Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (16 page)

After catching his breath, Armand slipped out of Narcisse’s body and stumbled toward the bed, where he collapsed. Nelson set Narcisse on the floor and then guided her over, making sure she was settled in before climbing in next to her and passing out.

* * * *

Narcisse walked into her shifting lesson feeling hopeful. She was certain that this time, she’d get it right.

And if I get it right, then maybe I can go on the mission tonight. Maybe I can really start being a part of things.

“You’re feelin’ good today,” Serafine said with a smile as Narcisse walked into her quarters.

“You bet I am. I really think that today is going to be the day where I pull off a shift.”

“Glad to hear it. I like your confidence. I also have an idea that I think is gonna help you.”

“What’s that?”

Serafine nodded toward a small pile of cushions arranged in a corner on the floor. “Take one of those and sit on the ground. I want you to just clear your head for ten minutes before you even try to shift.”

“But how will that help? Sometimes I’m going to need to shift, and I won’t have the luxury to mediate for ten minutes first. Shouldn’t I be learning how to do it on the spot, without assistance?”

“I think that’s just gonna make it harder for you. Think of medidatin’ the way you would buildin’ up muscle. You don’t lift four hundred pounds of weight your first time. You start slow and small, and make sure you give yourself a good warm-up.”

Narcisse took a deep breath. “Okay.” She settled herself on the floor and closed her eyes.

“Now don’t think about shiftin’ or anythin’ like that. Just close your eyes and clear your head, got it?”

“Got it.”

But Narcisse found it was quite the struggle to empty her mind of all thoughts. They kept bouncing around, no matter what she did to completely empty her mind. Images of Armand and Nelson flashed across her consciousness, and her concerns about fitting in with the rest of the congregation resurfaced. No matter how hard Narcisse pushed them out, the thoughts kept coming back. By the time Serafine’s timer went off, she was even less confident than she’d been when she started.

There was no time to second-guess herself, though. Serafine was looking at her with hopeful eyes, and Narcisse knew she had to at least try, no matter how worried she was. So Narcisse closed her eyes again and focused on becoming an alligator. Seconds later, the shift began, and the transition was a smooth one, even easier than it had been before. When she was in full gator form, Narcisse looked up at Serafine, who had another huge smile.

“Great work. You ready to try to change back?”

Narcisse closed her eyes and began to envision the reverse transformation. To her delight, the change actually started this time. For a moment she was overjoyed, thinking that she was finally going to prove herself. But then, the change stopped. Every movement and adjustment slowed to a halt.

For a moment, Narcisse was afraid to open her eyes, but she knew that keeping them closed wasn’t actually helping anything. With trepidation, she looked down.

If her vocal cords had grown back, Narcisse would have screamed. Her body, caught between human and animal, terrified her. Alligator claws were attached to human hands. Her limbs had grown to their normal length, but her skin was dark green and hard. She could feel the long, deadly alligator teeth filling her mouth.

Narcisse started to shudder, simultaneously repulsed and terrified. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to complete the change, but still, nothing happened.

“Calm down,” Serafine commanded. “Just calm down. I can get you out of this.”

But Narcisse started to tremble even harder, terrified that she’d be stuck in this repulsive form forever.

Serafine put a firm hand on Narcisse’s shoulder, and she finally stopped moving.

“Now you just settle now, so I can change ya back.” She pulled a handful of powder out of her pocket, tossed it in the air, and said:

Narcisse, you’re here

But here you will not stay

By the powers of the spirits

That live upon these waters

I declare this crossed form

A temporary state

And now the attempt you make

To return to human self

Will work out, your body

Will be returned to you

Seconds later, Narcisse’s body resumed the change, and within moments, she was completely herself again. But her optimism had been completely destroyed, and as she hurried into her clothes, she struggled to keep back her tears.

“You don’t need to cry,” Serafine said. “Ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed about. Believe me, you ain’t the first person this has happened to. You can try it again.”

“Actually, I’m—I’m suddenly feeling really tired. Do you mind if we call it a day?”

Serafine nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll try this again tomorrow. I promise, you’re gonna get it. I can feel it.”

Narcisse struggled to keep her legs from shaking. Even though Serafine was a voodoo queen with the power to feel such things, no amount of encouragement could convince her that she’d be able to shift.

* * * *

Nelson had woken up the next morning feeling completely rejuvenated. He and Armand had slipped out of bed early but didn’t wake Narcisse up. Nelson thought she looked too lovely in her rest, and they’d kept her up so late the night before, she deserved a few more hours to sleep in.

They spent the morning attempting to fish, coming back with a meager catch. When they returned, Narcisse was sitting on the deck, looking miserable.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Nelson asked, wrapping his arms around her.

“I screwed up in my shifting lesson again. But this time, it was even worse.”

“Don’t you worry about it,” Armand said. “You haven’t been a shifter that long. Besides, you’re doin’ better at turnin’ into a gator, right?”

Narcisse gave a small nod.

“Then focus on the good stuff. You’re improvin’. Don’t beat yourself up because you ain’t perfect at it yet.”

“I guess you’re right. I’d just feel a lot more secure if I could shift. You know, if I felt like I belonged.”

“You do belong,” Nelson said. “I know this hasn’t been easy, but ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you belonged with us. You’re our mate, and as unusual as this mating thing has been, we’re glad you’re here.”

A mischievous look appeared in Narcisse’s eyes. “There are definitely certain aspects of this whole situation that do make me feel like I belong. Think you two could get the afternoon off so that we could spend some time in bed?”

“Wish we could,” Nelson said, smoothing her hair. “But we’re on mechanic duty today. Got lots of maintenance work to do, especially on the boats we’re takin’ out tonight. Everything has to be in top working order.”

Narcisse’s face fell, and Nelson was so desperate to cheer her up that his heart ached.

“Tell you what,” he said, giving her a kiss. “We’ll take all of tomorrow off.”

Armand grinned. “That’ll be perfect. No fishin’. No chores. Just the three of us.”

“With the rest of the congregation really let the two of you get away with that?” Narcisse asked.

“Of course. We’ll have gotten the Pomet issue resolved, so everyone will be in a good mood, and people rarely get days off here. We’ll just make it clear we need some time with our mate,” Nelson said.

“If we get any crap about it, I’m sure an appeal could be made to Serafine. She’s still awful skittish about you bein’ happy here.”

Narcisse sighed. There was still a sadness in her eyes, though her lips parted in a small smile. “Okay. Tomorrow, then. I’m looking forward to it.”

“So are we,” Nelson said. “Now let’s go get some lunch. Armand and I have a lot of work to do this afternoon.”

The congregation’s mood grew more and more solemn as the night progressed. Everyone was getting nervous about the mission, especially those who were staying behind as their loved ones went off on a dangerous adventure. Even Nelson found traces of butterflies in his stomach as he loaded up his gear and then scooped Narcisse up into a hug.

“Let me go with you,” Narcisse whispered. “Please. I promise, I can handle whatever happens. I just want to be a part of this.”

“I don’t know,” Nelson whispered back. “You’re still struggling to control your power. No way Serafine would allow it, and I doubt anyone else would be on board with the idea, either.”

“Please?” Narcisse asked again. “Look, I know I had that bad lesson earlier, but it’s not like I’m still stuck in the hybrid shape. And I feel more confident now.”

“Baby, I know you wanna be a part of everythin’, but some things just ain’t safe. And I thought helpin’ with fishin’ was makin’ you happy.”

“It helped, but, I mean—I still want to be a part of this. I want to be able to say I helped you bring Pomet down. Please let me go. I need this.”

Nelson sighed then raised his voice. “I think Narcisse should go with us.”

Andre scoffed. “I thought that issue was resolved last night. This mission is too dangerous.”

“What about her idea of bein’ our lookout?” Nelson asked. “We need someone to keep watch and alert us if shit goes down. She’s perfect for it.”

“She ain’t in control of her shift.”

Armand jumped in. “She won’t need it. She’s just gonna keep watch. That’s easy.”

Manuel looked at his watch. “We don’t have time to keep arguin’ about this. She can go. Now come on, let’s move out.”

Narcisse didn’t stop grinning the entire time they sailed through the bayou to the docks where Pomet’s company kept their boats. The seriousness of the mission didn’t seem to scare her anymore when she was so thrilled to be included.

They secured their boats and then slipped over to Pomet’s vessels. Nelson glanced at Narcisse as she secured herself between the two boats they were going after first. She didn’t glance back. Her gaze was focused on what was behind them as she scoured the area for any guards that might walk down the docks.

Hopping onto the first boat, Nelson’s group hurried down to the front of the ship, where the giant cathode stood. Manuel immediately began to inspect it for any signs of power before turning to the rest of the group.

“Okay,” he said. “Take out your tools. We’re gonna disassemble this thing and take whatever we can fit back onto our boats and go back to the congregation, where we can destroy all the evidence.”

They began working to remove bolts, screws, and wires, careful not to let anything fall into the water. It was slightly tricky work, but with the four of them, they quickly disassembled the cathode and hopped back onto the docks.

“Andre and I will take this stuff over to our boat,” Manuel said. “The two of you go on to the next one and start takin’ it down. Looks like the other four are almost finished with our first boat. We’re gonna be done in no time.” He looked almost gleeful as he and Andre hurried away with the stolen equipment.

Nelson waved at Narcisse. She waved back, but her eyes were focused on her task of being a guard. Armand chuckled as they hopped onto the next boat and pulled out their tools. They had just loosened a key component when he happened to glance over his shoulder and saw a security guard coming out from around back. He tried to catch Narcisse’s eye, but her gaze was trained in the opposite reaction. Or it was, until the guard came up behind her and caught her in a choke hold.