Earth and sky keep turning round
Life a never-ending reel
Now beneath the sky we stand
To forge heart bonds stronger than steel
After the invocation, Serafine stepped back, and the triad released their hands.
“This bag is consecrated. It’s gonna bring you strength, luck, and happiness in your matin’. Stand in a circle now. Join hands.”
Adele tucked the bag into the pocket of her own dress, and then joined hands with Oscar and Xavier. Standing outside the circle, Serafine carefully picked up each snake and began to circle the triad. She wrapped a snake where Oscar connected with Adele, where Adele connected with Xavier, and where Xavier connected with Oscar. At first, Adele felt a surge of fear, but she took a cleansing breath to call herself. The snakes won’t hurt me. Serafine would never allow that.
As the scaly creatures wound themselves around the clasped hands, Serafine delivered one more blessing.
“May your union be filled with warmth an’ light. May your lives be filled with luck, joy, an’ prosperity.”
When the last word left her lips, Serafine snapped her fingers. The snakes released their tight grips, dropping to the ground and slithering off the boat into the water.
“Now your union has been blessed. The time has come. Oscar and Xavier, claim your mate.”
Adele’s nervousness skyrocketed, but she knew there was no turning back now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A second later, she felt Oscar sink his teeth deep into her left shoulder. As her flesh yielded to her mate’s mouth, she began to feel dizzy and see spots. Adele gasped and barely had time to clear her head before Xavier bit down into her right shoulder.
Pain ricocheted down Adele’s arms and back, but it only lasted for a few seconds before it was replaced by some of the most exquisite pleasure she had ever experienced. She felt as though every cell of her body had started to glow with an inner light. The pleasure coursed through all of her nerve endings, made her skin vibrate, and made her cunt start to ache with arousal. The pulse she felt deep inside her began to increase in frequency. Just as Adele thought she was going to slip into orgasm, she felt her body start to change. She saw her fingernails starting to thicken into claws, saw her skin start to take on a green hue.
Not now, not now. She began to panic, but the more her mind raced and she resisted the transformation, the faster her skin seemed to change.
“She’s shifting,” she heard Oscar say. Though he was standing inches away from her, he seemed far away.
“That’s normal,” Serafine said. “It’s hard to keep from shiftin’ when you’re claimed. You can bring her back down, though.”
“How?” Xavier sounded worried.
“You know how. Trust yourselves. You love her, and you been doin’ this all your lives. It ain’t that difficult.”
“Adele,” Oscar whispered in her ear. “Adele, don’t shift just yet. We’ll teach you how to control it later.”
Adele tried to open her mouth to speak, but she found she couldn’t say anything. My vocal cords must already be gone. She struggled as she felt herself begin to shrink down toward the deck. The sensation of her muscles and bones compressing made her panic, and she thrashed in an attempt to stay upright.
“Adele?” Xavier put his hand on hers, and held her up. But even with support, that didn’t stop the transformation. Her human legs began to pull away from the floor.
“Take a deep breath,” Xavier said. “Just breathe, and come back to the present. Focus on what it feels like to be human.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled, concentrating on thoughts of her regular skin, on the delicacy of her hands. After a few careful breaths, the gator in her began to disappear. Before she knew it, her legs extended, her knees straightened, and she could stand. She held up her hands to see that the skin had returned to normal.
Serafine smiled. “Good work. You’re gonna get good at shiftin’ in no time. And now the ritual is almost done. You all know what comes next, right?”
Adele nodded. She wasn’t sure if it was the change or the anticipation, but she was uncontrollably horny. A breeze had picked up across the water, and the sensation of wind across the back of her neck made her skin tingle, desperate for the touch of her mates.
“We’ll leave you to it, then.” In the blink of an eye, Serafine had shifted into her gator form, her robes reduced to a pile on the floor. She crawled off the boat and slipped into the water, guiding the other nine gators off to the small boat which was her private residence.
“Where are they going?” Adele asked.
Oscar shrugged. “No idea, but hopefully, one day we’ll get to be witnesses to a mating ceremony, and then we’ll get to find out.”
Adele was about to respond, but Xavier swept her up into a kiss, and her train of thought disappeared. As his lips worked hers, Oscar unbuttoned her dress, and let it mingle on the floor with Serafine’s clothes. Adele stepped away from the fabric, adorned only by her crown and her necklace.
Xavier broke the kiss and suddenly Oscar’s lips were on her, his tongue sliding in and out of her mouth, his hands stroking up and down her arms. When he released her, she turned back to Xavier to discover that he was also completely naked. He grabbed her hips and pulled her toward him, pressing her tightly against his rigid cock. Rather than kissing her again, Xavier went for her neck, delivering bite after delicious bite to her tender flesh. Adele’s skin raced with energy, and visions of what was about to take place flooded her mind.
“I was thinking,” she said between gasps for air. “I was thinking that the deck of the boat might not be the most comfortable thing in the world. Maybe we could take this down below.”
“Ain’t much below but private cabins,” Oscar said. “And while us havin’ the boat to ourselves for the night is part of the tradition, I got a feelin’ that most folks that live here wouldn’t be too keen on us breakin’ into their bedrooms to complete the matin’ ceremony.”
Adele laughed. “I didn’t mean below deck. I meant in the water.”
Xavier grinned. “Now you’re talkin’.” Without waiting for another suggestion, he climbed onto the railing and jumped into the river. Oscar finished removing his clothes and jumped in after his friend, and Adele followed after removing her crown. As she plunged into the water, chilled in the moonlight that was beginning to fill the atmosphere, Adele felt renewed and complete. The water enveloped her, wrapped around her body like a veil, washing away the last traces of her previous life. Adele realized she was home. This was where she belonged—with her mates, out on the waters she had dedicated her career to protecting. The beads of her necklace glittered in the water.
As she breached the surface, Oscar and Xavier rushed her, Oscar’s hands playing with her breasts, and Xavier’s fingers beginning to tease the swollen folds of her pussy. She leaned her head against Oscar’s chest, leaving her neck open for more bites as Xavier started playing with her clit. Her skin began to heat up despite the cool water, and prickles of electricity began to dance along her pussy lips.
She reached down and stroked both of their ready cocks, savoring the way the water accented the smooth textures. She was desperate to have them both inside her but was willing to be teased just a little while longer. The sensations in her neck and nipples intensified the pressure on her clit, and the pleasure that had been building all night suddenly released, sending explosions of electricity through her body. She tightened her grip around both men’s shafts and felt them throb in her hands, adding to the pulse coursing through her own body. The sensation was so intense she thought her heart would stop, but as the orgasm subsided, she found that everything returned to normal.
“Let’s move to the shallows,” Xavier said as Adele began to come back to earth. “It’ll be easier for all of us if we have something to brace against.”
They paddled over to the shallow water, and the men switched places, Xavier at her back and Oscar at her front. Oscar reclined on t
he riverbank, and Adele’s cunt began to throb again as she saw his body in the beauty of the water and the moonlight. The water dripped across his skin, running in rivers through the ridges in his six-pack. Droplets fell from his shining hair. The cool light made him look almost ethereal.
Adele couldn’t wait any longer. Swimming over, she settled herself on top of him and slid her pussy down his engorged shaft. Her muscles immediately locked tight around him, and his cock throbbed in the tight grip. She started to ride him slowly, smoothing her fingertips all around his firm chest. He bucked under her, attempting to make her go faster, but she wanted to keep teasing him. Her pussy surged with delight as she watched him writhe beneath her, desperate for more.
A few minutes later, she felt Xavier’s finger pressing against her asshole, beginning the process of preparing her for his cock. She stopped moving, her cunt contracting yet again as she saw the expression on Oscar’s face when she stilled. Laughing, she began her up-and-down thrusts again. She didn’t want Oscar to get ahead of Xavier, but she also knew that neither of them could stand for her to sit still while Xavier stretched her. Oscar writhed harder and harder under her slow movements, and she felt his dick throb harder with every thrash.
Just as she was about to pin him down, she felt Xavier grip her hips. She shivered as his rigid cock slid along her ass. He continued to grind it against her as he placed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder blades. Finally, he eased his cock into her tight hole. After the first inch, he stopped, allowing her a few moments to accommodate his girth. Adele sucked in her breath, the twinge of pain intensifying the pleasure already coursing through her.
Oscar reached out and began to tease her breasts, fondling gently and sliding his fingertips around the nipples. He never pinched or pulled, but kept his touch light to taunt her. Then, Xavier slid in a little farther, massaging her ass as he entered. Again, Adele’s body raced with a combination of pleasure and pain, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
When he was in to the hilt, she stopped to savor the feeling of being taken by both of her men at the same time. But then Adele’s cunt began to throb with even more need, and she started to move again, setting the pace. Adele moved faster this time. She didn’t want to tease any longer. They’d been holding back long enough. Still toying with her breasts, Oscar reached his mouth up to kiss her, gripping her lips with his, as Xavier raked his nails down her back, sending electric energy across her skin. Giving each nipple a hard pinch that sent tingles all the way down her skin, Oscar pulled his hands away and then tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her even deeper into the kiss. She lost the ability to restrain herself any longer. She started pounding into Oscar as fast as she could, bringing Xavier along for the ride.
“We need—we need to come together,” she said, so lost in her body that she could barely form the sentence. “I’ll hold—I’ll hold back—” Adele lost her train of thought as the pleasure overwhelmed her body and shut off her ability to speak. She could barely keep track of her breath, because she was so caught up in the feeling of her men, of her body compressed between theirs, of being part of them.
“Fuck yes,” Xavier groaned. Adele could feel his cock straining to release. Beneath her, Oscar’s was just as rigid. Knowing they were with her, she let her body go, allowed the energy to overtake her completely. She screamed into the night as every fiber of her being went alight with orgasm. She heard her men groan simultaneously, felt them both empty into her.
Completely devoid of energy, Adele collapsed onto Oscar’s chest and felt Xavier fall on top of her. She was in complete bliss pressed between their bodies, and stayed there until she finally regained her senses.
As Adele finished catching her breath, she wriggled out from between them. They swam back to the boat and climbed aboard and made their way to Xavier’s personal quarters. He had spent the weeks leading up to the wedding transforming his bachelor dwelling into a home. Adele gasped when she saw the large bed, big enough to hold the three of them.
“This thing looks so heavy, I’m surprised it doesn’t sink the ship,” she said with a giggle.
“Oh, it won’t sink the ship,” Xavier said with a wink. “But I’m concerned that with all the moving that’s gonna be happening in here, we’re gonna capsize.”
“Are you saying we have to tone it down?” Adele asked with mock exasperation.
“Hardly,” Oscar said, taking her by the hand and pulling her to the bed. “Capsizin’ ain’t the end of the world. You’re a gator now, anyway. You’re a good swimmer.”
Passing by the mirror, Adele stole a glance at her new eyes and grinned. She’d been afraid she wouldn’t like the change in her eyes. She loved the way the colors looked on Oscar and Xavier, but had worried about whether or not the sudden difference would make her entire face feel unfamiliar. Falling in love did not mean she wanted to lose herself. Yet when she saw her reflection, she couldn’t help but feel thrilled at the way she looked. The gold flecks in her green eyes didn’t seem strange or out of place. In fact, they looked completely natural. Even though she knew they were different, nothing looked unfamiliar. She knew she’d always been beautiful, but now it was as though her body was complete. It was as though her eyes were always meant to be this way.
But of course they were. This was fate, after all.
Adele flopped against the mattress and smiled as her men began caressing her. She never thought she’d be so happy to have changed. She never thought she’d be so happy in a life so different from the one she’d planned. But as she let the feeling of skin on skin overwhelm her, she realized she could no longer picture a life that was more perfect than one spent on the bayou with the men she loved.
I think I’m going to like being a gator after all. As both men started to nibble her flesh, she let go and let her mind become overrun with pleasure.
Epilogue
One month later
Adele hated the days when she woke up alone, but also knew that the best time for Oscar and Xavier to get a good catch was early in the day. She didn’t begrudge them for fulfilling the responsibilities.
As she got out of bed and proceeded with her morning routine, she realized something felt off. She didn’t feel sick, and her body wasn’t feverish, but something was definitely not right. When she couldn’t put her finger on it, she simply shrugged and went about her day. Maybe it was the ever-increasing humidity.
She went to the kitchen quarters to prepare herself some breakfast. Everyone on early fishing detail had eaten together, and there was usually leftover food warming on the stove for the latecomers to pick up when they finally got out of bed. Deciding some food would probably help her feel better, Adele loaded a plate with biscuits and gravy before sitting down at the table to review her most recent round of research notes.
Someone had left the radio on. At first, Adele barely noticed it. The background noise actually helped her focus on making sense of the newest batch of data. But when she heard the announcer say Villemont’s name, she lifted her head and focused on the story being reported.
“Local entrepreneur Ferdinand Villemont, convicted for attempted illegal purchase of wildlife, has been sentenced to pay fines for his crimes. His accomplices, employee Georgina Fucher and former Aquarium of the Americas employee Ron Pease, also face fines as well.”
Adele shuddered. She knew the penalties surrounding illegal animal sales were light, but in her heart, she hoped that somehow, Villemont would get what he truly deserved. It saddened her to realize that was never going to happen.
“The albino alligators that he attempted to buy have been missing since the date of the incident. While authorities are pessimistic about their chances for survival, the Aquarium asks that if citizens find any evidence of the escaped animals, they contact animal control.”
Serafine came in, shut off the radio, and sat down, an odd smile on her face. “Don’t let that news bring ya down. Ain’t nothin’ you can do about it, anyway.”
&
nbsp; Adele sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”
“How are things workin’ out for you? You adjustin’ to life out here okay?”
Although she was curious about Serafine’s unusual smile, Adele was cheered by Serafine’s consideration. “Great, thanks. I never thought I’d be so happy living out on the water, but now I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I thought the commutes into the city for work might drive me crazy, but I’m really enjoying the time all alone out on the water.”
“Glad to hear it. The three of you talked about children yet?”
Adele resisted rolling her eyes. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m infertile, remember?”
Serafine laughed so hard that Adele couldn’t help but frown. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s so funny?”
“You’ll see. You want some tea? I was gonna put on a pot.”
“That would be great, thanks.” Adele’s mind was still curious, but she didn’t push. She knew perfectly well that there was no way to get an answer out of Serafine if the woman didn’t want to give one.
Suddenly, the odd feeling intensified. It wasn’t illness, but rather a strange trembling throughout her body. She wasn’t cold and wasn’t nervous, but she couldn’t stop shaking. Then her muscles and bones began to stiffen, and she realized the change was happening.
Her mind quickly returned to the shifting lessons that Serafine had been giving her over the course of the past several weeks. She took deep breaths and focused on what she looked like in human form in an attempt to stop the transformation. But despite regular success when working with Serafine, this time, the change wouldn’t work. Her skin turned tough and green, and she felt her teeth grow and sharpen, and she felt her tail grow. The more she tried to fight it, the faster the transformation worked. There was nothing she was able to do to return her human form.
Serafine stood over her and chuckled. “Come on over to my quarters. Hurry now. We don’t have much time.”
Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Rescue [The Shifters of Alligator Bend 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14