When Armand reached up to play with her nipples, the pleasure started increasing at a furious pace. The electric energy sizzled all the way down her spine and added to the intensity that was building up in her cunt.
She leaned toward Armand. “Bite my neck. Please.” She craned her neck to steal a look at Nelson. “You, too. I want both of you biting my flesh.”
She heard Nelson’s breath catch in his throat and thought he was feeling reticent again, but then he reached out and sunk his teeth into her shoulder. As she howled with pleasure, she felt Armand’s teeth in her neck, felt her flesh yield. The sensation was one of pleasure that bordered on pain, and it was the most exhilarating sensation that Narcisse had ever experienced.
The orgasm that had been building in her cunt exploded throughout her body. The pleasure that surged through every muscle and nerve was so intense that she thought she was going to be knocked off balance. As her cunt muscles seized up, she heard Armand groan and empty into her. Nelson wasn’t far behind. Just a few seconds later, she felt his cock throb with pleasure and then release. Narcisse’s orgasm, however, didn’t stop. The release kept pounding through her nerves until she collapsed on top of Armand.
“That was amazing,” she whispered, gasping for air.
Then she felt a strange tremor in her body. It wasn’t an orgasm. It wasn’t anything she had ever felt before. Suddenly, she seemed to shrink. She felt claws come in to replace her fingernails, and powerful teeth and jaws take over what had been there before. She tried to scream, but it was as though her vocal cords had been severed. At best, all she could do was emit a few short bellows of air.
Armand immediately jumped up. “Shit. What just happened?”
“Narcisse? Can you understand us?” Nelson asked. “Blink twice if you can understand us.”
Narcisse just stared at him at first, her mind racing, trying to comprehend what was happening to her. She was certain that if she could sweat, she’d be soaked.
Armand looked over at Nelson. “Shit. I don’t think she understands us.” He turned back to Narcisse. “Can you hear me okay? Please, just blink twice.”
Finally, Narcisse came to her senses and followed his instructions, and his face filled with relief. “Okay, cool. We can work with this. Narcisse, I don’t know why or how, but you have turned into an alligator.”
In her panic, Narcisse forgot that she could no longer speak. All of her muscles tightened as she attempted to form words, to ask what was going on, and whether or not she’d return to her human state. Again, she managed to force out a few bellows, but nothing resembling coherent language. Horrified by the sounds that came from her mouth, she started to thrash again, clawing at the dock.
“Maybe one of us should shift,” Armand said. “Maybe we could try to communicate with her through ESP. Oh shit, I can’t believe this just happened. What the hell is going on?”
Narcisse gave up on speaking. She was just as clueless as they were, if not more so, and it was apparent her voice wasn’t coming back as long as she was a gator. Suddenly, she began to panic. These two guys obviously didn’t have any clue why she’d changed, or how to change her back. She didn’t know if this was going to wear off in a few hours or a few days. For all she knew, she was stuck as a gator forever. I’m going to have a hard time explaining this to my friends, much less my family and supervisor back in Houston.
The sputtering of a motorboat had Narcisse whirling around. The boat was steered by a lone woman. Her skin bore faint wrinkles, and her dark hair was shot through with streaks of silver. She wore an elegant blue robe that seemed out of place in the muddy swamp.
“Goddamn. I’m too late,” the woman said, climbing on to the dock. “What the hell were you two boys thinkin’?”
“Serafine, what happened?” Nelson was starting to sound as panicked as Narcisse felt.
Serafine glared at him. “What do you think happened?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”
“You changed her. You went ahead and mated her without even the proper ritual ceremony. And I doubt she asked to be changed. What were you two thinkin’?”
Armand went pale. “What do you mean, we mated her?”
Serafine nodded down at Narcisse. “You bit her, didn’t you? Both of you. While you were fornicatin’?”
“How—how did you know?” Nelson asked.
“Because unless we got some long-lost kin, she wasn’t a gator when she met you.” Serafine rubbed her eyes. “I can’t believe I didn’t get here in time. I rushed off as soon as I felt your matin’ energy, but I guess I was too far away. Hell, most of the time, when you find your mates, I need to help ya turn back. The change is so powerful and sudden, even good shifters struggle with it.”
“So what makes us so special?” Armand asked.
“It’s the power of matin’ heat. When Oscar and Xavier met Adele, I was there pretty quick. But you were farther away, and since it took me longer to get out there, that gave her pheromones time to work their magic on you.”
Nelson raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that with her there drivin’ your bodies crazy, you changed back so you could mate with her, because I didn’t get there in time.”
Narcisse was beginning to feel ignored. She emitted a short bellow in hopes of getting their attention.
“Oh, I’m sorry, child,” Serafine said. She closed her eyes, muttered an incantation, and suddenly, Narcisse began to return to human form. She immediately reached for her clothes and hurried to put them on.
“Don’t worry. With a little bit of trainin’, you’ll be able to control those shifts. You won’t have to worry about them happenin’ randomly like that.” Serafine rubbed her eyes again. “You’re one of us now. And you’re bound to those two for life.”
“What?” Narcisse shrieked. “I don’t—I must be hallucinating. Those drinks I had in the Quarter—they must have been drugged or something. This is not real. It’s all a dream. A vision.”
She glanced at Nelson and noticed he was staring at her with an odd look on her face. Quickly switching her gaze over to Armand, she noticed a similar shocked expression.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“It’s just—it’s just that damn. Your eyes…” Nelson trailed off.
“What about my eyes?”
“They’re green,” Armand said. “Green, with flecks of gold.”
“Which means what, exactly?”
“An alligator shifter.”
Narcisse was done. “Look, I have friends back in the French Quarter who are probably wondering where I’ve gone. In a few days, I have to go back to my job and regular life in Houston. Plus, I think my parents might be a little concerned if I just disappeared into the swamps without so much as a phone call. So if you could please do me a favor and figure out how to make me a regular human again, I’d really appreciate it.”
Serafine shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t. Changing and mating are both permanent. Which is why a woman has to decide in advance whether or not she wants to be changed. But these two went ahead and jumped the gun.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Nelson snapped. “This isn’t our fault. How were we supposed to know that bitin’ her would turn her? How were we supposed to know we were claimin’ a mate?”
Armand jumped in. “Yeah, it’s not like anyone ever told us that. All the stuff about the matin’ ritual is kept a complete secret until the very last second. It ain’t our fault that we got caught up in the moment. If we’d known better, we wouldn’t have done it.”
Serafine chuckled. “She’s your mate. It’s biological destiny. She’s the only woman in the world who is a perfect fit, who will help create the strongest children—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Narcisse interrupted. “I just found out that I’m an alligator shifter and that I’m apparently mated for life. We are not about to bring up the subject of children. I don’t even know if I want this. I want to go ba
ck to my friends in the Quarter. I want to go back to my regular life.”
Serafine’s expression turned somber. “I’m sorry, child, but that’s impossible. You can go back to New Orleans for a bit, but the power of the shift means you can’t spend too much time away from the congregation. The curse will always bring you back, whether you want it or not. Goin’ home to Houston ain’t an option.”
“Are you telling me that I can’t go back to my regular life because these two bit me?”
“Hey, you begged us to bite you,” Nelson argued.
Narcisse hung her head. “You have a point. But I wouldn’t have done that if I knew we’d be mated for life. Look, you seem nice and all, but I try not to get eternally bound to people I’ve known for all of ten seconds.”
“Well, that’s the way it is,” Serafine said. “My suggestion is that the two of you take her back to New Orleans so she can meet up with her friends and gather her things, then bring her out to the houseboats and get her settled.”
Narcisse felt her stomach lock up with anxiety. “You’re serious. I have to just give up my entire life and move in with them? I don’t get to spend time with my family ever again? There’s no way out?”
Serafine sighed. “There is, but it ain’t easy.”
“It’s not easy?”
“No. We’d have to do a banishment spell.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Banishment is only supposed to happen in extreme circumstances,” Armand said. “Like if someone betrays the congregation.”
“I think three people accidentally mating is a pretty extreme situation.”
“You gotta understand,” Serafine said. “When the banishment spell happens, the whole congregation hurts. Armand and Nelson here will feel it the worst, but it’ll resonate with everyone.”
“Even if they don’t know me? Even if I’m not really part of the group yet?”
Serafine nodded. “Afraid so.”
Armand took her hand. “Look, I don’t want you to be miserable. I know it’ll hurt if you decide to get banished, but I also don’t want you to be unhappy. Would you—would you be willing to extend your vacation just for a little while? Come to the congregation with us. See if you like it. And if not, you can undergo the banishment spell.”
“Even though it will hurt you?”
“I’d rather have pain on my own than ruin your life.”
Nelson nodded. “That’s a great idea. You don’t have to live with us or nothin’. You can stay with someone else. But just give it a shot, and if you hate it, you can be banished. No hard feelings. Like Armand said, I’d rather hurt myself a little bit than make you miserable.”
Narcisse sucked in her breath. Part of her couldn’t believe this was happening. But part of her couldn’t imagine leaving and going back to her regular life, at least not right away. Logically, she knew that even pondering joining Nelson and Armand was ludicrous. But she couldn’t deny that another part of her just wanted to see what happened. Her life had been a string of boredom and frustration lately. This would certainly be a change of pace, even if it was only temporary.
“Well, I guess…I guess I could give it a shot. I’ve been wanting an adventure anyway. It seems like the universe decided to grant my wish. I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this to my friends, but I guess I can come up with something. Okay, yes, I’ll come back with you. But if it doesn’t work, I want to be banished.”
Armand nodded. “You have my word.”
“You have mine, too,” Nelson said.
“Okay, then. I’ll do it. But we should head back to the city now, so that I can get my stuff, and so my friends aren’t worrying about me.”
Serafine smiled. “Thank you for giving ’em a chance. Go on, now, and do what you need to do. The rest of the congregation will be happy to meet you tonight.”
Serafine climbed back into her boat and drove off. Narcisse eyed Armand and Nelson up and down, suddenly feeling nervous about her decision. The day was fading into night, and Narcisse wondered how on earth she was going to locate her friends in the crowds. But standing on the dock wondering if she’d made the right choice wasn’t going to resolve the issue any faster.
“Well, I guess you two had better find your pants and then take me back to the city.”
Chapter Three
They piled into the boat, and Nelson began to steer it back toward New Orleans. Once he got the boat moving at a good speed, he looked over at Narcisse. He was surprised to realize that she actually looked nervous. Her look of self-confident arousal was long gone, as was the smile she’d flashed when she agreed to come back with them to test out life on the bayou. Both expressions had been replaced with complete uncertainty.
“You okay?” he asked.
“It’s been a strange day, to say the least. Granted, the sex was amazing, but the whole becoming a gator thing? And being mated to two people I barely know? No offense. The two of you seem great, but—”
“None taken,” Armand said with a chuckle. “You’re damn fine, but I know I would have preferred to get mated under different circumstances.”
“I–I’m sorry we ruined your trip,” Nelson said. “I’m sorry that we let our hormones take control, and now your entire life is kinda complicated.”
Narcisse sighed. “As nervous as I am about actually joining the two of you on the bayou, I can’t deny that I’m excited. My head tells me I’m crazy, but my heart is thrilled. Even if this doesn’t end up working out, I’m excited.”
“I’m glad,” Armand said. “What made you decide to give it a shot?”
“My heart was begging me to go, and I couldn’t ignore it. This feels like the adventure I’ve been waiting for. My life in Houston isn’t going anywhere. My job makes me miserable, for one thing. My relationship with my parents is frustrating. They love me, and I love them, but they’re really traditional, and are frustrated that I haven’t already fulfilled their wish for a son-in-law and grandchildren. And as much as I worry about what I’m going to tell my friends when we get back to the hotel, this trip with them has made me realize that maybe they weren’t the best people to be hanging out with after all.”
Armand raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, they’re not horrible people or anything. I just mean the enforced closeness of a vacation hasn’t done especially well for us. When you share a hotel room and have to deal with each other’s shenanigans, then you start to see parts of your friends that you never noticed before, even if you’ve known them for a few years.”
Armand nodded. “That happens. I’m glad we could give you a break from all that, at least. I just hope you like it enough to want to stay.”
Narcisse sighed. “It’s not that I don’t. I mean, I wouldn’t be giving this a shot if I really didn’t want to see what happened. I could have asked Serafine to banish me on the spot. But I can’t deny that things will get really complicated if things do work out between the three of us. I mean, my parents want me to get married and have kids, but I don’t think me being with two guys is quite what they had in mind. Not to mention I think they’d have a pretty tough time wrapping their heads around the concept of alligator shifters, too.” Narcisse sighed and stared out at the bayou darkness. “But I guess I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Nelson took her hand. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Because if you decide you do want to stick around, it won’t just be your problem. It will be our problem.”
Narcisse gave him a small smile. “You’re sweet.”
“I’m serious,” Nelson said. “We wouldn’t expect you to handle that on your own.”
“Definitely not,” Armand said. “If you want to stay our mate for life, we’re gonna help and support you through everything. We’re gonna take care of you.”
Narcisse’s smile got a little better. “Thanks.”
Nelson squeezed her hand a little tighter. “Don’t worry. We’ll all figure it out
, no matter what we decide.”
“Right now, figuring out the fish problem seems easier than this whole mating thing,” Armand said with a slight chuckle
Nelson couldn’t help but laugh as well. “I know, right? Suddenly, figuring out where all the fish have gone seems mighty simple.”
“Fish problem?” Narcisse asked. “What fish problem?”
“There’s a major fish shortage right now,” Armand said. “And we can’t figure out why.”
“But we’re fishermen,” Nelson added. “The congregation has been runnin’ a fishin’ business for decades. We gotta figure out what’s goin on, or we’re in trouble.”
“And yet neither of us has come up with an answer. Though it ain’t like anyone else can, either.”
“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” Nelson said with a shrug. “Life gets full of questions and don’t seem to have many answers.”
“Maybe there’s a predator,” Armand mused. “An influx of non-shiftin’ gators, maybe.”
“It’s possible, I guess. Though if that was the case, I feel like we would have noticed an increase in the actual population. Haven’t noticed any new species, either.”
“How much longer do you think we have before it starts causin’ real problems for the business?”
“You mean worse than it already has? That’s why only half of us are going out on fishin’ trips lately. Have to limit what we catch so we don’t take ’em all. Gotta keep some to replenish the population, and to feed the rest of the animals that prey on ’em. We take everything, won’t be long before we’re left with nothing.”
“But how long before we’re in real trouble?” Armand asked.
“A month if we’re lucky, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t start feelin’ the pinch in about two weeks.”
Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3