ocean seemed to change, as if my heart was beating with the waves. The sound filled my head and body.
I wasn’t aware I had shifted back to human until the cold air hit my naked skin. Even then, I ignored everything around me and could only focus on the girl.
She moved slowly, but deliberately, as she sat up and slipped her feet into the water. Icy water wash ed over my feet and I tried to look away from her. I wanted to look at my feet to see why they were getting wet. It dawned on me slowly that I was walking into the water toward her.
The rhythmic beat in my head was broken by an annoying buzz. I ignored it and treaded into the water as it washed higher up my leg and numbed my knees.
The buzz was getting louder. Suddenly, a gargoyle dropped in front of me and spread its wings, blocking my view of the girl. I saw the silver ring and knew it was Lex. Goose bumps covered her flesh around her swimsuit top as she shivered.
“Snap out of it, Jason!” Lex’s shifted voice was loud and deep.
I flinched as I realized the ocean and I were two separate beings. A hiss sounded in the distance and Lex turned to look at the girl. I stole a glimpse as she dropped her wings.
The girl now stood on the rock, crouched , ready to attack. She bared shark-like teeth and spat in Lex’s direction. The strange gloves were fins webbing the distance between her abnormally long fingers. It was the same between her toes.
The strange woman calmed herself as her large brown eyes fixed on something beyond us. Two long slits opened ju st under her jaw on either side — gills.
“Goddamn it!” Lex barked. “Get out of here, you stupid bitch!” Lex leapt toward the girl.
The girl hissed again and dived into the water.
“Get out of the water, Jason!” Jenny yelled from behind me.
I hadn’t known Jenny was there as I stood naked in the ocean. I shifted back into my werewolf form and ran out of the water. Lex landed on the beach. I hid behind a rock. I shifted to human. My feet were so cold they hurt. I peeked over the edge of the rock.
“What the fuck was that?”
“A mermaid,” Jenny said.
“I thought I spotted her last week,” Lex grumbled, as she folded her wings. “I should have warned everyone. No one comes to the beach alone anymore.”
“I thought they stayed more to the south, in warmer water,” I said.
Lex sighed. “Yeah, that’s why I wasn’t sure. She would have killed you, Jason. You’re an easy target.”
“What do you mean an easy target?” I asked, insulted.
“Because you’re a horny man,” Jenny said, almost disgusted.
“Not because he’s a man,” Lex growled. “She would have gladly eaten anyone she could seduce. It’s all a mermaid does… screw and eat.”
Jenny blushed.
“So dragons aren’t the only creatures that lure you in?” Lex grinned crookedly at me.
Jenny shifted to her gargoyle form and flew away.
“What are you implying, Lex?”
“Just what everyone already knows. Ashley turns you on. That’s part of being a dragon. But no matter how bad you want to be with her, you can’t, because she’s a vampire.” Lex opened her wings.
“What if it’s not the dragon part of Ash that is pulling me? Have you thought about that? Have you considered I might actually care about her?” I sneered.
“God, this is only getting worse every time you feed after her,” she mumbled. “Get your ass off the beach, and don’t come down here alone anymore. Next time I’ll let the psycho beast eat you.”
“Thanks,” I said as she flew off.
It never took Ashley long to get over being mad at me. She was more forgiving than everyone else about my inability to keep my mouth shut. Whenever we had a disagreement, it never took more than a day to get back to the normal.
In the months that followed, Sarah brought Ashley more than enough blood to nurse her back to health. Sarah had also taken Abigail under her wing, falling right into the mother role. Donations were the only way the
I wasn’t aware I had shifted back to human until the cold air hit my naked skin. Even then, I ignored everything around me and could only focus on the girl.
She moved slowly, but deliberately, as she sat up and slipped her feet into the water. Icy water wash ed over my feet and I tried to look away from her. I wanted to look at my feet to see why they were getting wet. It dawned on me slowly that I was walking into the water toward her.
The rhythmic beat in my head was broken by an annoying buzz. I ignored it and treaded into the water as it washed higher up my leg and numbed my knees.
The buzz was getting louder. Suddenly, a gargoyle dropped in front of me and spread its wings, blocking my view of the girl. I saw the silver ring and knew it was Lex. Goose bumps covered her flesh around her swimsuit top as she shivered.
“Snap out of it, Jason!” Lex’s shifted voice was loud and deep.
I flinched as I realized the ocean and I were two separate beings. A hiss sounded in the distance and Lex turned to look at the girl. I stole a glimpse as she dropped her wings.
The girl now stood on the rock, crouched , ready to attack. She bared shark-like teeth and spat in Lex’s direction. The strange gloves were fins webbing the distance between her abnormally long fingers. It was the same between her toes.
The strange woman calmed herself as her large brown eyes fixed on something beyond us. Two long slits opened ju st under her jaw on either side — gills.
“Goddamn it!” Lex barked. “Get out of here, you stupid bitch!” Lex leapt toward the girl.
The girl hissed again and dived into the water.
“Get out of the water, Jason!” Jenny yelled from behind me.
I hadn’t known Jenny was there as I stood naked in the ocean. I shifted back into my werewolf form and ran out of the water. Lex landed on the beach. I hid behind a rock. I shifted to human. My feet were so cold they hurt. I peeked over the edge of the rock.
“What the fuck was that?”
“A mermaid,” Jenny said.
“I thought I spotted her last week,” Lex grumbled, as she folded her wings. “I should have warned everyone. No one comes to the beach alone anymore.”
“I thought they stayed more to the south, in warmer water,” I said.
Lex sighed. “Yeah, that’s why I wasn’t sure. She would have killed you, Jason. You’re an easy target.”
“What do you mean an easy target?” I asked, insulted.
“Because you’re a horny man,” Jenny said, almost disgusted.
“Not because he’s a man,” Lex growled. “She would have gladly eaten anyone she could seduce. It’s all a mermaid does… screw and eat.”
Jenny blushed.
“So dragons aren’t the only creatures that lure you in?” Lex grinned crookedly at me.
Jenny shifted to her gargoyle form and flew away.
“What are you implying, Lex?”
“Just what everyone already knows. Ashley turns you on. That’s part of being a dragon. But no matter how bad you want to be with her, you can’t, because she’s a vampire.” Lex opened her wings.
“What if it’s not the dragon part of Ash that is pulling me? Have you thought about that? Have you considered I might actually care about her?” I sneered.
“God, this is only getting worse every time you feed after her,” she mumbled. “Get your ass off the beach, and don’t come down here alone anymore. Next time I’ll let the psycho beast eat you.”
“Thanks,” I said as she flew off.
It never took Ashley long to get over being mad at me. She was more forgiving than everyone else about my inability to keep my mouth shut. Whenever we had a disagreement, it never took more than a day to get back to the normal.
In the months that followed, Sarah brought Ashley more than enough blood to nurse her back to health. Sarah had also taken Abigail under her wing, falling right into the mother role. Donations were the only way the
Similar Books
