Serpentine

by J. Kearston

  I'm grateful that they're older so we can skip the toddler stage of parenting, but truth be told, I've never really wanted kids. Add in their experience with their uncle, and I don't exactly want to think of myself as their cool, fun aunt, either. We might be distantly related, but I still feel like a stranger that simply tried to do the right thing, only for it to bite me in the ass.

  There's a tense moment before Caleb says, "You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Pulling to a stop not far from the island, he rakes a hand through his hair. "We rotate between guard duty, and scouting; every shifter around here does. Not because we were hired; fuck, we don't even get paid. We do it because-“ his shoulders slump, deflating a little. “We do it because we want to help people. This is our home, and we love everyone that lives here, even if they piss us off sometimes. We’ve heard countless stories of what these people and their ancestors used to go through regularly. So if we can save even one person from that fate?"

  He meets my eyes, begging me to understand. "Then it was worth it. We didn't find you in time to save you, Risa, not really. These guys would have saved you from your mother likely before she ever got you back home with as nearby as they were. But at least Addie doesn't have to go through anything like what you've had to. That’s why we do this."

  Devin starts walking across the sand onto the island without looking back to see if we’re following. "If you want to take the meds and be on your way, more power to ‘ya. We've done all that we can, so I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. Just don’t be so stubborn that you ruin the girl’s life out of spite trying to prove you don’t need anyone except yourselves.”

  The rest of the walk is made in awkward, contemplative silence. Leaving the beach behind, we enter the dense trees. Sweat trickles down my temples by the time the wolves slow down, faint chatter sending my senses into overdrive. A brief flash of panic causes my muscles to lock up, remembering the last time I was in any sort of crowd.

  “It’s alright,” Stryker murmurs, lacing his fingers with mine to ground me. “I’ve got you. Even if they were to try to blind or deafen us, I’m right here this time.” He flexes his grip on my hand, knowing instinctively that I need that anchor right now. “And I’m not letting go.”

  After taking a few steadying breaths, I begin walking again, the trees thinning out to reveal a hidden clearing that shifters seem to be so fond of setting up shop in. Small homes made of wood and stone lie before us, thatched roofing made of palm fronds and sticks. They’re large enough to house a small family relatively comfortably, and a small rustling overhead draws my eye, revealing a network of tree houses interconnected with rope bridges. A quick assessment shows a few dozen homes, but closing my eyes to focus, I count about sixty people in the vicinity.

  “Caleb!” someone shouts, nodding his head since he’s busy texting and I furrow my brow in surprise. “Thought you’d all be back a week ago.”

  The man in question rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Hit a few snags. Bright side, we have some potential newcomers, so any chance you could take point arranging a bonfire tonight? Give them a chance to meet everybody?”

  The man gives him a knowing look. “You always have sucked at the sales pitch. I’ll handle it, man, no stress. You show ‘em around, and things will be ready by sunset, okay?”

  With a grateful dip of his head, Caleb smiles at the guy before he disappears, turning to us and walking backwards. “That’d be Charlie.” He starts rattling off a series of names as he gestures around to introduce the others in the area that I promptly forget, venturing dangerously into ‘sensory overload’ territory.

  After leaving the village behind, we walk for a short jaunt before reaching another, this island apparently home to five of them. The one closest to the bridge is primarily unmated shifters, and the fringes of the subsequent villages, bordering the beaches, are where the rest reside; mated or not. That way there’s always a barrier between the incorruptibles and the rest of the world, be it by land or by sea.

  The tide has started to overtake the path to the next island in the arc, so we start making our way back to the first village, legs on fire from a full day of hiking and walking with few breaks. By the time we see the smoke from the fires, the scents of roasting meat and vegetables teasing us, I’m ready to collapse for the night.

  Addie and Hunter flop down into the sand with a groan, looking about ten seconds from keeling over. I take a seat beside them, finally kicking off my shoes to pour an obscene amount of sand from them and strip off my socks, sighing in relief. Bane takes a seat on my left while Mason and Stryker drift off with the others, attempting to get a read on the people and the situation as discreetly as possible... which is with all of the grace of a runaway train.

  “So; already mated? That’s a first for me, I’ll admit,” some woman says, approaching me with an overflowing plate.

  She sets it down on the sand in front of us, sitting on the opposite side and gesturing for us to dig in. Naturally, Bane tries it first to see if it’s poisoned. After deeming that it’s safe, the kids and I dive in with gusto, and very well might have even if it was poisoned, with as hungry as we are.

  “That a problem?” My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head as I swallow down my current bite, moving on to the next with even more enthusiasm than before. “People here only interested in keeping you safe if you’re mate-able?”

  She purses her lips, tucking a loose, ebony curl behind her ear. “They really fucked this up, didn’t they?” Clucking her tongue, she plucks a piece of potato off of the platter. “Sara, not that you asked. And no, they don’t only protect you if they can-“ glancing at Hunter and Addie, she awkwardly rewords, “-possibly marry you.”

  Addie interjects, asking, “So you’re allowed to leave if you want to? They don’t keep you trapped here even though someone might try to take you? You can swim, or go to the movies? Visit zoos and go shopping?”

  Sara looks at Addie like she has three heads, and I naturally scoot closer, just so she doesn’t feel the odd man out for the innocent questions. “Yeah, I go to the mainland like, once a month? How else would we buy shit?”

  Hunter narrows his eyes, skeptical. “Isn't that dangerous, though?”

  “I mean, so long as we keep up with our meds, the worst we have to deal with is people hovering because they’re more drawn to us, but it's no different than a naturally charismatic person pulling your attention when you're out in public.” Sara takes another bite as I force myself to not interrupt with my multitude of questions. “And a shifter always goes with us so we’re not alone; usually we treat it like a group field trip and make a day of it. Shopping, visit the aquarium, hang out. How else would we meet people?”

  Bane breaks before I do. “Wait, you date?”

  If I thought Sara looked confused before, it’s nothing compared to now, when she’s likely questioning what the hell is wrong with us. “Well, yeah? Not like I exactly want to marry my second cousin. It's just treated as more... chaperoned dates. The first couple, at least, until our guard feels comfortable that the person isn't a total douchebag. We double date and shit to keep things from going too far, but I mean, the threat is if they feed off of us, not fuck us.” She covers her mouth with apology written all over her face despite the fact that neither Hunter nor Addie reacts.

  My mind turns back to Devin, selective with my phrasing. “And do the guards ever exploit their position?”

  Scanning my face, she catches my slip as my eyes unconsciously flit to Devin and back before she smirks, understanding dawning on her face. "Xander's pack? Trust me, those guys are as good as they come. Their mate's due in the next few months, and if you could see the way they look at Kara?” She shakes her head.

  “Plenty of people end up mating with the shifters around here, Risa. Most of them try to, in all honesty, and if they get shot down here, seek out some new blood when we’re on the mainland. White knights are popular for a reason, especially for vulnerable people like
us. We all just want to feel safe, and what's safer than a pack looking out for you? And once they start feeding from you?”

  She smiles, eye’s sparkling with amusement. “Well, I gather you already know. No better feeling in the world than someone obsessed with you, with the strength to back up their claims to keep you all to themselves. There are a couple of humans that live here, but they know what’s going on, what we are. It’s easier bringing in new shifters though, and we tend to favor them anyway. But there’s always that rare case where someone hits it off with a human, and with as unconventional as our lives already are, we’re not inclined to judge.”

  “Wait a second,” Bane cuts in, leaning forward. “You haven’t tried to turn them?”

  Sara’s chestnut eyes flash with determination and anger. “No. It’s a stupid fucking rule that to tell someone who we really are, we either need to turn them into one of us, not even giving them the choice to decide if it’s something they want, to weigh the pros and cons, or to risk them dying if the change doesn’t take. How cruel is it to look your mate in the face and hold them while they die, simply because of their genetics? They can’t help what they were born as any more than we could. It’s an archaic law written by men that wanted to expand our numbers and kill off humans while spinning it to look like it was to protect us from their wrath.”

  Respectful appreciation has Bane nodding. “And you’re already keeping yourselves a secret, so not like anyone would find out about it unless someone tried to leave, to turn on you.”

  Hunter stretches out on his back, folding his arms beneath his head and closing his eyes. “But if they did, the guards would kill them or the mob the traitor brought back with him.”

  Adelaide continues to pick at the food while watching the sun finish sinking beyond the horizon, the last traces of color absorbed into the water as night takes hold. “Can we sleep here tonight?”

  “I don’t see why not. Bane?”

  He’s already getting to his feet. “I doubt anyone would have room for six strangers to suddenly crash with them anyway, or that there just so happens to be any empty houses with for sale signs nearby.”

  Sara snorts. “We make our own, or people pitch in when someone new shows up to help them get settled. But Caleb already filled us in that you’re not sure if you’re staying, so nobody’s about to put in the effort helping you build unless you’re sure. We’ll all end up fighting over it if you leave.” She rises to her feet, taking the empty platter with her. “I’ll go hunt down some hammocks for you, though. Beach might be great for some things, but nobody wants to wake up with sand in their ears or a crab latched on to their toes.”

  “Sara.”

  She turns back to face me, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah?”

  Not sure why I suddenly feel so sad, I smile through it. “Thank you. For everything.”

  She returns my small smile with one of understanding. “It’s basic decency, Risa. Not something worth praising, and I’m sorry life’s been so cruel to you that you feel the need to do so.”

  Chapter 28

  Risa

  Still uncomfortable with the netting digging into my side, I give up all pretense of toughing it out and roll the rest of the way on top of Mason in our shared hammock, using him as a living mattress. Bane and Stryker are in serpent form, and they readjust with me, draped across my legs and back like a scaly blanket.

  Chuckling beneath me, his quiet laughter shakes his chest, and me right along with it. “Comfy?”

  Huffing in frustration, I rest my chin on my folded arms, peering down at him. “Sort of. Not really.”

  The moonlight is bright enough to paint the beach in a silver glow, Hunter and Addie in hammocks to our left, putting them closer to the beach with us as a buffer between them and the strangers in the nearby village.

  “Is it the sleeping arrangements, or is something else bothering you?” he asks, using the bond to cheat and make him look far too insightful.

  Straining my hearing, I confirm that the kids are really asleep instead of faking it, only risking continuing the conversation when I’m positive. Still, I drop my voice to barely more than a hushed whisper.

  “Part of me was hoping that when we showed up here, it would turn out that they’d have a long lost grandparent or aunt that didn't know they were still alive, thrilled to be reunited.”

  He strokes the back of his fingers across my cheek. “I agree. It's a lot, and I’m not han-“ he cuts himself off before sighing. “We’ll figure it out, one step at a time. It’s an adjustment for all of us, and every decision we have to make feels ten times more stressful than before. It seems like even the slightest, most innocuous choice will have a ripple effect of consequences.”

  Humming to myself, I rest my cheek on his chest, letting my eyes close as he continues to run his fingers over my jaw and neck. “Honestly, I think just being outside is doing them a world of good. The rest we’ll deal with as it comes up, but for now, maybe we should stop looking for everything that could go wrong, and simply take the little wins when they happen. Lord knows, they’re too rare as it is.”

  He slips his hand between me and Stryker, leaving his palm resting on my lower back. “You’re probably right, but it’s hard for me to ever expect anything besides the worst from people. I keep waiting for the grand reveal that this was all a trap that we fell for hook, line, and sinker, because we wanted it to be true so badly that we let it blind us. I’m just not sure how I could live with myself if I let my guard down and anything happened to you. Hell, I was on high alert when you were taken, Risa. This just... doesn’t actually feel like a win.”

  He releases a pent up breath, the sound long and weary. “Even if we decide to trust the wolves? The odds that the hundreds of other people across these islands are as decent as them aren’t very good. People in general are hit or miss, but society as a whole leaves much to be desired no matter where you go.”

  “I know,” I admit, as much as it pains me. “But I can still pretend a little longer for their sake.”

  ***

  The sound of a whining bark startles us all awake. The guys and I crash onto the too-hard ground, tumbling out of the hammock. Mason manages to keep from crushing me, throwing a hand out in time to partially brace himself, though it slips on the sand coating the dirt, and Stryker’s tail winds up pinned beneath me.

  “For the love of,” Bane grumbles, yanking a pair of shorts on after shifting back, shaking his head at our unconventional alarm clock.

  A red fox has replaced Hunter in his hammock, legs tangled in the netting and trapped within his clothes. The more he struggles, the more he traps himself, which only succeeds in making him panic.

  “I’ve got him,” Stryker declares, following Bane’s lead, only to quickly withdraw his hand with a yip. “He fucking bit me!”

  Huffing in amusement, Mason pushes himself off of me, walking over. As soon as he starts speaking, Hunter begins to settle down, latching on to the bond to ease his panic. Within a few seconds, Mason has him out of the hammock and back on solid ground, plucking off the mask hanging from one of his ears. It’s useless in this form, and I make sure to stay seated, not taking any risks of getting cut or scraped up so that we don’t need to muzzle the poor kid when he’s already freaking out during his first shift.

  After several minutes of Mason explaining the process to shift back, Hunter merely cocks his head, a stubborn glint appearing in his eyes. Despite the way he hangs on Mason’s every word, being able to shift is something Hunter mentioned wanting back in Zane’s safe house. He’s also brought it up several times since waking up in the car on our way here, clearly excited about the prospect of finding out what he is, and now that he finally has? It’s obvious he’s in no rush to change back.

  With a small bark, he darts over to Adelaide, running circles between her ankles while she laughs before he sprints off, dirt and sand stirred up in a small cloud beneath his paws. Addie sneezes, the guys turning to look at Mason with
expectant looks.

  Groaning, he cracks his neck. “I’m going, I’m going.” He sets off at a jog, picking up the pace as he wakes up more.

  “Off to see how fast he can run?”

  Stryker shrugs, but there’s a smile on his face as he shakes out the hand that got nipped. “Can’t blame the kid. You think human teenagers like to test their limits? Nothing compared to a shifter. It’s usually the time pack hierarchy is established, constantly picking fights to see how much we’re capable of before someone knocks us down a peg. It’s got to be worse on him since it’s a completely new form and experience, learning how to roll with the new instincts. I’ll be shocked if Mason manages to catch him at all.”

  Bane snorts. “Doubt it unless he pulls a cheap trick. Not like vipers are made for distance running, so he’s stuck on two feet trying to out-maneuver a fox. He’s just lucky we aren’t near a city, so less to worry about. Not too much trouble the kid can get into out here.”

  Addie giggles, but her attention is quickly pulled to the sunrise starting to crest over the water. Brushing sand off of her clothes, she walks down the beach, only to kick off her shoes and sit near enough that the water can lap at her toes. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she stares off in pensive silence, soaking it all in.

  Xander and Devin show up a little while later, the former offering me a glass of cloudy water. “Bottoms up, newbie.”

  “Yay, breakfast poison, my favorite,” I deadpan, exhausted from sleeping so terribly last night. After guzzling it down, the flavor no different than a normal glass of water with a bit of an aftertaste lingering on my tongue, I pass the glass back.

  “When you’re hungry, just head to any of the villages. Someone will set you up,” Xander declares. “We’re at the far end of the island near the next bridge if you need anything, but feel free to explore. Heads up though, the current is stronger than it looks, so I wouldn’t risk attempting to swim back, especially at night. So wherever you end up at dusk is where you should hunker down for the night. We’ve already sent word down the chain, so no one will attack you, though they might be a bit wary until they get to know you. The farther out you get, the more you run into people that don’t venture to the mainland often, so they’re more withdrawn. Still, no one is going to let you starve to death.”