“Don’t worry, nobody got accidentally mated this time,” Narcisse said. “Besides, if it looked as though things were heading in that direction, we wouldn’t have let it happen.”
“Wait,” Virgil said. Things were starting to come together. “Is that why the six of you were all bein’ so weird outside the club this afternoon?”
“Yes,” Oscar said with a sigh. “And this is why some of us didn’t want you two going in there in the first place. When you saw her name and had the compulsion to go in, we knew you’d happened upon your mate. Your soul knew even before you laid eyes on her. But we didn’t want you to go through the shift in the middle of a crowded club.”
“Yeah, I would have preferred for that to not have happened,” Gabriel said. “So why did you let it? As you said, shiftin’ in public ain’t a good idea.”
“Because you needed to see your mate,” Adele said. “Who knows when you would have you had that chance again? You needed to fulfill your fate.”
“I still say we should’ve kept it from happenin’,” Xavier said. “We could’ve arranged for them to find her some other way.”
“Maybe if you’d offered a realistic suggestion, we would have gone with it,” Narcisse said. “But you didn’t come up with a single useful plan. They had to go see her. That’s all there is to it.”
Virgil stared at Sophie, who was looking more and more confused by the moment. He reached out and put his hand on hers. She jumped but didn’t pull away.
“Is this okay?” he asked. She nodded.
Virgil flashed a quick, encouraging smile at Gabriel, who then eased his own hand up to rest on Sophie’s shoulder. She tensed up for a second but quickly relaxed. Still, she didn’t make eye contact, keeping her focus on the other gators who were explaining everything.
“So, are they going to shift every time I see them?” she finally asked in a small voice.
Adele laughed. “No, definitely not. There’s no need to worry about that. The sudden shift only happens the first time men find their mates. It’s how you know you’ve found each other.”
“Some warning would’ve been nice,” Virgil muttered. “Just sayin’. I’m glad that we found her, but some indication of what was gonna happen might’ve helped.”
Narcisse shook her head. “We have to keep these things secret for a reason.”
“And what reason would that be?” Virgil asked, trying not to let his frustration show. He didn’t want to intimidate Sophie. She’d been through enough already.
“It’s to prevent false matin’,” Nelson said.
“False matin’?”
Armand nodded. “About fifty years ago, we ran into a problem. We had two members of our congregation, a pair of brothers, who weren’t exactly the most scrupulous folk. They found a human woman they were both attracted to, an’ even though they knew she wasn’t their true mate, they decided they wanted to claim her anyway.”
“How’d they pull that off?” Gabriel asked.
“Well, back then, when you came of age, you were told what was gonna happen when you figured out who your mate was. So these guys knew what to expect. They faked it.”
“As in, they shifted and pretended it was spontaneous?” Virgil asked.
“Yup,” Armand said. “They claimed her one night, but since she wasn’t their true mate…well…”
“Well what?”
Adele spoke up. “You don’t quite understand how intense the mating experience is going to be until it actually happens. It’s exhilarating and beautiful but also makes you think it might tear you apart.”
“You can’t claim someone who ain’t your true mate and have ’em survive,” Nelson added in a suddenly somber tone.
Virgil felt his stomach clench. “So then what happened?”
“Well, they confessed to the whole thing. Serafine banished ’em for doin’ somethin’ so immoral. It was one of her first acts as our voodoo queen, too. It hurt her so much to have to do it.”
“Anyway,” Armand said, “after that, Serafine decreed that we had to keep it a secret to prevent that from ever happenin’ again.”
As much as Virgil reviled the two men who had falsely claimed a mate, he wasn’t pacified. “Still, I think you could’ve warned us, especially considerin’ the situation.”
“Okay,” Xavier said. “We ain’t gettin’ anywhere debatin’ what should or should not have happened.”
“What about what I want?” Sophie asked. “I mean, I don’t want to sound rude, but I didn’t exactly accommodate for this in my five-year plan. Is there an escape clause if I don’t really want to be mated to two gator shifters?”
Her hand was shaking slightly, and Virgil gave it what he hoped would be a reassuring squeeze. Sophie looked up at him. “No offense to either of you. This is all just very sudden, and I feel like it’s something I should have some sort of control over. It’s my entire future, after all.”
Nelson chuckled. “Don’ you worry. We ain’t gonna just steal you off to the swamp forever.”
“Yeah, that didn’t go so well last time,” Narcisse said, giving him a wink. She turned back to Sophie. “As a matter of fact, you have a lot of choice in the matter. You’re not expected to take the mating ceremony lightly. You’re supposed to spend some time with Virgil and Gabriel and get to know them before you decide to be mated.”
“Once you decide, it’s forever,” Oscar said. “You agree that Gabriel and Virgil will be your mates for life. There will be a ceremony, and as part of that, they’ll turn you into a shifter. Due to the nature of the curse, you have to live in the houseboats on the bayou. You can’t be away from the congregation for more than forty-eight hours at a time.”
“So—so I have to give up my whole life?” She sounded as though she was on the verge of tears.
“Of course not!” Adele said. “The congregation prefers if you get involved with the fishing business we run, but not everyone does. I’ve still kept my career. It means a little more commuting than I’d like, but it’s worth it. You can still be a musician. Your touring options will be pretty limited, I suppose, but you can still build up a career here. If that’s something you need in order to decide to be mated, then you can have it.”
“And what—and what if I decide that I don’t want to be mated?”
A flash of worry raced through Virgil’s heart. He didn’t know this woman yet, but now that he had found her, his entire body was consumed by the desire to make her his mate for life. He already couldn’t bear the possibility that she might refuse them.
“Totally your choice,” Armand said. “Matin’ is serious business. You have to go into it wantin’ it. Nobody can pressure you. Nobody can beg you. You must enter the covenant out of your own volition.”
Sophie gave a small nod. “Okay. Um, thank you all for your hospitality and taking the time to explain this to me. I think I should be going now, though. It’s been a hell of an afternoon, and I kind of have a lot to think about.”
The gators nodded. “Take all the time you need,” Adele said. “Don’t rush. They can wait.”
Virgil’s entire soul was screaming that he couldn’t wait, that he didn’t want to wait, that he would die if he had to wait. But he merely nodded at Sophie and smiled.
“Can we have your number?” he asked her. “Gabriel and I would like to see you again.”
“Sure,” she said, fumbling for her phone. She gave them her number, and then she plugged theirs into her device. Then she stood up from the table.
“Thank you again. I guess”—she glanced from Gabriel to Virgil with a nervous expression—“I guess I’ll see the two of you later or, uh, something. Bye.”
She turned and hurried out of the café. Virgil didn’t pull his eyes away from her direction until she was completely out of sight.
* * * *
As soon as she was out of earshot of the café, Sophie pulled out her phone. She had five missed calls and one frantic text message from Georgina. She speed-dialed her friend�
��s number, trying to get her thoughts in order. Sophie had no clue what she was going to say and honestly wasn’t sure she wanted to tell the whole story. She was certain Georgina wouldn’t believe her, and she didn’t feel like having someone else think she was crazy when she already doubted her own sanity.
“Sophie! Oh my god! I’ve been so worried!” Georgina cried.
“I’m fine, I promise.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I saw you faint, and I tried to get to you, but a security guard pulled me away and hauled me out of the building. I’ve been worried sick about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I promise there’s nothing to worry about.”
“So really, what was that?” Georgina asked. “I mean, I thought I saw two guys turn into alligators, but come on. That had to be a trick of the light or something. Or maybe something was wrong with that beer I had before the show.”
Sophie thought she heard a change in Georgina’s voice but decided to brush it off.
“No, that’s what I saw, too. And, I mean, I didn’t have anything to drink, so, uh, maybe it was real?”
Georgina gave a weak laugh. “Do you think that’s really plausible? I mean, humans just don’t turn into animals. They just don’t. It must have been, I don’t know. Maybe that club had some nasty mold growing backstage. Mold can cause hallucinations, right? That must be it. That club must have had some nasty-ass mold.”
Sophie restrained a sigh. If Georgina wanted to grasp at straws to attempt to create a rational explanation, there was no point in describing the rest of the afternoon.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. That makes way more sense.”
“Do you want me to come over? Do you need anything?”
“Thanks, but I think I just want to shower, watch a silly movie, and go to bed early. I’ve had a long day.”
“Well, call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks, Georgina.”
Sophie hung up the phone and sighed. She knew turning in early wasn’t really going to happen. She’d be up all night trying to figure out the concept of shifters and mates.
Chapter Three
Sophie’s phone buzzed, and her stomach knotted up when she read Georgina’s message.
Need to work late tonight. So sorry. We can still meet up for drinks after the show, though. I’ll buy!
Sophie had become accustomed to having Georgina backstage with her before every performance. Nobody else knew how to handle her stage fright. Taking a few deep breaths, Sophie tried to settle herself before packing up her gear.
You haven’t known Georgina that long at all. You’ve spent your entire career going onstage without her there. You know how to do this. You’ll be fine. You don’t need someone taking care of you beforehand. You’re not a diva.
Finally feeling confident, Sophie hurried through her apartment, grabbing everything she would need for the gig. Checking her look in the mirror, she threw on a little eyeliner and checked out the still-healing cut on her cheek. It was clearing up quickly. The scab had already started to flake off, and there didn’t appear to be any scarring. Finally satisfied with her appearance, Sophie scurried out the door to make it to the Quarter in time.
She arrived at the venue and did a quick sound check, and then she curled up on the couch in the tiny green room, trying to calm herself down. The nerves were starting to kick back up, and she was on her own. She shook her hands, hoping to work the shakes out, but the jitters only seemed to grow stronger. Finally, it was time for her to go on. She had no choice. If she didn’t play, she didn’t get paid, and she’d run the risk of losing one of her regular venue opportunities. Nerves didn’t matter. She still had to give a good show.
Steeling up her courage, Sophie walked onstage and waved to the small crowd, putting a smile on her face and hoping it hid her anxiety. As she started to play, she closed her eyes and let the rhythm and notes seep into her body. By the time she was ready to open her eyes, the anxiety had all but dissipated, and she was starting to feel comfortable. Her smile became real rather than forced.
Transitioning into her second song, Sophie peered out through the crowd. When she saw Virgil and Gabriel lurking in a dark corner, she almost forgot the words to the song. Fortunately, it was one of her older tunes, and it was in her body so completely that she didn’t even stumble. Still, she was hard-pressed to take her eyes off of them as they leaned back in their chairs and gave her sexy smiles.
For her third song, she managed to direct her energy to the rest of the audience and began to put on her signature show, cavorting and careening around the stage as her fingers danced through the complex guitar rhythms. But it was as though they had a grip on her psyche, because she just couldn’t keep her gaze away. Virgil’s olive skin looked even sexier as the shadows of the bar fell across the planes of his face. Gabriel’s bulky, well-cut muscles showed through his T-shirt, and Sophie couldn’t help but picture his body as her instrument, her fingers playing his skin for all it was worth.
Finally, she just gave in to what her heart and mind wanted. The rest of the show was secretly dedicated to Virgil and Gabriel. Even as she bounced around the stage, she was dancing for them. On the slow numbers, she kept her eyes locked on their table, and they stared right back at her.
The longer she played, the higher her arousal grew. It was as though they could touch and stimulate her with just their eyes. Her cunt began to tingle and tighten, and the longer they stared at each other, the more intense the need became. After a while, she realized she’d stopped looking into their eyes. Her gaze was focused squarely on their crotches. The room was too dark for her to see whether or not their cocks were hard in their jeans, but as she played, she imagined what it would be like to touch them, to suck them, to feel them inside of her. By the time she finished her last number, her pussy was throbbing and desperate for attention. She ran offstage to catch her breath and tried to calm down. But nothing cooled the arousal that was coursing through her body.
She wished she had time to release some of that pent-up energy, but she knew that Gabriel and Virgil were probably waiting for her, and she didn’t want them to be wondering where she was. She took a couple of slow breaths and then hurried to pack up the gear that the techs had brought backstage. The simple ritual of putting her guitar away, wrapping up her cords so they wouldn’t tangle, and putting her guitar, picks, amplifier, microphone, and various cables away in their various cases calmed her body down a bit. Her cunt was still pulsing with energy when she finally went out into the club, but she knew she’d be able to maintain her composure.
Heading onto the main floor, Sophie accepted a number of compliments from her regulars before she finally made her way to Virgil and Gabriel’s table. As she approached, they were completely reserved and cool. They both wore their sexy grins but stayed eased back in their seats, their eyes working over her entire body.
“So what did you think of the show?” she finally asked.
Gabriel’s grin grew even bigger. “You were amazin’, baby.”
Normally, Sophie would have bristled at being called “baby” by a near-stranger, but she couldn’t deny that it sounded completely sexy coming from Gabriel’s mouth. She decided to just enjoy it.
“You put on a fantastic show,” Virgil said. “I’m just glad we were able to stay till the end this time.”
Sophie giggled. “So am I. The two of you still owe me for interrupting my very first Jazz Fest performance.”
“How about a drink, then?” Gabriel asked. “We can go to Lafitte’s. All the prestige of Bourbon Street but not nearly as crowded.”
“Sounds like a great idea. I just need to load up my gear.”
Virgil stood up from the table and took her guitar case. “We’ll take care of that. Just point us in the direction of your car. You don’t have to lift a finger.”
Sophie couldn’t help but marvel as the two men picked up all of her gear with no evidence of effort and hauled it out of the bar. She wa
s used to making several solo trips to get everything.
As they were loading up her car, Sophie realized that she was supposed to meet Georgina for drinks soon. But she didn’t want to reject Virgil and Gabriel’s offer. Even though she was still uncertain as to how she felt about supposedly being their mate, she couldn’t deny that she wanted to spend more time with them. She couldn’t deny that her heart and head were demanding that she follow them to the bar.
Sophie briefly considered inviting Georgina to join them, but her heart quickly silenced that idea. She loved her friend, but a fourth person there would risk complicating things. She didn’t want to run the risk of mating or shifting coming up in conversation while Georgina was there. She wouldn’t understand. Sophie realized she also had to admit that she just wanted time alone with these two mysterious men. Georgina would throw off the balance. As Gabriel and Virgil finished loading up the car, she hurried to type out a text.
Not feeling well. Going to go straight home and pass out. Hope work went well. See you tomorrow.
Virgil and Gabriel got Sophie’s guitar, amplifier, preamp, microphones, pickups, effects pedals, gig bag, and spare cables loaded into her car in under five minutes. When they were done, they turned to her with satisfied smiles.
“Thank you,” she said, trying not to giggle. She wasn’t used to being taken care of. Part of her felt nervous, but part of her loved the attention.
Virgil winked at her. “It’s a nice night out. Why don’t we walk to the bar?”
Gabriel pulled some change out of his pocket and fed the meter. “There, you should be set for the rest of the night. If not, I’ll run back and take care of it.”
“That’s sweet, but you don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t,” he said, taking her hand. “But I want to.”
Virgil took her other hand, and they walked through the French Quarter together. Sophie’s stomach fluttered a bit, and she wasn’t sure if it was general nervousness at being around them or because she was walking out in public holding two men’s hands. As she looked around the streets, though, she realized that none of the other pedestrians were paying them much attention. She managed to relax a little but still couldn’t help but feel somewhat edgy in their presence.
Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Flood [The Shifters of Alligator Bend 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3
