that’s true.”

  “Why don’t you come back to the congregation with us? We’re havin’ ourselves a little celebration tonight, in light of it bein’ the equinox and all that. Spring is finally here, winter finally done gone.”

  Oscar could see Adele go pale at the thought. “Thank you, but really, I need to get these samples back to the lab, and I should just go on home. It’s really been quite a long day.”

  “Aw, you’re just afraid is all,” Serafine said. “Can’t say I blame you. But there’s an explanation for everything you saw today, and it’ll be more enjoyable for me to tell you all about it over a nice bowl of gumbo.”

  “I do appreciate your hospitality, but I’m beginning to doubt my own sanity here, so maybe it would be for the best if I just went on my way.”

  “Honey, I promise you, these men might look tough, but they ain’t gonna hurt you, and neither am I. We’re just gonna go back to the congregation, have a little supper, and then I’ll send you on your way.”

  “What if I can’t find my way back from your home?”

  “I’ll escort you personally, if that’s what you want.”

  Oscar heard Adele’s stomach rumble, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

  Adele narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s so funny?”

  “I just have a feelin’ you’re suddenly more keen on acceptin’ our dinner invitation.”

  “I have food at home.”

  “You work at Tulane, honey. You ain’t gonna get to the port for at least an hour. And then you have to take your stuff to the lab before you can go home. Might as well just get some dinner with us before you head out for the night.”

  Adele sighed. Oscar could see the debate she was having with herself.

  “Fine,” she finally said. “But only if I get some more answers to my questions.”

  “I already promised that,” Serafine said with a grin. “Don’t worry. It’ll all make sense once we’ve sat down an’ talked it out.”

  Oscar shot Xavier a look of optimism, and Xavier gave him a slight smile. Then he turned back toward Adele. “We’re just as interested in gettin’ some answers as you are.”

  “Okay, then,” she said, finally revving up her engine. “Show me the way.”

  Turning on the ignition to his own boat, Oscar caught Adele’s eye, and she gave him a small smile. Another powerful feeling surged within him, and for a moment, he worried he’d shift again. But this time his body didn’t change, although the power of her gorgeous eyes still pulsed in his body as he set the boat in motion and began to pilot home.

  Chapter Two

  What the hell am I doing
? Adele asked herself as she followed Serafine’s boat through the swamps. Oscar and Xavier sailed behind her so that if at any point she and Serafine became separated, they could ensure she’d make it back to the congregation safely. She couldn’t believe that she’d willingly decided to follow them. Then again, she couldn’t believe two men had changed into alligators right before her eyes.

  After a few miles, the soft glow of white lights appeared on the horizon. As they pulled closer, Adele gasped at the beautiful village of houseboats that was floating along the river. The boats were all decorated with paper lanterns in a variety of colors, and for a moment, Adele believed she had sailed into a magical realm where everything was bathed in a soft rainbow of colors.

  Though given everything else I’ve seen today, maybe that isn’t a completely unrealistic proposition.

  “Welcome home,” Serafine said, smiling over at Adele.

  Adele gave a tense smile. She felt it would be best not to contradict her guide back to New Orleans, even if this place bore no resemblance to the home she actually had.

  “Your community is gorgeous,” Adele said.

  Serafine nodded. “Ain’t it? These boats all suffered during Katrina, but we’ve built everything back up since then. Even our fishing business has survived all these tough times.”

  Before Adele could respond, two pale, blond men poked their heads out of a second-story window.

  “Hey, Serafine! Any new thoughts on that rescue plan yet?” one of the men yelled.

  “Not yet, Manuel.” Both men frowned, and Adele began to feel nervous, wondering what sort of strange congregation she had walked into.

  “Cheer up!” Serafine continued. “I got company with me. Xavier and Oscar gave her a big ol’ scare down in the swamp.”

  Suddenly, their eyes perked up.

  “What do you mean by a scare?” the second man asked

  The first man laughed. “Don’t answer that. I think we know what she means. Bring her aboard! We’ve been cooking on this boat all day.”

  “What did they mean?” Adele asked Oscar and Xavier as they tied up their boats on the fragile-looking docks sticking out of the water.

  Xavier grunted. “I don’t think she’ll say anythin’ until we sit down for dinner.”

  Adele tried to keep her frustration in check as they crossed the dock and the first man held out his hand to help them into the boat. If they wanted to kill me, they could have drowned me out in the swamp. I need to calm down.

  “My name is Manuel Vitrac,” the blond man said once Adele was safely on the boat. “And this is Andre Celestin.”

  “Adele Roche. Are you two in charge here?”

  Manuel gave a hearty laugh. “I suppose we are, but only a little bit. We’re more of a collective than anythin’ else. Serafine’s the one who’s really in charge, though. She’s keeps us all together. You can always ask her if you have any questions.”

  Adele gave another tight smile. “Serafine seems to delay answering my questions.”

  Andre laughed. “You’ll understand why when she finally tells you.

  Oscar and Xavier climbed aboard and nodded toward Manuel and Andre.

  “It would be nice if someone would enlighten us now,” Xavier grumbled.

  “All in good time,” Manuel said. “But for now, it smells like the food is ready. Let’s go eat, and then we’ll explain everything.”

  Walking into the cabin to get some dinner, Adele couldn’t believe how big the boat was. It looked like at least three dozen people could live there. The food was laid out in the kitchen, which was twice as spacious as the one in her apartment. Despite the number of people scattered around, the space didn’t feel claustrophobic.

  Although she briefly worried that she might disappear into the crowd, she had the sensation that both Xavier’s and Oscar’s eyes were on her all the time. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she was right. Even though they were chatting with other members of the congregation, she couldn’t help but notice that one of them was always gazing at her.

  At one point, Xavier managed to catch her eye and gave her a wink. Adele couldn’t help but blush. She saw him chuckle at her response, and she blushed even harder. Finally, she turned away, surprised by her own reaction. I barely know these guys, and I’m not entirely convinced that this is all real. Why am I getting so worked up over them? “Help yourself,” Manuel said. “A guest as important as you deserves all the food she can eat.”

  Adele tried to shrug off the comment as she loaded her plate with fried okra and crawfish étouffée. If they were going to poison me, they wouldn’t all be serving themselves from the same pots and pans, now would they?

  Once she’d taken her food, Adele went in search of silverware in the crowded kitchen. With her eyes focused on countertops and drawers, she ran straight into someone and had to grip her bowl to keep from losing her food.

  “Oh! I’m sorry!”

  Adele thought the apologetic voice sounded familiar. She looked up to see Georgina staring back at her. Adele was startled enough that she once again had to grip the sides of her plate to keep from losing her food.

  “Georgina! What—what are you doing here?”

  “Professor Roche, I can explain.”

  For a moment, Adele didn’t have any idea what Georgina was talking about.

  “Explain? Does that mean you know what’s going on here? Did they give you any information already? Do you think you can give me the CliffsNotes version? I’m getting desperate for answers.” Adele could feel her voice getting higher with every statement, but she couldn’t help it. Her nerves were completely shot.

  “That—that wasn’t quite what I meant.” Georgina averted her eyes. “I, uh, I sort of blew off the data collection trip today.”

  “That’s right, you did.” Adele tried to conjure up some of the frustration she’d felt earlier that day, but her mind was too focused on the strange scenario in which she currently found herself. “I think—I think we’re going to have to have a talk about your lack of commitment to the lab, but I’m a little distracted at the moment. So just be at my office at eight o’clock on Monday morning and we’ll, uh, we’ll chat about your future in the program.”

  “I do have an excuse, if you’ll just—”

  Adele didn’t let her finish. “I’m sure you do, but right now, I have to figure out why two men turned into alligators right before my very eyes. A lot of confusing things have happened to me today, and I really don’t have the energy to deal with academics right now. Okay?”

  Georgina nodded. “Yes.”

  “So did they give you answers already, or are you going just as crazy as I am?”

  “Professor Roche, I live here. I’m one of them.”

  Adele felt her jaw drop, but she closed it as quickly as she could. “Well, then, I guess you didn’t need anybody to give you answers. Um, please excuse me. I have some things I need to get figured out.”

  Adele finally found a fork and joined everyone else who had already dispersed to the outer docks. Some chose seats higher up, while others preferred to sit down below, closer to the water. Adele walked outside and saw Xavier and Oscar sitting on one of the lower docks. She had a sudden impulse to approach them but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Perhaps they didn’t want anything to do with her. But Oscar caught her eye, smiled, and waved her over.

  Blushing over having been caught staring, Adele settled herself close to them. She struggled to ogle them discreetly. Although she was confused and scared by everything that had happened that afternoon, she couldn’t help but feel attracted to their smooth, strong bodies. She bristled with anticipation when Serafine eased her way out of the kitchen and slowly made her way toward them. Manuel kept shooting glances their way and laughed at them.

  “Okay, Serafine, what’s goin’ on here?” Oscar blurted out when she finally sat down.

  Serafine sighed. “You kids today are so damned impatient.”

  “The three of us just had the crazie
st afternoon of our lives, and you’re withholding information. You’re damn right I’m impatient.”

  “Okay, okay.” Serafine set aside her plate. “Adele, I’m willin’ to bet you’re a little confused about what you saw this afternoon.”

  “That would be an understatement, but yes.”

  “You think you saw two men suddenly turn to gators before your very eyes, and then turn back, right?”

  “That’s correct.” Adele withheld a sigh, wishing that Serafine would hurry up and get to the point. She wished she could take a harsh tone the way Oscar had, but she didn’t dare.

  “And how might you go ’bout explaining that?”

  Adele shrugged. “A dream or a hallucination, I guess.”

  “What if I told you that everything you saw was real?”

  “I’m not sure I could believe you.”

  Serafine grinned. “Need a little more proof? Xavier, go on, prove it to her.”

  Xavier shook his head. “I ain’t changin’ again until I get some answers about this afternoon.”

  “Aw, come on. Give the girl some peace of mind.”

  “I’ll do it, Serafine.” Georgina stepped forward. “It’ll probably mean more coming from me, anyway, seeing as Adele knows me and all.”

  “Y’all know each other?” Serafine asked, raising an eyebrow at Adele.

  “Yes. Georgina is one of my graduate research assistants.”

  “I was supposed to be out on the boat this morning with Adele, gathering water samples,” Georgina said. Her timid face turned to a glare. “And now I’m probably gonna get fired because y’all made me stay home. They’re probably gonna kick me out of school because you’re always finding a reason why I can’t leave.”

  “You were needed here,” Serafine snapped. “We had work to do. I don’t know what you need that fancy degree for, anyway. The rest of us do just fine without it.”

  “Maybe I’m not like the rest of you,” Georgina snapped.

  Adele’s head began to swim with confusion, which only got worse as Georgina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to transform right in the middle of the party. Her skin developed a green armor, her face lengthened, her hair disappeared, a tail emerged from her lower back, and she suddenly dropped to all fours.