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

by Charlotte Rose

  “You kiddin’?” He rolled up his sleeve. The wound was already well on its way to healing, the bleeding long since stopped, fresh skin starting to appear. “Have you forgotten after all your time trapped there just how fast we heal?”

  Rosaline laughed. “If you’re sure you’re okay.”

  Manuel grinned and turned toward Oscar and Xavier. “Let’s move out and enjoy ourselves. We’ve earned a celebration, that’s for sure.”

  “Wait a second,” Serafine said. “I know we all wanna celebrate, but there’s some business to take care of first.”

  Adele’s heart sank. She knew what had to be done, but she hated that it had to happen. “We have to banish Georgina.”

  Serafine nodded. “It’s a sad time for us. But then we’re gonna follow it up with somethin’ happy.”

  “What’s that?”

  Serafine smiled. “Well, we gotta reintegrate Rosaline and Armand. I think you’re gonna like that ritual. Come on, now. Let’s get over to the boats where we can have a little bit of privacy.”

  * * * *

  “It still doesn’t make sense,” Adele said as they walked. “Why would she betray us like that?”

  Andre sighed. “When the cops took her statement, she said she just got in too deep. Kept repeatin’ that over and over. Then she changed her story a bit, said she was tryin’ to help us.”

  “Well, she ain’t a very good criminal,” Oscar scoffed. “She should’ve tried to throw us off. She should’ve said the sale was gonna be on a different day.”

  Andre shrugged. “That’s the part where she said she tried to help us. Figured we’d show up and get our family back.”

  “Well, she was right,” Xavier said. “It just don’t make sense. She betrayed us, then tried to help us? It don’t add up.”

  “Maybe she just felt guilty,” Adele said. “Maybe she felt bad about hurting the congregation, so she thought she’d give you a chance.”

  “That don’t make it right,” Manuel snapped.

  Rosaline patted his shoulder. “No, it don’t. But she’s already sufferin’ the punishment of the law and she’s gettin’ banished. Ain’t no sense in harborin’ more anger. The pain of banishment is gonna be bad enough.”

  Serafine sighed. “I should’ve looked in her heart. But I usually get a feelin’ when somethin’s amiss. Georgina played it cool the entire time. Never let a bad vibe out of her.”

  “Maybe she’s a better criminal than we’re giving her credit for,” Adele murmured.

  They kept walking until they got to the dock where their boats were set up. Serafine marched right to the edge and turned to face the rest of the group.

  “Stand and face me in a line, but don’t join hands. This ain’t a connection spell.”

  She pulled a black taper out of her robes and lit the wick.

  “I want Armand, Rosaline, Manuel, and Andre to come forth and assist in this ritual. They were the ones most harmed by her actions, and I need their hands to release her.”

  The four of them stepped out of line, and Serafine arranged them in formation. With her free hand, she pulled out four lengths of string and handed one to each person.

  “As I approach each of you, please tie your string around the candle in a tight knot.”

  She walked up to Armand. His expression was blank as he tied his string around the bottom of the candle. She chanted as she walked.

  By three and nine, I cut the ties that bind

  By the power of the moon and sun, my will be done

  By the strength of the air and sea, Georgina now roams free

  Cords travel ’round, she comes unbound

  Light revealed, her fate is sealed

  So let it be

  With the last line, Serafine took the candle and snuffed the wick with her bare hand. All of the shifters winced as the spell came to an end. Adele’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t imagine the pain they were all feeling at having to let Georgina go.

  The group was silent for a few moments. Adele allowed herself to shed a few tears. She could never condone what Georgina had done, but she needed a moment of mourning.

  Serafine clapped her hands together. “I know that was hard. It’s gonna keep hurtin’ for a while, too. But we gotta move on. We gotta welcome our family back. Everybody get in a circle and join hands. Armand and Rosaline, you stand in the middle.”

  Adele stood between her men, taking comfort in their strong grips. When everyone had arranged themselves, Serafine pulled a bag of herbs and walked in a small circle around Rosaline and Armand, dropping the small, fragrant leaves as she walked. Once she completed the process, she walked in another circle, this time dropping a yellow powder on top of the herbs. Standing in front of Armand and Rosaline again, she drizzled a pinch of powder onto each of them.

  Next, Serafine reached into her robes and pulled out two brown roots. She handed one to Armand and the other to Rosaline, and then pulled out a small vial of oil. After drizzling each root with oil, she pulled out two pieces of red cloth and wrapped one around each root. Taking two small incense sticks out of her pockets, she lit one and then the other, and then handed them to Armand and Rosaline.

  “Allow the ash to fall on those roots,” she said. “Be careful to make sure it all falls there and not on the dock.”

  Finally, Serafine produced a small candle, lit it, and then walked around Armand and Rosaline. After the first rotation, she stopped and dripped some of the candle wax on to each wrapped root. Then, she repeated the circle, this time speaking a prayer.

  May our reunion

  Bring new happiness to us all

  We have always loved each other

  We will always love each other

  May the spirits of the earth and sky

  Grant this reunion for the good of us all

  Serafine repeated her prayer six more times as she continued to follow the circle, stopping to drizzle wax on the roots each time. After the fifth rotation, she stopped.

  “Carry these in your pockets for one week. After that, you’re one of us again. Welcome back, Armand. Welcome back, Rosaline.”

  “Thank you,” Rosaline said, her eyes brimming with tears. Armand merely smiled and nodded, looking happy but stoic.

  “Can I talk to you both?” Adele asked, grabbing Xavier and Oscar by the hands as the rest of the congregation broke the circle and began heading toward the heart of the Quarter to begin their celebration. “I know you’re both exhausted and just want to go back to the hotel and sleep, but I don’t want to wait.”

  Xavier raised his eyebrows at Oscar, who shrugged, looking as clueless as he felt.

  “Of course,” Xavier said. “We’ll listen to you anytime.”

  “Let’s go sit on that bench over there,” Adele said. “I like the view of the river.”

  They walked off the dock and settled on the riverbank. A few boats drifted down the water, and the air was filled with the low rumblings of people enjoying their weekend, oblivious to what had just gone on. The stars blinked down on the city, peaceful and calm.

  “I’m ready,” Adele said.

  Xavier sat up a little straighter. “Ready?”

  Adele nodded.

  “Ready for what?” Oscar sounded nervous.

  She turned to face him. “I love you, Oscar.” Then, she turned to her other mate. “And I love you, Xavier.”

  Xavier leaned back slightly, as if startled. “Did I hear you right?”

  Adele couldn’t help but grin. “Yes. I love you. Both of you. And I’m ready to be mated. I’m ready to be changed.”

  Oscar grinned. “You mean you’ve decided you’re ready to be our mate?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  Xavier opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he reached down and pressed his lips against hers, plunging his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. As soon as he was done, Oscar turned Adele’s head and kissed her.

  “What made you change your mind?” Os
car asked when he pulled away.

  “I’ve never been able to deny the attraction I felt for you. Whenever we’ve had sex, it’s always perfect, the way I always imagined sex should be. My body has known ever since I first saw you that we’re right for each other. But it took a while to convince my head and heart. This rescue mission is what made me stop resisting. Being a part of this showed me that we belonged together. So I’m ready. I’m ready to be claimed, to be turned. I’m ready to start a new life.”

  Suddenly, she was squeezed from both sizes, both men embracing her with an incredible amount of strength.

  “You’re both happy, I take it.”

  “I ain’t ever been happier, baby,” Oscar said before pulling her into a deep kiss.

  Xavier leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I ain’t ever been either, baby. I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” Oscar said as he broke the kiss. “And I promise, we’re gonna give you everything you wanted.”

  “We’re gonna make you completely happy.”

  “I am completely happy,” Adele said as she snuggled between them, enjoying the view of the water and the cool spring air.

  “Well, we’re just gonna have to prove how much happier you can be,” Xavier said. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, baby.”

  “Is that so? Well, I’m excited to see what sorts of tricks the two of you have up your sleeves.”

  Serafine’s voice came floating across the air. “The three of you gonna come celebrate with your family?”

  Adele turned around to find Serafine standing a few feet away, a huge grin on her face.

  “We’re on our way,” Adele said. “We want to celebrate the rescue, but we were talking a few things out first.”

  “My heart tells me we have even more to celebrate than just the rescue. Am I right?”

  Adele laughed. “There’s no point in hiding anything from you, is there?”

  “No, there ain’t. Now come on. We can work out the details later. Let’s go celebrate.”

  Adele stood up, and Oscar and Xavier each took her by the hand. She walked toward the lights of the Quarter, feeling lighthearted and excited for the first time in years.

  Chapter Ten

  Three weeks later, Adele stared at her reflection in the mirror. She’d never spent much time thinking about marriage, much less thinking about being mated for life to two men instead of one, nor had she pictured her wedding day as the type of affair in which she would surrender her human form and become part animal. Yet here she was, staring at her fully human face for the last time. The next time she saw herself, she knew she’d look more or less the same, but she also knew she’d be changed forever. Gold-flecked green eyes would be a permanent indication of her transformation, even in her human shape. The rest would all be under the surface, but she would always know it was there.

  “You ready, girl?” Serafine asked, coming through the door.

  Adele nodded. “I think so.”

  “Thinkin’ so ain’t enough. You gotta be sure. Ain’t no changin’ back after it’s done.”

  Adele turned and looked Serafine in the eye. “I’m sure. I’ve been sure for weeks now.”

  “You scared?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  Serafine nodded. “You pale, you shakin’, and you havin’ trouble lookin’ me in the eye. Don’t worry ’bout it, though. Ain’t no shame in bein’ scared. I might be concerned about you if you wasn’t. I haven’t met a single woman in all my years that wasn’t at least a little nervous right before she got turned.”

  Adele took a deep breath. “Well then, if it’s normal, I’m not going to worry about it. If there’s nothing I can do about it, I’m as ready as I’m ever gonna be.”

  Standing up, she smoothed the wrinkles out of the dress she would wear for the first part of the ceremony. It was a deep purple silk, adorned with gold embroidery. Serafine had made her a crown of peacock feathers and had draped Adele in a long necklace of gold beads and emeralds. With one final, fleeting glance at her pure human form, Adele stepped out of the cabin and allowed Serafine to lead her toward the deck.

  The sun had just begun to set. Although the air was cooling, Adele could feel the heat on her skin as she looked out at the place that was about to become her new home. The water glittered in the descending light. Occasionally, a bird’s cry shot through the air, but for the most part, the evening was silent. Even the wind was still. It was as though the entire bayou was waiting reverently for her entrance.

  Most of the congregation had been sent to spend the night in New Orleans. The mating ceremony was one of utmost secrecy in the shifter congregation and involved only a small number of participants. Adele had only learned what it entailed twelve hours prior, and Serafine had only provided her with the most basic details. Serafine would lead the ceremony, Adele would be claimed, and then she and her mates would make love on the dock, out in the middle of the bayou, symbolizing their connection to nature and to the swamp that was their home. There were some things, however, that had been left out. When Adele had pushed for answers, however, Serafine had brushed her off, insisting that some things needed to remain a surprise.

  Walking out onto the deck of the boat, Adele saw Oscar and Xavier looking uncharacteristically nervous. Their crisp white shirts, adorned with gold buttons and cuff links, and their loose black pants made them look sexy and elegant, but even the fancy clothing couldn’t disguise the fact that they were nervous. Their eyes kept darting around, never focusing on one place for too long, and they kept shifting back and forth on their feet. Adele couldn’t help but smile when she realized that even her stoic mates were capable of pre-ceremony jitters.

  Rosaline, Manuel, and Andre were supposed to be there to serve as witnesses. The ceremony required one non-familial triad to make everything official. However, she only saw Oscar and Xavier standing at the helm of the boat. The Duparts and the Galvezes were also nowhere to be found. The only other creatures on the deck were three snakes, each curled up in a small bundle.

  “I thought Oscar’s and Xavier’s parents had to be here as well,” Adele whispered to Serafine. “And what about—”

  Serafine’s smile cut her off. “You’ll see. Just be patient.”

  In her nervousness, Adele started walking faster, but Serafine held her back. “Slow down. You can’t be in no rush to mate.”

  Taking a deep breath, Adele slowed her steps. Over the sides of the boat, nine gators emerged from the glistening water. At first, Adele was shocked to see them floating in the river in a perfect semicircle. After a moment of thought, though, it all made sense.

  “The families watch in gator form?” she asked.

  Serafine nodded. “Now don’t ask no more questions. Just be present.”

  One of the gators lifted its head out of the water and opened its powerful jaws. The sound of the air pushed from the gator’s lungs was not in any way melodic, yet it was the most beautiful sound that Adele had ever heard. The guttural noise touched her eardrums, her heart, and even her cunt as it filled the evening. It reverberated through the air, making her entire body quake.

  The chorus of bellows continued as Serafine finished walking Adele to the front of the boat. She settled Adele between Oscar and Xavier and then placed herself at the helm of the ship. Reaching into her bright green robes, she pulled out a bag of sacred herbs and sprinkled them in a circle around the waiting triad.

  “We be gathered here this evenin’, as gators and as humans, to celebrate the union of Oscar and Xavier to their mate, Adele. But this ceremony ain’t just about love. We be here to celebrate the union of human and animal, the curse that is also a blessin’ because it binds this congregation together. We be here tonight to bring someone new to this family. Oscar and Xavier’s decision to claim a mate ain’t one to be taken lightly. Adele’s decision to be their mate is even more serious. She’s gonna become one of us. She’s gonna become part of a new world an’ way of life. Before we begin, I need to chec
k one last time that you’re all sure ’bout this.”

  She turned to Oscar. “Oscar, are you here of your own free will? Do you claim your mate with all of your heart an’ all of your soul, understandin’ all that it requires?”

  Oscar nodded. “I am.”

  Next, Serafine turned to Xavier. “Xavier, are you here of your own free will? Do you claim your mate with all of your heart an’ all of your soul, understandin’ all that it requires?”

  “Yes.”

  Finally, Serafine turned to Adele.

  “Adele, are you here of your own free will? Do you agree to bein’ mated, and by extension being turned? Are you making this decision with all of your heart an’ all of your soul, understandin’ all that it requires?”

  For a moment, Adele felt so scared that she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to answer. She’d spent several weeks preparing herself for this moment, but now that it had actually arrived, it was more intense and solemn than she ever could have imagined. Finally, though, she smiled. She wanted this more than she’d wanted anything else in her life. “Yes, I am.”

  Serafine pulled more herbs out of her robes and tossed them in the air. Then she reached out and pulled a strand of hair from Adele’s head. Adele struggled not to flinch or cry out, understanding that it was all part of the ceremony. Serafine pulled hairs from Xavier and Oscar as well, and then put them into a small silk bag that she pulled from her robes. Serafine gathered some of the herbs that had been scattered earlier and put them in the bag. After tying it with purple string, she handed it to Adele, then brought Xavier’s and Oscar’s hands to clasp around the bag as well.

  We come here to be gathered, to be bound

  And in this binding are made whole

  We are joined by heart and hand

  We are joined by mind and soul

  We are part of water and land

  Caught up in life’s turning wheel