Authors: Charlotte Rose
“I’ve, uh, I’ve never cast a regular fishing line.”
“In that case, I’ll demonstrate this time, and you can try it next.”
Armand cast the net with ease, using the same fluid motions he’d been practicing since childhood. When it was time to pull the net back up, Armand began to tug on it, and winced at how light it was. Then he realized that they might not have many fish , but the lighter weight would allow Narcisse to practice with it more.
“Now, when these nets are full of fish, you they’re gonna be too heavy for you to pull by yourself, but why don’t you give it a shot now?”
He handed her the landline, and Narcisse looked nervous for a moment, but then formed a determined expression and began to pull the net up. There were maybe two dozen fish in the bottom, which was a pathetic catch, but in that moment, Armand didn’t care. The look of pride on Narcisse’s face was enough for him.
“You want more help castin’ the net, or do you wanna try it yourself this time?”
“I think I’ll try it myself,” Narcisse said with a grin. Her motions were clunky and fumbling, but she managed to get it into the water. With a few more throws, she was starting to look elegant and composed.
After an hour, Armand decided they had probably done the best they could for the day. “Looks like we ain’t gonna catch much more,” he said. “Might as well turn around and head back.”
“Normally we’d be out here all afternoon,” Nelson said. “Hopefully this’ll all get fixed soon.”
“I hope so, too. I like doing this. It’s definitely more fun than shucking or doing the recordkeeping.”
Armand laughed. “You bet it is.”
“Maybe I could start coming out here more often?”
“You bet,” he said, giving her a quick kiss before he started the boat back up.
As Armand steered back toward the congregation, he felt an odd nervousness settle in the back of his mind. Narcisse seemed happy that afternoon, but she could still decide to be banished. He wasn’t sure one good day would be enough to keep her there.
Chapter Eight
Nearly two weeks had passed since Adele had filed her report, but Nelson and Armand had done surveillance every day and determined that Pomet’s boats were still active.
Andre slammed his hand onto the table one night while people were filling up bowls with fresh gumbo. “How much longer is this gonna take?”
“Hard to say,” Adele said. “The government can be slow about things. Especially if the company has been able to pay them off. This might never get resolved.”
“Unacceptable,” Manuel said. “We’re just gonna have to take matters into our own hands.”
“Now wait a minute,” Nelson said. “Ain’t that dangerous? We try to avoid interactin’ with the rest of the world for a reason. Us tryin’ to take Pomet’s operation by ourselves? That seems like a recipe for trouble.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m desperate,” Andre said. “Things are startin’ to get bad for us. We might have to shut down operation soon if the population don’t bring itself back up.”
“Then it’s settled,” Manuel said. “We’re gonna go take those boats down ourselves.”
Serafine snorted. “You know there’s other ways to get what you want. Easier ways, too.”
“Serafine, there ain’t no way a voodoo spell is gonna be easier than what I’m thinkin’ about doin’.”
Nelson raised his eyebrows. “What, you plan to just walk onto those ships and expect they’ll shut down when we explain that they’re ruinin’ our business?”
Andre snorted. “Don’t be a fool. We know where they dock their boats. We gonna sneak down there at night and dismantle the mechanism.”
Narcisse jumped in. “I don’t think that’s the best idea. Their shipyard is probably full of security guards. That’s not cheap equipment, after all. And if we get caught, we’re the ones who are going to be in trouble, not Pomet’s people. And Adele told me all about what happened the last time you had a run-in with security guards.”
“What do you suggest then?” Manuel asked, his tone laced with ice. “We tried doin’ it Adele’s way, and it don’t seem to be workin’ out too well, now does it? Time to take a more direct approach.”
“What—what about what Serafine just suggested?”
“I think I know how to handle my business than you do.”
Nelson reached out and placed his hand on Narcisse’s leg, hoping to take the sting off of Manuel’s attack. He knew Manuel didn’t mean any harm, and was acting out of frustration, but the last thing he wanted was to make Narcisse feel as though she didn’t belong.
“What if we just confronted Pomet?” Armand interjected. “It might move things along faster, and then we ain’t doin’ anything illegal.”
Manuel laughed. “You serious? What good do you think that will do? No, we’re goin’ in, and we’re gonna destroy some boats. It’s the only way.”
“Look, I know some of you don’t think this is right,” Andre said. “But think of the bayou. Think of the fish and the water. It ain’t just our business we’re protectin’. It’s this entire space. Our home. Our world. The bayou is just as much a part of me as my teeth or my heart. It’s as important to me as any member of this congregation. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect it, no matter what kind of risk that entails.”
Nelson looked at Armand and sighed. Armand rolled his eyes but then nodded. Nelson knew that no matter how much they disagreed, Manuel and Andre had made up their minds, and there was no sense in trying to fight them.
They sat around the table until late into the night making plans. It was decided that they would split into two teams. Nelson and Armand would go with Manuel and Andre. Oscar and Xavier would go with Xavier’s fathers, Simon and Robert. They’d also be joined by Gabriel and Virgil, two younger gators who had recently come under control of their power and were looking to expand their role in the congregation. Armand looked more and more frustrated as the conversation went on, but Nelson knew he wasn’t about to contradict his fathers, and he certainly didn’t blame him.
“What about me?” Narcisse asked. “I could be the lookout.”
Nelson caught his breath as he watched the other gators around the table carefully eye each other.
Manuel shook his head. “Sorry, darlin’. I know you wanna help, but you gotta understand, it’s dangerous. This ain’t the place for you.”
Nelson saw the hurt immediately beginning to form on Narcisse’s face and jumped in, hoping to ameliorate the situation before any major damage was done.
“I know you want to help us out, but you don’t have enough control over your power yet. This is gonna be dangerous enough for the rest of us. But you’re still new to this. It’s hard to control your body when you’re first startin’ out, and it’s made even more difficult if you’re scared or stressed out. This ain’t the mission for you.”
“I know you wanna be more included in the things we do ’round here,” Armand said, “but it’s up to Nelson and me to protect you. We wouldn’t be doin’ right if we put you in danger.”
Narcisse opened her mouth to protest but then closed it, looking completely dejected. Nelson squeezed her hand and smiled, but she didn’t perk up.
“It’s settled, then,” Andre said as he and Manuel stood up from the table. “We do this tomorrow night. We’ll head out around eleven. It’ll be plenty dark by then, and everyone but the security guards will have gone home for the night.”
“I still don’t understand how you’re going to escape them,” Narcisse whispered to Nelson, sounding slightly bitter.
“We’ll be okay. Manuel and Andre know what they’re doin’. But that’s part of why you can’t come along. It’s just too risky when you’re not in control of your shift yet, especially when we’ll have guards to contend with.”
She sighed. “I understand. You’re trying to protect me. But who’s going to protect you?”
Armand came up from behind them and embraced Narcisse. “Baby, I know you’re worried about us. But there are some things you should know about bein’ a shifter that we haven’t told you yet. Maybe explainin’ ’em to you will make you feel better.”
“Things I should know? Like what?” She eased herself onto the bed, and both men settled next to her.
“For one thing,” Nelson said, taking her hand, “our skins our bulletproof when we’re in gator form.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Bulletproof?”
He nodded. “Bein’ in gator form has a few disadvantages. You can’t move quite as fast, and you’re low to the ground. But our jaws are powerful weapons, and if we get shot or stabbed, there ain’t a blade or a gun that can do us a lick of damage.”
Armand stroked her hair. “On top of that, even if we do get hurt when we’re in human form, we can heal faster than we would if we weren’t shifters.”
“It’s almost instantaneous,” Nelson added.
“So you can’t be killed?”
Armand shook his head. “We ain’t immortal. But it’s gonna be damn hard for Pomet, or anyone else, to take us down.”
“You don’t need to worry about us, baby. We can take care of ourselves.”
Narcisse’s eyes sparkled. “I think there are some things you need a woman for, though.”
“Oh?” Armand asked, a mischievous expression on his face. “And what would those be?”
She slipped her shirt off and started hurrying out of her jeans. “I know damn well that masturbation isn’t nearly as satisfying as real sex.”
Nelson’s cock started to go hard as he imagined what he could do with her body. He hurried out of his own clothes and then bounded over to where Narcisse lay on the bed, striking a seductive pose. He immediately pulled off her panties as Armand reached his arms around to unhook her bra. Nelson eased a fingertip up and down her pussy lips, barely delving into the slit.
“No teasing, please,” she whispered. “I need both of you.”
“I don’t know,” Armand said, placing kisses down her neck. “Seems to me you might enjoy being teased a bit.”
“Please. I’ve been waiting for the two of you all day. I can’t wait another minute.”
Nelson scooped Narcisse up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and once she was stable, he carried her across the room. He turned, leaning against the wall, and steadied himself. As soon as he had his footing, he slid her wet pussy down his rigid cock.
“Yes,” Narcisse moaned as she threw her head back.
Carrying a bottle of lube in his hand, Armand walked up to the wall and braced his hand against the wood paneling. Nelson held steady as Armand began to lube up Narcisse’s tight hole. She leaned into Nelson’s shoulder and moaned, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. He shuddered from the mix of pleasure and pain, groaning when her teeth went deeper as Armand ease his slick cock into her ass.
Nelson let Armand set the pace, slow at first. He matched Armand’s thrusts, sliding in and out slowly as they worked to balance Narcisse between them. Nelson’s fingernails dug into her hips, and he relished the way it felt to squeeze her flesh. Armand eased one hand up to play with her breasts. Nelson smiled as he saw her eyes go wide when he pinched and twisted her nipples. Seeing her so aroused spurred his own desire on, and he began to pick up the pace.
Armand quickly followed suit, and soon they were both slamming into Narcisse’s body with furious energy, sliding in and out at the exact same time. Suddenly, Narcisse’s cunt muscles locked down around his cock. She threw her head back and screamed. Still thrusting into her, Nelson leaned forward and sunk his teeth into her neck, making her scream even louder. As her fingernails gripped his shoulders, Nelson’s cock surged, emptying into her hot pussy. Gasping for breath, he flexed his legs to stay stable as Armand continued pumping in and out of her ass.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. Narcisse had barely finished coming when Armand leaned forward, groaned, and suddenly froze all movement. He continued moaning, and then his whole body released, pinning Narcisse and Nelson against the wall.