“It’s—it’s not just that.”
“Then what’s wrong? Talk to me, honey. I don’t want you to be hurtin’.”
“I’m going to get banished, aren’t I?”
“Banished? Why would you think you were gonna get banished?”
“Because I’ve been nothing but trouble ever since I arrived in the bayou. Rather than talking about what was bothering me I ran away and nearly killed us. And now I ruined the mission. Pomet’s going to keep overfishing, and the bayou is going to get destroyed, and it’s my fault. I should have listened to the two of you. I shouldn’t have come along. I wasn’t ready. I’m so sorry. Please don’t banish me.”
“Baby, it’s okay. You ain’t gonna be banished. For one thing, don’t you remember what Serafine said the first day you met us? Banishment hurts, and it hurts everyone in the congregation. You ain’t done anything bad enough to make us want that kinda pain.”
“So you’re stuck with me. I keep screwing up, but it would be even worse for you to get rid of me.”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Nelson wiped the tears from her face. “That ain’t true at all. Because it ain’t just that banishment hurts. It’s that Armand and I want you around. Even if it wasn’t gonna hurt us to banish you, we wouldn’t let anyone even think about it. You’re our mate, and we’re in this for the long haul.”
He pulled Narcisse into his arms and stroked her hair. “It’s okay, baby. It really is. I promise, Armand and I won’t let anyone banish you.”
After a while, Narcisse calmed down, and eventually dozed off. Nelson didn’t let her go. All he wanted in the world was for her to agree to remain their mate. But it always seemed as though the world was working against them.
* * * *
Despite the disastrous way things had gone the night before, Narcisse woke up between Nelson and Armand and felt hopeful and happy. When they’d returned to the houseboats after the encounter with Pomet, she doubted her future with the congregation. She was certain she’d be banished, and was shocked to find she didn’t want to leave. After all the trouble she had caused, she was certain she’d deserved it, but didn’t want to leave her mates, not even in a way that wouldn’t kill her.
Staring down at their sleeping forms, Narcisse realized that she didn’t want to leave because she loved them. She didn’t want to leave because in spite of all the difficulties she had faced, this had become home. Right there, between Armand and Nelson, was where her heart belonged.
Narcisse wanted to wake them and tell them, but also knew they needed their sleep after such a long night. She also decided she needed to talk to her parents, to explain as best she could about what had happened.
Extricating herself from the bed, both Nelson and Armand stirred slightly, but didn’t wake up. She grabbed Armand’s phone off the dresser, reminding herself to get a new one soon.
Narcisse settled herself on the deck and stared at the phone for a few moments, wondering what to say. She decided to omit the part about shape-shifting. The ménage would be difficult enough to explain, and would be much easier for her parents to swallow if they assumed her mates were human.
It’s now or never. And it can’t be never.
Taking a deep breath, Narcisse flipped open the phone and dialed her parents’ phone number.
“Hello?” Her mother’s voice sounded cautious.
“Hi, Mom, it’s Narcisse.”
“Finally! I thought you weren’t speaking to us for some reason! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called in the past few weeks. Would it kill you to return our messages once in a while? Even just send us a text to let us know you’re still alive.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. My phone got wet while I was on vacation, and I haven’t replaced it yet.”
“How have you survived so long without it? Don’t you need it for work?”
“I’m, uh, I’m actually still on vacation, and just haven’t made time.”
“You’re still on vacation? I thought you were just taking a long weekend.”
“I was. But then I had a little change of plans. Um, maybe you should put Dad on the phone, too, before I finish my story.”
“What happened?”
“Just put Dad on the phone, okay?”
“Are you in trouble? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Mom. In fact, everything is right.”
“What on earth does that mean?”
“It means I’m in love.”
The phone was so silent that for a moment, Narcisse wondered if they were still connected.
“Hello? Mom?”
“I’m here.”
Her mother’s voice was so flat that Narcisse couldn’t help but shudder. Her mother wasn’t happy, but was trying to remain calm.
“Put Dad on the phone so I can talk to you both, okay?”
“Maybe later. I don’t think he needs to hear about how his daughter met some guy on vacation and has yet to leave the city because she thinks she’s in love with him.”
Narcisse took a deep breath. “Guys, Mom.”
“What?”
“Guys. As in, I’m in love with two men.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You are not in love with two men, much less one, much less some guy you met on spring break.”
“Mom, I wasn’t on spring break.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Would you just give me a chance to explain?”
“Explain what? That my daughter, who should know better, is a total slut?”
“I’m not a slut, Mom.”
“You’re hooking up with two men you barely know. I’m not sure what a better definition is.”
“Mom, please, don’t do this. If you’d just give them a chance, you’d see it’s not like whatever it is you’re picturing. Maybe in a couple of weeks you could come out to New Orleans for the weekend and—”
“Are you kidding me? Narcisse, you need to get ahold of yourself and come back to Houston right now. I don’t know what has gotten into you, but your father and I raised you better than this, and we’re not going to stand for it.”
“Mom, please—”
“This discussion is over.”
“Just think about it, okay? Just think about meeting them, so you can see that I’m really happy, and it’s not what you think.”
“No.”
“Mom, please. I love you, and I don’t want to have to choose between them and you.”
Her mother sighed. “I am not happy about this. I am not happy about it one bit, and I don’t even want to think about how your father is going to react to this when I tell him.”
“I could—”
“No, I’m going to be the one to tell him, so I can be sure it’s done in such a way that doesn’t give him a heart attack. But I promise I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Is the number on my caller ID a good one to reach you for now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when I’ve made up my mind.”
Narcisse didn’t have a chance to reply before her mother hung up.
Shaking, she made her way back into her room, and set the phone back on the table. She looked over at her men, still asleep, and immediately burst into tears.
Both men were instantly awake and rushed up to hug her.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Armand asked. “What happened?”
Nelson scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. “Talk to us, baby,” he said as he set her down.
“I—I decided I wanted to call my parents and tell them about us. Well, not about the shifter thing, because I figured that would have been too much, but about the three of us together. And—well, my mom didn’t take it so well. She wouldn’t even let me talk to my dad.”
Nelson’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, baby. What did she say?”
Narcisse shuddered to think about it. “That I was a slut for hooking up with two g
uys I met on vacation, and there was no possible way I could be in love with you.”
“Did—did I just hear you right?” Armand asked.
Narcisse wiped her tears away and didn’t even attempt to fight the smile that had suddenly burst across her face. “Yes. I love you, Armand. And I love you, Nelson.”
Armand immediately pulled her into a deep kiss. “I love you, Narcisse.”
Nelson took his turn, pressing his lips against hers before saying, “I love you, too.”
“I want to stay here forever. No matter what happens, I want to be your mate for life.”
Both men hugged her, enveloping her with their warmth and love. Suddenly, her stomach gave a huge rumble, making them all giggle and killing the moment.
“I guess fighting with my mom makes me work up an appetite.”
“In that case, let’s get ourselves some breakfast,” Armand said with a smile.
Nelson nodded. “A celebratory breakfast, so we can announce you’re gonna stay.”
“Are you sure everyone will want me to stay after the way I screwed things up?”
Armand hugged her again. “Baby, this is a family. We don’t give up on each other. No matter what. They’re gonna be so happy you want to stay. I promise.”
Chapter Nine
Narcisse gripped Armand’s and Nelson’s hands as they joined the rest of the congregation for breakfast.
“Good news, everyone,” Armand said the second they walked in the door.
Narcisse blushed when all eyes turned and looked at them. She was thrilled about her decision, but still nervous that the rest of the congregation would not be quite so pleased.
“Well, if you have news, don’t just stand there grinnin’,” Serafine said. “You know how I feel about bein’ kept in suspense.”
“You wanna tell everyone?” Nelson asked.
Narcisse took a deep breath. “I love Nelson and Armand, and they love me, too. I’ve come to feel like I belong here. I want to stay here on the bayou and be a part of this congregation forever.”
She caught her breath, worried about facing down disapproving glances from Armand’s and Nelson’s parents. But instead, the entire room burst into applause. Everyone got up to embrace the triad. There was so much hugging and congratulating taking place that it was another fifteen minutes before Narcisse got the chance to sit down to eat.
After they were settled, Adele stood up.
“I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder,” she said with a smile. “But I can’t keep this a secret any longer. Even though your attempt to dismantle Pomet’s operation didn’t go well, my report finally worked.”
“What do you mean?” Manuel asked.
“I mean that I saw on the news this morning that Pomet Aquatic Enterprises had been ordered to shut down temporarily while undergoing investigation for overfishing.”
“Hot damn!” Manuel said, rubbing his hands together. “Looks like at least some of our problems are over.”
The mood had already been jovial after Narcisse’s announcement, but suddenly, the atmosphere grew even happier. Everyone relaxed, even Narcisse. She was overjoyed. Now that the congregation’s troubles were finally over, her mates had one less thing to worry about.
Not long after Narcisse finished her breakfast, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Serafine standing behind her.
“I know you probably wanna spend more time with your mates today, but I was thinkin’ it would be a good time for another shiftin’ lesson.”
Narcisse smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.” She looked at Armand and Nelson. “Mind if I take off with Serafine for a while?”
“Have a good time,” Armand said. “And remember, you’re gonna get the shiftin’ down soon. Just relax and enjoy learnin’.”
“I will,” she said as she followed Serafine to her quarters.
As soon as they were alone in the tiny boat, Serafine closed the door. “Before we begin, I just wanna make sure you’re completely sure about stayin’. I don’t want you to feel trapped here ever again.”
Narcisse smiled. “Serafine, I promise, nothing in the world makes me happier than the thought of staying here forever.”
Serafine nodded. “Good. In that case, give the shift a shot. Become a gator.”
Narcisse closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and before she knew it, her stature was shrinking and her skin was thickening. When she opened her eyes, she looked up and saw Serafine staring down with a gigantic grin.
“Nice work. That’s the smoothest shift I’ve ever seen from you. Beautiful. Now, try goin’ back.”
Narcisse’s heart fluttered with nervousness for a moment, but then she closed her eyes again and imagined her body taking on its original form. Her bones and muscles lengthened, her claws turned into fingers, and suddenly she was balanced on her own two feet.
Serafine applauded. “Congratulations. You’ve completed your first shift cycle without any assistance. You’re well on your way to bein’ in full control of your power.”
Narcisse grinned. “So what happens now?”
“Now you need to practice it ’bout a hundred more times. Just because you got it once doesn’t mean you’re in complete control of your power yet. So what are you waitin’ for?”
Narcisse closed her eyes again and let the force of her gator take over.
* * * *
“How you three doin’?” Andre asked as the remains of dinner were being cleared away.
“Fine, Dad,” Armand said. “In fact, better than fine. Hell, why you even askin’? Narcisse is gonna stay on the bayou with us. We don’t need nothin’ more.”
Manuel nodded and smile. “An’ I’m glad to hear it. I been worried for a long time. Couldn’t stand the thought of her decidin’ she wanted to be banished. Especially not after we just lost Georgina. I mean, what Georgina did was unforgiveable, but that don’t mean it didn’t hurt to lose her.”
“We know,” Armand said. “We all felt it when it happened. I didn’t even wanna think of havin’ to do that with Narcisse.”
“Well, it’s all worked out now,” Nelson said, sitting down at the table with a beer in his hand. “And I’m sorry that there was so much stress and confusion in the first place. We made a lotta mistakes along the way. But we worked it out, and everything is okay now.”
“Not quite,” Adele said, walking into the room with a pinched look on her face. Narcisse followed behind her, looking just as tense. “Anybody been paying attention to the news?”
“No,” Armand said. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Ferdinand Villemont has bought out Pomet’s company. Pomet, of course, will still manage the business, and it will keep his name, but Villemont will be using it as subsidiary income.”
“What?” Armand couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Last I saw him, he was in pretty bad shape.”
“A man that rich can buy a whole new body if he wants. He’s back at work, and apparently, he’s doing quite well for himself.”
Andre cleared his throat. “Yeah, but what about the fact that he was convicted of trying to illegally purchase alligators from the aquarium? Alligators that mysteriously disappeared when the transaction was interrupted, I might add.”
“Yeah, he was convicted, but all he had to do was pay a fine,” Nelson said. “And with the kinda money he makes, that fine was just pocket change.”
“He didn’t even need to bring out his legal team,” Adele said with a bitter laugh. “The maximum punishment for illegal animal sales is pretty much just a slap on the wrist. It was probably cheaper for him to pay the fine than to bother spending much money fighting the case. And now he’s recovered from his injuries and is creating havoc, all the while increasing his profit margin.”
“Still, it might not mean anything, right?” Narcisse asked, though her voice didn’t sound hopeful.
Armand sighed. “Ferdinand Villemont is a very dangerous man. He wanted to buy me, remember? At least he didn’t see Xa
vier or Oscar shift. I don’t know what would have happened then.”
“They would’ve written it off as the hallucination of a man who had just endured a severe injury,” Adele said. “Your identities would not have been compromised.”
“At least, that’s what we hope,” Andre said. He turned his gaze to Narcisse. “I ain’t never been a fan of Ferdinand Villemont. He’s the kind of man who takes what he wants, and he don’t care about the consequences. Especially consequences to the bayou itself. He’s been caught overfishin’, dumpin’ toxic waste, and a whole host of other things.”
“So why does he continue to get away with it?” Narcisse asked.
“Because he’s got money. I can’t even imagine how much he spends to bribe himself out of trouble so he can keep his business open and make more money.”
Manuel jumped in. “And that don’t even take into account the fact that he wanted to buy our mate and son for his private zoo. He almost got away with it, too.”
“He ain’t no friend to the bayou, and he’s no friend to the congregation,” Armand said. “If he’s buyin’ Pomet’s company, I have no doubt that he has the money to get them out of their legal situation and have them operational in no time. The fishin’ problem is gonna be right back where it started. And it won’t let up if Villemont is controllin’ them. His pockets are too deep.”
Manuel sighed. “We’re just gonna have to take matters into our own hands again.”
“How do you propose that?” Nelson asked. “Our last attempt didn’t work so well.”
“We strike when we least expect it,” Armand jumped in. “While they’re right out on the water. Sink the boats.”
“And then Villemont can order a whole host of new ones,” Adele said, dejection beginning to creep out in her tone. “He’s just too powerful.”
“We could bide our time and get more proof,” Narcisse offered. “Show that the company is doing something illegal again.”
“And it will be a temporary fix again,” Manuel said. “No, we gotta do somethin’ drastic.”
“But what?” Narcisse asked. “Villemont seems too powerful for any of our ideas. He’ll manage to work around them somehow.”
Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12