Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

Janelle suddenly seemed frightened. “I–I guess so.”

Narcisse tried not to gawk as Armand emptied his wallet and handed the wet money over to Janelle. She didn’t know anyone who carried that much cash on them at once.

Janelle reached out and grabbed it with her fingertips, as though she thought he was going to bite her.

“We all square now?” Armand asked. Janelle gave a small nod.

“I still say she’s crazy,” Sarah snapped.

“Don’t go,” Alyssa pleaded. “I know things have been weird, but we’ll turn it around. Don’t throw your life away for two guys you barely know.”

Narcisse took a deep breath. “I have to. I’m sorry, I can’t explain it in more detail. I just have to.”

“Have you been kidnapped?” Janelle shrieked, suddenly getting her courage back. “Like, are they holding you hostage or something? Do we need to call the police?”

“You guys, stop making such a big deal about this,” Narcisse said, though she knew it was fruitless. “This is just something I have to do. It’s the direction my life is taking me. Enjoy the rest of the festival.”

She turned and hurried out of the room, Nelson and Armand following close behind her.

Alyssa popped her head out. “We’re calling the police!” she called.

The three of them started to run.

* * * *

“That didn’t go as well as I hoped,” Armand said as the three of them piled back into the boat.

Narcisse sighed. “I was hoping for better myself. Though I’m not sure why. Leaving out the shape-shifter stuff didn’t even help. That story made me sound completely crazy. Or maybe like I’d been kidnapped and already developed Stockholm syndrome.”

“Well, it’s over now,” Nelson said. “It’s about an hour and a half back to the congregation.”

“If you two don’t mind, I think I’d like to take a nap,” Narcisse said. “It’s been a very long day, and I’m drained.” She moved toward the back of the boat and curled up into a ball.

At first, Armand was unsettled by the silence. His mind was racing, and he wanted to discuss the events of the day. But whenever he opened his mouth, he found he didn’t actually have much to say. Nobody had any clue how to fix the fish problem, and they were all still processing the experiences of the afternoon. Finally, Armand settled back in his seat as Nelson steered the boat back through the bayou.

He stared down at Narcisse’s sleeping form and couldn’t help but worry about her. He felt guilty that he and Nelson had mated her without permission, even though he hadn’t known what he was doing. The fact that he’d changed her life so drastically, even though it was unintentional, weighed on him. Even though she was free to be banished if she hated it there, Armand didn’t like that he’d caused so much disruption. He resolved to do his best to ensure that she enjoyed her time with them.

As a way of solidifying that promise, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up. He squeezed gently and hoped that he’d be able to make her happy, even if their time together ended up being limited.

As they approached the collection of houseboats where the congregation lived, Armand gave Narcisse a gentle shake.

“Wake up. We’re here.”

Narcisse shook her head and blinked. “What if they hate me?” she asked. “I’m sure I’m not exactly going to be popular.”

“Naw,” Nelson said. “They’re gonna love you. You’re our mate, after all.”

“We’re the ones who are gonna catch hell,” Armand added. “Since we went ahead and changed you.”

“But you said so yourself that you didn’t know.”

“Yeah, we didn’t. But if Serafine’s reaction was any indication, we’re still gonna catch some flak about it.”

Narcisse took a deep breath as Armand helped her off their small speedboat into an opulent houseboat. The deck was a rich, dark brown, which stood out in contrast with the smooth white railing that ran around the perimeter. Bright paper lanterns wrapped around the railing and the roof, casting a multicolored glow.

There was a small cluster of people gathered on the deck. Serafine smiled as she approached the group.

“Welcome home,” she said. Then, she focused her gaze on Narcisse. “I know it don’t feel like home yet, but I think you’ll grow to like it. I promise, we don’t bite. Well”—she raised her eyebrows at Nelson and Armand—“except for those two.”

Narcisse blushed, and Armand’s fathers jumped in. “Serafine, don’t embarrass the girl her first night here.” The taller of the two men reached out his hand. “I’m Manuel, and this is Andre.”

“These two gentlemen are my fathers,” Armand said. He indicated toward the tall, elegant woman standing between them. “And this is Rosaline, my mother.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Rosaline said, shaking her hand.

Nelson jumped in. “And here are my parents. I’d like for you to meet Gerard, Simon, and Evangeline Rey.”

As her new in-laws smiled at her and shook her hand, Armand breathed a small sigh of relief. Nobody seemed angry.

“Hey, Serafine, is Adele around? I thought she and Narcisse might hit it off,” Armand said.

“Did somebody call me?” Adele asked, hurrying onto the deck. Her jaw dropped open when she saw Narcisse. “Oh, my God. Are you the one they’ve been talking about all afternoon?”

Narcisse blushed again. “I suppose I am. And I assume you’re the biologist. I–I didn’t know you were a gator, too.”

Adele laughed. “It’s a very long story.”

“You two know each other?” Armand asked.

“Narcisse was one of my students a few years ago,” Adele said. “Wow, it’s great to see you again.”

“Adele, why don’t you go get Narcisse set up in Armand’s cabin?” Serafine asked. “I assume that’s where they’ll be livin’ for now, since it’s bigger than Nelson’s. You show her around a little bit and get her settled. We gotta have a talk with these boys.”

Adele nodded, and didn’t seem to notice the edge in Serafine’s voice. She grabbed Narcisse by the hand and picked up one of her suitcases. “Come on, we have so much to catch up on. And I have other people for you to meet.”

Armand thought he saw Narcisse get slightly paler. “Other people?” she asked.

“Don’t look so scared,” Adele said. “The community here is great. You’ll fit right in. I promise.”

Narcisse looked slightly shell-shocked but allowed Adele to lead her into the boat. As soon as they were out of sight, everyone on the deck turned toward Armand and Nelson. The pit that had formed in Armand’s stomach grew a little bigger. He decided that this was the problem with living in such a close-knit community. He’d never lacked love or support, but when he screwed up, everybody knew about it, and they all made it their business to set him straight.

“Do you two have any idea what you did?” Manuel asked.

“We didn’t know what we were doing,” Armand said. “We already told Serafine that. Maybe if the whole mating thing wasn’t such a secret, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Maybe you should have thought things through,” Evangeline said. “A woman makes you feel that crazy, maybe you have to think that there’s more than meets the eye. Maybe you should have held back.”

“A woman makes you feel that crazy, there’s no way you can hold back,” Armand said.

Andre frowned. “Watch your tongue.”

“We can’t be the first people who have mated accidentally,” Nelson said. “With all the secrecy, this has to happen sometimes.”

Serafine suddenly went grave. “You’re right. It’s not the first time. But the last time it happened, things didn’t go so well. That’s why everyone is so upset. We don’t want another tragedy.”

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that the last time it happened,” Armand said. “Maybe you should have rethought the whole secrecy thing so it didn’t happen again.”

“Wait a second, what tragedy?” Nelson asked.

Simon sighed. “Last time it happened, the mates couldn’t bond properly. Everyone was too upset. The woman ended up running away.”

“But the curse won’t allow it,” Armand said.

Serafine nodded. “It was a true tragedy when the power of the curse overtook them. We don’t much like to talk about it.”

“Well, maybe you should,” Armand snapped. “Maybe you shouldn’t keep so many secrets. It will keep people from getting hurt. Or worse.” He glanced at Nelson and started walking into the boat, with his friend close behind.

“Where are you going?” Rosaline called out.

“To make sure our mate doesn’t want to run away.”

* * * *

Nelson and Armand walked into the bedroom, both looking frustrated. Adele shot a knowing look at Narcisse and stood up.

“I know this is a strange situation for you, but I’m really glad you’re here. I think you’ll fit in soon. We’ll catch up more tomorrow.” She gave Narcisse a hug and hurried out of the room.

“Are the two of you okay?” Narcisse asked.

“Fine,” Nelson said.

“Your families were pretty mad at you, huh?”

Armand shrugged. “It happens. Don’t worry about it. It ain’t your fault.”

Narcisse suddenly felt nervous as the two men started stripping down. Although her body still desired them after all that had happened, her heart was reticent.

“So, I’m sleeping here tonight then?” she asked.

“Yep,” Armand said.

“In this bed.”

“Of course.”

“And the two of you are…sleeping here with me?”

The two men stopped what they were doing.

“Look, if you’re uncomfortable with that, we’ll work something out,” Nelson said. “We just assumed…”

“We just assumed that as our mate, you’d want to be with us.”

“It’s not that I don’t,” Narcisse said, trying not to say anything hurtful. “And I like you both. It’s just—it feels weird to sleep beside somebody you don’t actually know. Not to mention two people. I mean, I never thought I’d be married—I mean mated to two guys at the same time, much less within minutes after meeting them.”

“Well, look, Nelson can go sleep in his cabin, and I’ll crash on the floor, if it’ll make you feel better,” Armand said. “We can take it one day at a time.”

But the sight of them both naked before her had been playing tricks on Narcisse’s mind. She wasn’t sure she wanted to spend the night with them, but she did know she wanted to do something else.

“You know, I changed my mind. Let’s try this, but take things slowly. Both of you should sit down next to me.” She patted the empty spaces on either side of her.

Armand and Nelson grinned at each other and settled on the mattress. Narcisse’s skin already felt hot just from their presence. Both men had strong, rough-looking hands, and her body was tingling at the memory of how they had fondled and manipulated her skin. She couldn’t deny that, despite this odd situation, she wanted more of them.

Nor was she just attracted to their similarities. The contrast between Nelson’s dark, tanned features and Armand’s smooth, light ones was electrifying. She pictured herself tangled between them again, a mixture of bronze and white, black hair and blond.

She leaned forward and gave Armand a deep kiss, then gave one to Nelson. She kept alternating between them, and after a few kisses, the men began running their hands up and down her body. Before she knew it, her tank top was gone, and then Armand was pulling her jeans down her legs, along with her panties. Nelson’s hands immediately began stroking her inner thighs, and his fingertips teased her pussy folds. She thrashed on the bed as Armand turned his attention to her breasts, nibbling and teasing at her flesh. The arousal she’d experienced that afternoon returned full-force. Nothing had ever felt so right to her before.