by Zoe Chant
“No,” Arlo admitted before he could stop himself. “I’m like them.”
A complicated, closed-off expression took hold of Jacqueline’s face. Arlo’s wolf whined: it didn’t want closed-off. It wanted everything to be open and clear between them, and it wanted to be able to help. To drive away whatever was hurting her.
Arlo almost groaned at the effort it took to not simply throw himself at Jacqueline’s feet and beg her to let him in.
“You can turn into a… seal?” Jacqueline asked.
“Not exactly.” Arlo gazed into Jacqueline’s eyes. His mind had this all twisted up, but his heart? His heart, and his wolf, knew what he needed to do. “I—”
*Kenna Dylan wanna fish!*
“I—”
*Wanna fish fish FISH!*
Arlo paused. Dylan had told him the toddler’s name before using his megaphone-like telepathy.
*Tally…* he began—and then realized his mistake.
Tally stared at him. He felt her look at him, and then look deeper, into what he really was.
“I—” he tried again.
*WANNA FISH WANNA PLAY WITH DOGGY—*
*No no no!* Kenna’s telepathic voice was much more on edge than her spoken voice. *No, she was like this just before she slipped away before. Dylan, make her stop!*
*She already ate all the chocolate!* Dylan yelled back. He looked like he might cry.
“Hey, it’s not that bad,” Jacqueline said. She put her arm around Dylan’s shoulder and squeezed. “Everything’s going to be fine, okay?”
“But she already ate everything,” he whined, sagging against her.
Arlo shook his head. His temples were pounding. He shot an apologetic look at Jacqueline.
“I think these kids need their dinner, and I’ve got food on the Hometide.”
Jacqueline’s eyes slid past him, to his boat, moored out in the darkness. “Oh,” she said, her voice listless. Arlo opened his mouth to speak, but then her whole body stiffened, as though she’d stepped on a live wire.
“I’m coming with you,” she declared, her eyes blazing.
“Of c—” Arlo began.
“I’m not going to go home and pretend I never saw any of this. I can’t.”
Her voice broke on the last word, letting through a sliver of desperation. She caught her breath and Arlo felt like his heart had stopped as he waited for her to speak again.
She stared into his eyes as though she was searching for something. Arlo’s chest tightened.
What does she see when she looks at me?
He knew the face that had looked out at him from the mirror that morning: hair a tangled mass of knots, stubble like he’d dipped the lower half of his face in a pile of iron filings, eyebrows that you could hide half a football team in.
She was beautiful, and he was… a mess. In more ways than one.
Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere until I know Kenna, Dylan and Tally are safe.”
Good, Arlo’s wolf huffed, satisfied. Arlo was bewildered at its reaction—and relieved.
Jacqueline took another deep breath. “If you’re going to tell me this is none of my business—”
“I’m not.” Arlo raised his hands in surrender. “I was going to say thank you. Am going to say thank you. I appreciate the help.”
“Oh.” The fight went out of her. “Um. Good. Because my car is stuck in a ditch about a half-mile back, and I don’t expect my phone will have agreed with that little dip I took in the sea back there, so going with you is basically my only option here, anyway.” Her shoulders dropped and the wan smile she gave him made his heart break.
If I’d lied and tried to get the kids away from her, I would have abandoned her here with no way to get home. Arlo’s gut clenched. There’s no coming back from that.
“We’d better get moving,” he said. “No chance of sailing tonight, but there’s warm clothes, and food.”
“What else could we need?” Jacqueline said brightly.
Arlo’s eyes trailed after her as they gathered up the kids’ belongings and squeezed everyone into the rowboat.
What else? So much more. But I’m beginning to think I’m not the man who can give it to you.
7
Jacqueline
Arlo’s boat was not what she’d expected. He was so salt-crusted and rough-looking, Jacqueline had thought he must have come off a working fishing boat, covered in shed scales and chased by seagulls.
Which only went to show she shouldn’t make assumptions.
The Hometide was a sleek cutter, all oiled wooden boards and crisp sails. The water slapped against its sides as Arlo secured the rowboat and helped them all climb aboard. Jacqueline went up last, and his touch burned against her skin.
I really am cold, she thought, biting her lip. She flexed her fingers, testing them. How many times was it you were meant to be able to clench and unclench your fists, before it was time to be worrying about hypothermia? She was sure she’d known, once. Back when she spent more time outdoors than doing vacuuming in that huge empty house.
“There’s clothes downstairs,” Arlo said, appearing at her shoulder.
“What?” Jacqueline jumped, and he seemed to curl in on himself.
“Dry clothes. In the cabin downstairs. You look…” He looked away. “Cold.”
“And soaking wet,” Jacqueline agreed, shaking out her arms. Arlo made a strange noise in the back of his throat.
“I’ll show you.”
The Hometide had a comfortable cockpit in the stern, fitted out with cushions on the seats and cup holders stuffed with sunscreen and water bottles. A wooden hatch with a round window led down into the cabin. Jacqueline climbed down the ladder after Arlo and he pointed behind it to a low-roofed alcove.
“Clothes in the cupboard. There should be a towel… I’ll get dinner on.”
His voice was rough, and Jacqueline bit back a sigh. He might have saved her life, but it was obvious he resented her presence here.
Too bad. She was going to see this through. She’d spent the last three years paralyzed by life. She’d almost frozen again, back there on the beach.
But she couldn’t do that anymore. She had no excuses left for not doing anything with her life. And making sure this little family made their way to Hideaway to wait for the man she’d spoken to on the phone might not be the same thing as partying it up in a club, but at least it was something. It wasn’t another Friday night at work or at home, terrified that she’d do something wrong and the rest of her world would come crashing down.
She waited until Arlo had gathered everything he needed from the small kitchen and then clambered into the alcove. Her knees sank into a mattress and she realized, too late, that the entire space was a bed.
Arlo’s bed.
Jacqueline’s face blazed. I’m climbing into another man’s bed, she thought, stupidly, and even more stupidly felt a rush of guilt. She pushed it away, frowning.
What do I have to feel guilty about? Even if Arlo was interested in me—Derek left me. I don’t have to feel bad about noticing other men exist.
She crawled over the bed to the cupboard set into the very stern of the cabin. There was something in the wall above the cupboard that looked like it should have been a window, but it was boarded over.
Another victim of the storm? Jacqueline wondered, and opened the cupboard.
Jacqueline pulled a shirt, sweater and pants from the cupboard and wriggled back into the main cabin. She glanced back at the bed—she’d left the covers a mess and that made her blush, too.
Oh, no. I have it bad, don’t I? What timing, my first crush since…
She winced and pulled off her sodden dress. Trust me to lose my head over another guy who couldn’t care less.
She scrubbed herself as dry as she could and pulled on fresh clothes. Arlo was so much bigger than her that she was sure she looked ridiculous—but at least she was warm. His woolen sweater enveloped her like a hug, warming her inside and out—
Oh, stop it, she told herself, and climbed back onto deck.
She was greeted by the smell of frying butter, and three pairs of nervous eyes. Kenna and Dylan both looked like they’d had a rug pulled out from under their feet, but Tally’s main concern seemed to be whatever was happening over the small gas cooker.
Arlo was turned away, his attention all on the stove.
“I brought you up a sweater,” Jacqueline said awkwardly, holding it out. “You’re only in your shirt—I thought you might be cold…”
He paused before he took it. “Thanks.”
Then he stripped off his wet shirt. Jacqueline closed her eyes. Oh lord.
“Shifters don’t feel the cold, actually. We’re really really tough.”
Jacqueline opened her eyes to find Dylan grinning at her. His older sister, not so much. When Kenna saw her looking, she scowled and looked away.
“That’s very interesting.” Jacqueline sat down opposite them.
Despite what Dylan had just told her, she was pleased to see that while she was downstairs, someone had wrestled some clothes onto Tally, and all the children were in shoes and warm coats. She wriggled her bare toes and tucked them into the bottom of her over-long borrowed pants.
“Is that what you are? Shifters?”
“Yeah.” Dylan sighed dramatically and leaned against his sister, who hunched down into her collar. “Don’t be like that, Kenna, Mr. Hammond said we could tell her!”
“Not everything!” Kenna met Jacqueline’s eye and then glared and stared at her hands.
She can’t be more than twelve or thirteen, Jaqueline thought. What is going on here? Where are their parents?
And why do I keep feeling like I’m missing half the conversation?
Butter hissed as Arlo laid fish fillets in the pan. “There’s bread and butter,” he said over his shoulder. “Any of you want to—”
“Dylan will,” Kenna said quickly, elbowing her brother.
“Hey!”
They certainly act like normal kids, Jacqueline thought as the two squabbled over who would cut and butter the bread. Her heart ached a little, but she ignored it. Not the most important issue here, Jacqueline.
By the time the fish was cooked, Jacqueline’s stomach was rumbling. She’d planned to eat at the Spring Fling, but that hadn’t happened—and she hadn’t planned to jump headfirst into the ocean. Almost dying had an invigorating effect on the appetite, apparently.
Dylan and Arlo got a system going: Dylan handed Arlo a plate of bread and butter, Arlo put fish on top, and Dylan passed them out.
Tally’s eyes were as big as saucers as she watched the plates go around. When Dylan put one in front of her, she leaped in with both hands.
“This looks delicious. Thank you,” Jacqueline said to Dylan as he passed her a steaming plate.
The fish was melt-in-your-mouth delicate. Jacqueline closed her eyes as she took her first bite. The salted butter and fresh bread were better than any restaurant meal she’d ever had.
“Oh, man,” she murmured, and wiped a smear of butter off her chin. “This is…”
“It’s not much.” Arlo’s voice was rough. “I wasn’t expecting guests.”
“I think this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” Jacqueline said honestly, and took another bite.
Arlo’s eyes burned into hers, and when he looked away, she was sure his cheeks were pink. “Good,” he muttered.
Warmth bloomed inside her chest. Maybe he didn’t resent her being here so much, after all. Except he kept wincing like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?” she asked tentatively. “You didn’t get hurt back there in the water, did you?”
Oh geez. If I kicked him in the ribs or something while he was saving my life…
“It’s nothing,” Arlo said quickly, and winced again. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “That is, it’s a…”
He trailed off, and Jacqueline felt a tug on her sweater.
Tally had already finished her dinner and had wriggled down off her seat. When she saw Jacqueline looking at her, she raised her arms to be picked up.
“Come on then. You’re not a big talker, are you?”
Jacqueline picked Tally up and arranged her on her lap. She looked up. Arlo, Kenna and Dylan were all wincing, now.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ugh,” Kenna said, and turned side-on in her seat so she wasn’t facing Jacqueline and Tally.
Arlo tapped his forehead. “She’s loud in here,” he explained in response to what was probably an expression of utter confusion on Jacqueline’s face. “Telepathy. Or mindspeaking, some call it. Shifters use it to talk when we’re shifted, or…”
“When your mouth is otherwise occupied?” Jacqueline suggested. While her attention had been distracted, Tally had started to help herself to Jacqueline’s plate, and now she was busily gnawing on a crust of bread.
Did she eat that whole slice while I wasn’t looking? Jacqueline marveled. “Um… what’s she saying?”
The corner of Arlo’s mouth hooked up. Like a smile. Was he smiling at her?
“Before or now?”
“Now?”
He cleared his throat. “That would be something along the lines of: Bready bready bread, yum yum bread, mmm bread I love you.”
Jacqueline burst out laughing. “No. Seriously? And before?”
Dylan piped up. “Before she was saying fish fish yum fish yum. Over and over. She really likes fish.”
“You’re not kidding.” Jacqueline’s second fish sandwich was disappearing as fast as the first. First, Tally hoovered up the fillet, then she chomped through the soft bread until she was left with another crescent-moon crust. “Should I be sorry or glad that I can’t hear her?”
“You’re lucky,” Kenna grumbled. “She never shuts up. She even sings in her sleep sometimes.”
If this was a cartoon, I’d have hearts in my eyes right now. “Really?”
“I wish—” Kenna continued, and then frowned at her plate and fell silent. “Never mind.”
Kenna and Dylan had both cleared their plates, which was lucky, because as soon as the last of the crust disappeared into Tally’s mouth, she started looking around in interest. When she saw the others had already finished, she sighed, lay back, and promptly fell asleep in Jacqueline’s lap.
One million heart-eyes, Jacqueline thought.
“You haven’t eaten.” Arlo’s voice was gruff. Jacqueline gestured to the slumbering toddler in her lap.
“I didn’t get much of a chance,” she replied.
He frowned. “I’ll get you—damn. That was the last of the bread.”
Kenna frowned. “Tally…” she groaned.
“I’m okay, really. Don’t worry about me.” The last thing Jacqueline wanted was to make a fuss and have Arlo regret letting her on board.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m not even hungry,” Jacqueline lied. Her stomach gave a slight gurgle as she breathed in the remnant smell of buttered bread and hot fried fish, but luckily Tally gave a tiny snore at the same time, so she was almost certain no one would notice. “What about you two? Neither of you had as much to eat as your sister.”
“That’s because we have manners, actually,” Dylan announced, kicking his legs. “But also she’s growing a lot and she has to grow for her and her seal.”
“And you two don’t?”
“You’re probably past that first growth spurt.” Arlo raised an eyebrow at the two of them and got a vigorous nod from Dylan and a grunt and a shrug from Kenna.
“First growth spurt?” Jacqueline hadn’t meant to look at Kenna, but she did, and the girl jumped like she’d sat on a bee.
“Shifters have our first growth spurt when we’re, like, um, however old we are when we first shift, which for Tally is really early, because the seal needs a lot of energy to even exist that first time. And then we have normal human growth spurts or whatever and then it all settles down and we can pretend to be normal humans, if
we’re old enough.”
Arlo wiped the cooking pan clean and added, “Not completely. We still have to eat more than normal humans do.” He nodded at Jacqueline. “Our animal sides still need extra energy.”
And I bet it takes a lot of energy to keep your body looking like that, Jacqueline thought. Her cheeks heated up and she looked down at Tally dozing in her lap. When she looked up again, Kenna was staring at her.
“You really don’t know anything about shifters?” she asked. “But…” Her eyes flicked between Jacqueline and Arlo.
Arlo held up a reassuring hand. “Don’t worry. She’ll keep your secret. Won’t you?”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Jacqueline said. “Promise.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” Kenna protested.
“Yeah, if you don’t know about shifters, then how can you be—”
“Not that, Dylan!” Kenna hissed. She caught Jacqueline’s look of confusion and bit her lip. “I mean, how did Eric know to call you if you’re human?”
Jacqueline tugged on her sleeves to buy time. “I, er, I think he was just looking for anyone who could help you.”
Kenna pursed her lips as though she didn’t quite believe her. Jacqueline didn’t blame her—but she wasn’t ready to tell the truth just yet. Maybe it was selfish, but she didn’t want this crazy adventure to end just yet.
Not before the kids were safe, at least.
Dylan was tugging on Kenna’s shirt. “But what about…”
“We’ll talk about that later!” Kenna shout-whispered back.
What’s that about? Jacqueline exchanged a questioning look with Arlo, and he shrugged. Somehow, that helped. It couldn’t be a mysterious shifter thing if Arlo didn’t know what was going on, either. Just a mysterious kid-sibling thing.
“Do you have a phone out here?” she asked Arlo. “I should check in with my work. Let them know I’m okay and that I found the kids. And…” she added cautiously, “if there’s anyone you need to call, Kenna, Dylan…”
“Like who?” Kenna was back to being surly.
“Any relatives, or…”
“There’s just Eric,” Kenna said sharply. “He’s looking after us. I guess he’s, like, our uncle.”