Deuce (Swamp Desires Book 1)

by Boudreau, Caissy

  I head downstairs to the airboat, which is tied up to the dock at the front of the house. In the front of our house/business is the bayou. Behind it is woods with a long winding drive that leads to the main road. Woods and swamp are all around us. Down the bayou will lead you to many bayou paths that lead into the deep swamp. Our tours always go into the deep swamp. Our customers love that we take them where no other tours take them. We get them up close and personal with the wildlife around here. They are never attacked and they never will be. We are able to speak to the wildlife here in their minds. They always listen to us, because they know we are one of them. They recognize us.

  The paths that lead to the deep swamps are only big enough for small boats to travel. You can only fit one boat at a time. Our tours are an hour apart. So each boat leaves and hour later than the others, until eventually we are all on the bayou. We follow each other. My boat will bring up the rear. My boat needs no gas; it is an airboat and runs on a big fan that is on the back of the boat.

  I hop into the boat and turn the fan on and sit in the driver’s seat. I have already untied the boat from the dock. Once it is warmed up, I ease the boat away from the dock. I decide to take the same route that I will go on tonight for the tour. It takes me up the bayou to the right of our home. I notice as I am heading down the bayou that there is a new houseboat that was not there two weeks ago. We closed the business for two weeks to get it ready for the start of the night tours. We needed to map out our routes that we would take during the tours. These things have to be planned. Sometimes Mother Nature makes it so that one day you can go one way and on the next she will not let you go the same way. We have to have back-up plans in place in the event the waters are too low in some areas. If there are storms, some of the storms can cause flooding in the bayous that prevent passage.

  I take a closer look at the new houseboat. It is very small. Looks like a one person houseboat. It probably contains a bathroom, a small kitchenette, and a bed. I do not see a car parked on the drive-on land, so the person must not be home, or maybe their car is hidden behind the trees. I can smell female for sure, so whoever lives there is definitely a woman. The smell is very comforting for some reason. It smells of honeysuckle and cinnamon. Two scents that are very comforting to me, always have been. Our mother would always bake fresh cinnamon rolls every Saturday morning. Our mother would go out of her way to make us comfort food. She is greatly missed every day by us. I decide that whomever lives here is no harm to us or our neighbors, so I hit the pedal on the boat and take off.

  As I am traveling down the bayou, I spot alligators lying on the banks out in the sun. They do not move. They are resting right now. It is really hot today, so they are sunbathing. If I was in my gator form, I would be on the bank soaking up the sun for sure. But I have to keep him hidden. For we are a rare alligator. The only other ones are in captivity, and we cannot get caught. We are too big to be put in captivity. We have to keep our presence hidden and only let our beast out on an as-needed basis.

  Chapter Four

  Adele

  Who is that hunk of a man on that airboat? I can smell him from inside and he smells delectable. His smell reminds me of something, although I cannot put my finger on it just yet. He has short, shaggy brown hair. I cannot see his eyes from here, but I am betting that they are brown. A light brown like the color of the water in the swamp. He looks to have just enough scruff on his face for it to be sexy as hell. There is something about a man that has facial hair. Man, it just adds to their character in my opinion.

  One of the main things that I could smell on him is that he is a shifter. That smell is unmistakable. A shifter’s smell is different from any other smell in the world. On some shifters you can immediately tell what they are, but is his case, I cannot tell what kind of shifter he is. All I know right now is that I have to have him. Somehow, he needs to be in my life and in my bed.

  I watch him as he checks out my house from his boat. He never gets off his boat. I think he is going by smell here. He is trying to figure out who and what lives here. I thought I could see recognition flash in his eyes for just a second. But as soon as I saw it, it was gone. But I wonder what he could have recognized? I do not know him; I have never met him before. But as a shifter, my wolf is calling to him for some reason. I think she has lost her damn mind if you ask me. Why would she call to him?

  So many questions that I do not have the answers to right now. Hopefully, I will have those answers. But, until then, I have to get ready for work. The day is calling to me. After my cup of coffee, I get dressed and head out for the day.

  On my way to work, I am thanking God that it is Friday, finally. It has been a very long week. The full moon is tonight. All of the kids at school have been affected by it all week long. Which makes my days longer than they should be. These kids are so sensitive to the moon phases. It makes it hard for them to stay focused and on task. The staff and I are constantly redirecting them back on task. I am praying that all goes well today; that there are no issues.

  ***

  Finally, it is the end of the school day. All of the kids did an exceptional job today. They fought the full moon head on. “Ms. Boudreaux, I hope you have a great weekend,” Jacob says.

  “Thank you, Jacob. I hope you have a great weekend as well. Do you and your family have any plans for the weekend?” I ask.

  “I think tomorrow we are going to a crawfish boil and then on Sunday we are having a crab boil at our house. So my weekend will be filled with lots of good food and family time.”

  “Well, it sounds like you are going to have a great weekend. It sounds like lots of fun to me,” I say with a smile.

  Jacob is usually very quiet. He always keeps to himself. He gets along with the other children and staff, but for some reason, since I have been here, he singles me out. He seems to want my help over anyone else’s. I do not mind at all. He is a sweet kid, with a big, bright future ahead of him.

  I love every aspect of my job. These kids are my bright spot in my life right now. They are what is keeping me going.

  There are days that I wish I did not have the responsibilities that I have. I wish for my life to be normal. But, that will never happen. A lone witch a very long time ago made sure of that. Coming to work every day during the week is the only normal that I will ever have. I have been blessed to have a not so normal life. I am so ready to head home for the day. I need to run in the woods tonight. I need to run free in my wolf form. Time for me to explore this part of the swamp I have moved to some more. I have not been here for very long. I have just decided to move to the houseboat a week ago. Before then, I was living in the city. It was driving me nuts; I could not handle it anymore. I need wide open spaces, so that I can let my wolf out every now and then.

  I love the city, but my wolf does not. She needs the woods and swampy areas. She craves it; she cannot live without it. She needs to be able to hunt down the criminals. The evil people who will kill someone and dump their bodies into the swamps. Leaving their bodies for the gators to devour. So they will never get caught, because there is no evidence of the body, ever.

  I stop at the store on the way home to get some more groceries that I need. Once I am done, I stop to fill up my gas tank and head home. Once I pull down the long dirt road that leads to my new home, I let out a contented sigh. I am really enjoying coming home every day now. In fact, I look forward to it. My houseboat is very quaint. It is a one bedroom, one bath houseboat. It has a small kitchen where I can cook my nightly meals. Afterward, I usually sit on the deck and listen to the night creatures.

  Once I arrive home, I notice a note on my door. I wonder who sent it. I grab my groceries and head into the houseboat. I grab the note after I put the groceries away.

  Ms. Boudreaux,

  I am contacting you on behalf of the society. We know what you are. We also know that you are here in our town and that you have been in our town for many, many years. We have been watching you from a distance since you arrived.
It has been foretold that one day a legend would come to town and set the Catholics right again. This legend would work with a local legend, and together they would be unstoppable. I am writing to you to tell you that we know what you are. You are the Rougarou. You have been sent here to keep us all in line. I am informing you that we do not need your help. You need to leave this instant and never come back. If you fail to leave, then we will track you down and end you.

  You have been warned. I suggest you heed this warning and leave now before you lose your life.

  Sincerely yours,

  The Society

  Who in the hell do these people think they are? Some stupid society of Catholics no less. They do not scare me. I will never leave because they are threatening me. Let them come after me. I will be ready for them. They have no idea what they are up against. And what is this other “legend” they are talking about? I wonder if it is the one about the white alligators. It is the only local legend that I know of. Whoever those alligators are, they are definitely shifters. I have not come across them yet. But that does not mean that I will not. The swamps are massive and I am learning all the ins and outs more every day.

  Today turned out to be such a great day, until I opened that letter. Now, I am just pissed off. I do not mess with anyone. I keep to myself. So I wonder who these people are and how they found out about me. I really do not think they really know who and what I am. For if they did, they would not be threatening me. I can kill them in just one bite or swipe of my paw. They have no idea what they will unleash if they do come after me. It will be game on then. I will hold nothing back when I tear them limb from limb.

  Oh well, there is nothing I can do about them right now. So I am not going to worry myself about it. I need to fix myself dinner and take a shower. I need a night of relaxing. I need to clear my head of this threat. If they come for me then I will deal with them then.

  I warm me up some leftover gumbo and sit on the deck and eat. I love sitting on the deck. I love watching the locals around go about their daily lives. They are such simple people. They live off the land. They work the bayous for seafood to sell at the local markets, but they only keep a small portion of their catch for themselves. If there is any extra that has not been sold, they will give to a family in need. They are selfless people. They do not care if they do not have enough to get by, they will give what they can to help a person or another family.

  When I moved the houseboat here, the local men came to help me. All except the ones that live in that business down the way. They were so helpful and I was so grateful for all of their help. The day I moved in, the guys that run that business, I was told were off on a trip helping their cousin who was in trouble. I am sure that the guy who was looking at my houseboat this morning was one of them. What I wouldn’t give to have some time alone with him. I wonder if he tastes as good as he smells. Oh crap, I really need to not think about him. I can tell he will be the one to invade my dreams if I let him. I cannot let anything distract me from my purpose. Even though I long for a love of my own, I know my purpose on this Earth is more important than my heart. My purpose comes first; it always will.

  Maybe if I am really lucky I will get to have my happily ever after. Maybe he will help me with my purpose and we can work together. The only time I want a man to control me is in the bedroom; any other time he needs to stand by my side and not be ashamed to stand there. He should support me in all that I do. We will work side by side and rid the world of the Catholics that have fallen from their faith. We will dispose of the criminals that try to kill anyone and leave their bodies in the swamps for the gators. We will be a team.

  Okay, maybe I am getting ahead of myself here. Who am I kidding? There is no such man out there. No man would ever let me do the things that I have to do. I am so screwed. I can only pray that whoever my mate is, that he is everything that I have dreamed of him being. We can work on everything else. After all, aren’t all relationships built on compromise and trust? I can only dream that my man would love me for who and what I am. One day, I hope to find out. Hopefully soon.

  Chapter Five

  Deuce

  This morning we decided to head into the swamp at dark. It has been a few weeks since we were able to get back into our other forms. The beast within is growling to get out. The nights in Louisiana can be just as hot and humid as the days are. Tonight is no different. As soon as you walk outside, the heat just wraps around you like a warm blanket. You start to sweat within a few minutes of being out in the hot and humid air. The weather is the only downfall to living down here. But, many of the creatures thrive on this weather. We enjoy it sometimes, especially if we are able to shift forms and swim in the water, so we can cool off.

  When we are in our gator forms, we can see things that you cannot see in the human form. It gives us the sight to see nature how it was always was meant to be. It should be untouched by man. At night, there is usually no humans out and about, so the night creatures can go about their lives. But there is something in the air tonight. We can feel the tension. Something is going down in the swamp. We are going to find out what that is and put a stop to it.

  “Zander, you ready to head out?” Pierre asks.

  “Man, I am always ready. Let’s do this,” Zander says.

  We all hop into the airboat and head out. We are taking the airboat because we can get into places that you cannot get into with a regular boat. We head out in the direction to the left of our business. There are many pathways in the bayou this way that we will be able to access. “Hey Deuce, did you check out that new houseboat this morning?” Pierre asks.

  “Yes, I did. All I can tell you is that a woman lives there. There is something about the scent coming from there that has gotten me all kinds of messed up. Since then, my gator has been pushing for me to go back. And I am not sure why,” I explain.

  “That is weird, man. What is the scent doing to you?” Zander asks.

  “Well, for some reason, it is drawing me in. It is like, whoever lives there is somehow important to me. I have no clue who is living there, so how can that person be important to me? I just don’t understand it.”

  “What kind of pull is it, Deuce?” Pierre asks.

  “Well, now that I think about it, like I have been thinking about it all damn day. The pull is coming from my soul. Could it be that whoever lives there may possibly be my soul mate?” I ask.

  “I, for one, have not felt a pull like that, yet. So, I am guessing that it could very well be that, Deuce. Don’t close your mind or heart off to it. Let it take you. You will never know unless you get off your ass and go and introduce yourself to whoever lives there. I say, go for it. You have nothing to lose, man,” Pierre says.

  “Maybe you are right. Tomorrow I will go over there and see if that person is home. I will never know until I come into contact with the person.”

  I don’t know if I am mentally ready to find my soul mate. What if she does not like me? What if she is not compatible with me? There are so many things that are up in the air when it comes to matters like this. What if I do not like her? What if she makes me crazy in love with her instantly? What if it is love at first sight? I have heard of people falling in love with each other at first sight. It is very rare, but it does happen. The ones that have fallen in love at first sight are still together, and are as happy now as they were when they first met.

  I know my brothers are open to the idea of finding their mate, and I am also, but I am scared shitless at the same time. I just hope nothing goes wrong when I do meet her. All I have ever known is my brothers and my cousin, Joslyn. I see how happy she is, and I want that for myself.

  We have finally reached our destination. I park the boat and Pierre and Zander tie it to the tree. Once the boat is secure, we all strip down and shift. In a matter of seconds, we are in gator form. We inch toward the water and slowly ease ourselves in. The water is cool to the touch and feels perfect running along our scaled skin. We slowly creep in the water toward th
e far end of the channel. At the end of the channel is an opening of embankment. This spot is usually where someone will commit a crime. Tonight we lie in wait in the water until someone is stupid enough to try and kill someone and dump the body. Hopefully, we can stop them before it happens. We get close enough to the bank where we are still in the water, but still hidden so no one can see us.

  When in our gator form, we are white. So, hiding at night in the murky waters comes easily. It is Sebastien’s turn to take down the criminal. Even though we are quadruplets, he was born last. And is, for all intents and purposes, the baby. Tonight, he is in the lead. He will earn his rights this night as our brother, and will be able to hunt with us from now on. If he takes the killer down.

  Not that he hasn’t hunted with us before, just tonight is special for him. We are letting him lead, and we never let him do that.

  We wait patiently for several hours. Finally, we see headlights coming this way. We go under the water, but we are still at the surface, watching. A tall, lanky looking man gets out of the driver’s seat and goes over to the passenger door and opens it.

  He pulls a woman from the front seat; she is beaten and bloody from him beating her senseless. How do I know this? Well, I can see it in her heart and his. When in gator form, we can sense a person’s emotions, sometimes their deepest darkest secrets, if they leave themselves open, which they usually do. He drags her by her hair to the water’s edge. Sebastien eases himself closer to the bank, unbeknownst to the man.

  Sebastien is being cautious and vigilant, at the same time; both things he has to do. He does not want to strike too early. He has to strike when the man is going to make the step to finish what he has started.

  “You stupid cunt! You are going to pay this time. I will no longer tolerate your carelessness anymore. You were told time and time again to obey my every command. You are a worthless piece of shit of a woman. Your pussy is too loose and reeks of old, stinking fish for my tastes, anyway. Why I took you in, I will never understand. But from this night on, no one will miss you. You have no family to come and rescue you,” he sneers.