Kalina didn’t answer. Evelyn stepped left, so Kalina stepped right, following her, giving her little room to reach her boyfriend. That was what he was now. Rafe was her man, and it was Kalina’s duty to protect him. Evelyn hated all humans, and Rafe would be easy pickings for the likes of her. Surely, she’d want nothing more than to knock the man into the ocean where undoubtedly, she would have a school of sharks waiting below. Probably the hammerheads. The thought brought chills to Kalina’s bones.
“Stay away from him,” Kalina ordered.
“We used to hang out and talk about everything,” Evelyn said. “Remember? About how Thane was the one. About how if I couldn’t have him, maybe you could? He played us both for the fool though, didn’t he?”
“He did nothing wrong,” Kalina said. “We both knew what we were getting into.”
“And now it seems you’ve moved on,” Evelyn said. “Found yourself a boy toy. A human one at that.”
Evelyn took a couple of steps closer and sniffed the air, smiling as her bare feet slapped the floor of the boat with each step. Her long, black hair stuck to her bare breasts, nipples peeking through the strands. Kalina didn’t need to look back to imagine the expression on Rafe’s face. A stark naked, gorgeous woman was standing on the boat, in an obviously threatening manner.
“She one of your kind?” Rafe asked.
“Evelyn,” Kalina said.
“Why don’t you get off the boat,” Rafe said. “You don’t belong here.”
Kalina wasn’t sure if it was fear she sensed in his voice or mere aggravation. If he wasn’t afraid, he was a lot braver than she’d thought. Evelyn wasn’t the type to plant some weak front kick against his chest like the hammerhead at the bonfire. No, Evelyn was more likely to launch herself at him and dig her razor-sharp teeth into his neck. Or, knowing her, she might try to fuck him first. There seemed to be no end to Evelyn’s madness.
“Maybe I want to discuss this now,” Evelyn said. “And if anyone doesn’t belong here, I think it’s you. Maybe you’d do better down there.”
She peered over the boat rail and down at the black ocean.
“Evelyn,” Kalina said. “Go. This won’t end well.”
“For whom?” Evelyn asked.
With lightning fast speed, Evelyn lunged right and raced around the side of Kalina, but Kalina had expected her to move, and anticipated it, stepping to her left and blocking Evelyn. Fists clenched in hair, they both fought with all their might, whipping each other’s head back and forth. Both of the women growled and cursed. Evelyn swung at Kalina and scratched, lashing the front of her chest with her sharp fingernails. Kalina stumbled backward and Evelyn was on her quickly, diving at her neck and snapping at her with her mouth. Holding her back by her forehead, it was like trying to stop a rabid dog.
“Kalina!” Rafe yelled.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rafe dive at them, grabbing Evelyn by her hair and yanking her off Kalina. Evelyn swung her fist to the side and slammed her knuckles against Rafe’s right temple. Before Kalina could stop him, he pitched over the boat railing and tumbled into the black sea.
“No!” Kalina yelled.
She punched Evelyn’s throat, and as the evil bitch staggered backward and reached for her own neck, Kalina dove in after her boyfriend.
Her body exploded in a million fragmented pieces, forging a new form, fins jutting out from the top, sides, and back of her body. To Rafe, who seemed to be desperately clawing for the surface, it was nothing more than an unexpected topple into the ocean. She knew he had no idea what was in store. It was a sea of terror and through her super heightened senses, she could see it was filled with hammerhead sharks in nearly every direction. As she’d expected, Evelyn had a plan in place, and Kalina had fallen for it.
Rafe would kick for the surface. It’s what all humans did and since he had no idea how much trouble he was in, he’d assume Evelyn had only wanted to ruin his night when in fact, she wanted to pick the meat from his bones and feed it to her underwater hounds. Then they’d gnaw on the bones, chomping them into fine powder.
The first few seconds were vital, so she swam in a circle quickly around him, doing her best to ward off any oncoming attack. This required her to scan below him too as sharks love to shoot up from under their prey. Rafe could be bitten in two before he even knew what hit him. All around her, hungry hammerheads swam in a heated frenzy. If they were on dry land, Kalina knew they’d be frothing at the mouth for a taste of his blood. One of the sharks shot in, but Kalina was much faster. She dipped down and came around at the side, bulldozing the shark and sending it sailing off to Rafe’s side.
As she moved back around toward her man, one of the boat’s lights shined down on the water and illuminated Rafe. His eyes opened wide as he caught a glimpse of the horde of monsters surrounding him. Kalina hoped he’d rush for the boat, but then through the distorted view of the ocean’s surface, she saw Evelyn up there waiting for him. If he got any closer, she’d dive in and devour him whole.
Kalina swam in a circle, feeding on oxygen and gathering the strength to make a move when the timing was right. If only he knew that she was on his side. She imagined in his mind he’d see nothing but a billion beasts beneath him, the mind’s exaggeration of the number of sharks, but not of the danger. It might have only been ten sharks or so moving in circles and zig zagging through the water, but the number of predators didn’t matter. The sharks’ hunger and desperation to feed did. Kalina knew that to Rafe, she must look like all the other angry beasts.
Rafe caught her off guard when he reached out and grabbed hold of her fin as she passed.
Yes!
How he’d known to trust her, she didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. Now he stood a chance. She only hoped he could hold on strong enough because if he let go, he was as good as dead.
With Rafe clenching her fin, she shot down underwater and swam around the first hammerhead she saw. It snapped at her and missed. Then she was ahead of the pack as the others caught on quickly and chased her down.
She’d never dragged a human before. She knew if she went too deep she could kill him, especially if she dove and rose too quickly. She needed to stay as close to the surface as possible. After at least thirty seconds underwater, she remembered he’d also need to breathe.
How could I have forgotten. I’m so sorry, baby!
She angled upward and slid along the surface, hoping she’d gotten close enough for Rafe to grab a gulp of air. Then she could only assume he had. She needed to sink a little lower if she hoped to stay ahead of the pack.
Searing pain shot from her caudal fin through the rest of her body as one of the sharks hot on her tail had actually reached her and had taken a bite. It hadn’t ripped through her completely, but it was damn close, and it hurt like hell.
“Get the fuck off me!” she spat mentally, hoping the hammerheads could hear her the way Evelyn could.
“Ohhh yes!” she heard Evelyn reply. “Good boys. Get mama a piece of that meat. Whoever rips her in half can come to my bed tonight.”
Eager laughter bounced around the walls of her mind, sounding like it was filling the entire ocean. The sharks laughed internally and projected it out, taunting her, playing with her and letting her know she had no chance of escape. They were able to communicate with her, it seemed.
“Good luck with that,” Kalina said, knowing that antagonizing them was a bad idea, but figuring at this point, nothing could make it any worse.
From the calmness of Evelyn’s voice, Kalina was pretty sure she hadn’t joined in on the chase. She was probably somewhere nearby, taking her time, letting the boys toy with her. That was a great advantage for Kalina, because she’d fought Evelyn a couple of times in the past. Both times had ended with no clear victor, but neither of those times did she have a human strapped to her back.
Shit. Rafe!
She’d forgotten to give him air again. She shot up to the surface and stayed there as long as she could manage, knowin
g she must have gotten close to killing her boyfriend that last time. He’d managed to hold his breath way longer than she would have ever guessed he could.
I’m so sorry.
“You are the worst,” Evelyn said, tormenting Kalina with her thoughts. “You might kill that poor boy before we even get the chance. Don’t worry though. If you do, we’ll clean up the mess.”
“Fuck you!” Kalina replied.
Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw two hammerheads gaining on her, one to her left and one to her right. She knew what they were planning to do. They were going to side swipe her, and if they did, they might crush Rafe in the process. Even if they didn’t, he’d never be able to hold on after such a blow. If she dropped him, he’d be dead. The other sharks behind her would scoop him up in a heartbeat.
Fuck…fuck…fuck…Thane…Kino…Faith! Where are you all? Help me!
If they weren’t in the water, they’d never hear her, and even if they were, they’d probably be too far away to make a connection. Evelyn, however, wasn’t.
Kalina was aware that Evelyn could read her thoughts and if she even dwelled too long on a plan, she would give herself away. That was the hardest part. She could control her mental voice usually, but right now she couldn’t concentrate on that. She was too busy, and her mind was a mess. Focusing on keeping her thoughts to herself would require too much attention, attention she needed to apply to getting Rafe the hell out of this situation.
Kalina suddenly realized how she could use that to her advantage. Clearing her mind, she tried to relax and only swim, so Evelyn wouldn’t pick up on what she had in mind. After heading a little higher once more to give Rafe some oxygen, she dropped lower and watched as the sharks got closer and closer to her. They were within attacking distance and the easiest way to hit her would be when she went up for air. So, she thought about that really hard.
Shit. Rafe’s going to die if I don’t get him a breath right now!
“Now!” she heard Evelyn command.
Kalina faked heading upward only long enough for the two sharks to use it to their advantage. They both shot inward intending on slamming into her and crushing Rafe, but instead of going higher, she dipped low so fast the sharks couldn’t adjust. The thud of the two angry sharks colliding into each other was a wonderful thing.
Fucking idiots.
The crash was enough to slow them down and that was all the time Kalina needed to get well ahead of them. In her head, she could hear the curses, grunts, and howls of pissed off hammerheads finally understanding they weren’t fast enough to catch her. Then, from up ahead she saw something that made her heart melt. Thane and the crew were headed her way.
Thank God.
“God isn’t with you today, bitch,” Evelyn cursed, sounding quite sure of her sharks’ ability to catch her.
“You sure about that?” Kalina asked, and then added. “Thane…Evelyn’s behind me with a school of hammerheads.”
“This oughtta be fun,” Kino hollered.
“Let me at ‘em!” Faith added.
“I haven’t tasted a hammerhead in forever,” Jagger yelled.
“Retreat!” Evelyn ordered.
Kalina rose to the top to give Rafe some much needed air at this point. She relaxed as she listened to the sound of her friends chasing away her tormentors. Everything would be okay, but she would not be taking him back to his boat. He’d be spending the night with her after all.
Chapter 16 – Sylvia
Sylvia had never been so exhausted. She’d never felt so alive either. Coby, for being such a drifter and a bad boy with no intention of being tied down, gave her little room to breathe. Not that she needed any more of that. Earlier that evening, he’d come back to the island to see her. They’d gone for a walk and when they returned to the cabins, Jagger came running toward them shouting that Kalina needed help.
Most of the group ran off to help Kalina, but Sylvia and Coby remained behind with the pregnant women and the kids. Finally, Penny recommended the two of them share one of the empty cabins. It seemed two were currently uninhabited. The first belonged to one of Thane’s friends who’d passed away, a guy named Bobber. It had been vacant since his death. The second, had been Poet’s.
“I don’t know,” Sylvia said. “I don’t want to disrespect anyone’s memory.”
“We can stay in Poet’s cabin,” Coby said.
“Are you sure?” Sylvia asked.
“He would want that,” Coby said. “He was like that.”
Inside Poet’s room was dark so Sylvia turned on a lantern and stood in the doorway watching Coby take in his surroundings.
“God,” he said. “My brother was such a pansy.”
Sylvia wasn’t sure if she should laugh.
“Look at this,” Coby added as he walked to a silver picture frame that sat atop his bedside nightstand.
He lifted it and showed it to Sylvia. She saw Poet’s friends all standing in front of the fire. She recognized everyone in the picture as current residents plus a guy with dreadlocks she assumed must be Bobber. Sylvia hadn’t known Poet, and she didn’t know any of the others all that well, but she had a feeling if she were to walk into any of the other cabins, none of them would have a picture like this in their room. Poet obviously cared about his friends.
“He cared about them,” Sylvia said. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Caring gets you dead,” Coby said.
She almost argued with him but thought better of it. No good could come of it.
“And this shit…”
Coby picked a piece of paper up off the nightstand and flicked a finger against it. The smack was loud and almost made Sylvia jump. He handed it to her and she read it.
You lonesome locket with faded picture
Stolen from view like your eyes
No life lies within them
No will left to bend them
No hope hovers in violet skies
You song out of tune hummed for the moon
High pitched to a squealing whine
No harmony within it
No lyrics left to finish
No melody in violent times
The text had been scrawled onto a yellow sheet of notebook paper torn free from the rest of the pad. No title. No signature.
“What does this shit even mean?” Coby asked.
“He was a poet, right?” she replied.
It was his nickname, after all.
“He wrote it, if that’s what you mean,” Coby said.
Sylvia was confused. The last time they’d spoken about his brother, Coby had practically broken down about how he’d never been much of a role model and had expected too much of Poet. Now, he seemed almost ashamed of his younger brother’s sensitivities, or creativity for that matter. She knew that deep down he must have been harboring a brewing storm, holding back gale force winds in that chest of his.
Coby was wound up tight and Sylvia was learning that he wasn’t easily unwound. Each time they’d been together he’d started to loosen up, but as soon as his hardened exterior began to falter, he’d throw his wall back up and be on the defensive again. It took longer than it should have to get him to finally lie down in bed with her. She didn’t expect to have sex, not in Poet’s bed, and definitely not the first time they entered his cabin, but Coby couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her. When she tried to convince him sex wasn’t necessary and that she was happy to let him rest and have some time to grieve, he’d looked her deep in the eyes and said, “You don’t understand. It’s my way. I’m savage, and my woman will be fucked every day. Every…single…day.”
She squealed when he climbed between her legs, gripped her hips, and pulled her roughly toward him. Her legs spread easily for him. Who was she to deny him this savagery he spoke of? Besides, she was his woman. She would need to start accepting his ways, and in this situation, she was happy to oblige.
An hour or so later, she lay in bed savoring the feeling of his thick, muscular body pulling her c
lose, spooning her with a desire that remained even in his sleep. Sylvia knew he needed her in some way. How, she wasn’t exactly sure, but it was clear he wanted to keep her close, and she had no desire to leave. She felt wanted, needed in his arms. The moon shone in through the large window near the door and she appreciated how the glow illuminated his naked thigh. At this moment, she knew she never cared to step foot on mainland again.
The next day, Thane asked to speak to Coby alone. When the two men walked away together down the beach, Sylvia used the time to visit Penny again. She needed to tell her how happy she felt and how she finally understood all the emotions Penny had tried pouring out to her. She found her best friend sitting on her front porch with her shirt pulled up, so she could rub her belly.
“So, this is what you do all day now?” Sylvia asked.
“This is about it,” Penny said. “Can you believe this? Last year, around this time, I was lying in an MRI machine or having the back of my hand poked with an IV. Now, I’m sitting in front of beachfront property, a baby brewing in my belly, my man a god of the ocean, and my best friend here by my side. Syl, I’m glad you came out here. You were the only thing missing.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before,” Sylvia replied as she took a seat in a wooden rocking chair beside her friend’s. “I guess I didn’t believe in fairytales.”
“What are your thoughts now?” Penny asked.
Penny looked so full of life, so rejuvenated, so different from the frail friend she’d originally brought to Queensland on vacation. Her friend was stunning, had always been a knockout, but now she owned it. Sylvia wanted to feel that way, but she didn’t. She used to. Now, it seemed they’d traded places and Sylvia was the broken one.
“Honestly?” Sylvia said. “This place is amazing…but I’m not sure it’s for me. You have your man and you’ve made such great friends. I feel like an outsider.”
“So did I when I first got here,” Penny said, her smile beaming. “It’ll change. I promise. Besides, you seem to have snagged yourself a fish.”
“He’s hot,” Sylvia said, covering her face with her hand like a shy little girl. “Good Lord that man is scorching. But he’s got issues.”
Bite Me Harder (a paranormal shifter novel) (Guardians of the Deep Book 2) Page 17