Deuce (Swamp Desires Book 1) (8 page)

After I have caught my breath, I head into the store. I came here for supplies for dinner. I am going to make crawfish stew and homemade French bread. The food here is amazing, and oh so addicting. I do not think I could ever live anywhere else but here. The lure of the culture and the food has kept me here for this long. Okay, maybe not just that. I love being around the locals, too. They are so down to Earth and friendly. Of course, every now and then, you meet a total asshole, but they are few and far between. I have loved this town since the first day we moved here. Even after my parents died, I knew that I did not belong anywhere else. This place was my destiny. Something has always kept me here. I am meant to live here.

I grab the ingredients I need and check out. When I am done, I head back to my car and load it up and head home. I am kind of hoping to see Deuce again here at the store, but I know he is at his cousin’s home helping her unload all those groceries. I will see him tonight. Tonight, we will finally get a chance to be alone. No brothers will be there watching us. Tonight, we have the night off from hunting.

I get home and get my roux started for my stew. Once it is done, I add the remaining ingredients and let it simmer on the stove until Deuce gets here later. I make sure my little houseboat is tidied up and smelling great. I make my bed, hopefully, it will get messed up, in a good way, tonight.

I have never wanted a man like I do him. He brings out the best in me, and the vixen as well. Sexy flirting can only go so far. My soul is crying for us to be one. To close that gap and become one physically. And it scares the hell out of me. I never thought I could ever want something like this, but he has changed that for me. I never thought I could trust a man the way that I trust him. He could be my forever.

For so long, I have been content to be alone. But, in the past week, I no longer wish to be alone. I would rather spend the rest of my existence with a hot gator boy. These southern men are the best men you will ever met in your life. They are sweet, loyal, and sexy as all hell, and love with everything in them. We southern women are the same way. Which is why we make such great couples.

My mother always told me to keep an open mind when it comes to men. She would say that some of them just need a chance to prove their worth to you, so never shut them out, because they could end up being all that you have ever wanted and needed. Man, now I realize how true those words are. I always thought my mom was full of shit, but I am learning now that I am older that everything she ever told me was true. I have kept myself closed off from everyone around me, only letting the kids I work with in. It is time I put that behind me. Time for me to dive in, heart first, with Deuce. If I do not, then I know I will lose the best thing in my life.

Even though it has only been a week since we started hanging out, I already have strong feelings for this man. I think the reason I have closed myself off was because I was waiting for him. That is the only reason I can come up with; it is the only one that makes sense to me. My parents were so in love with each other. I always dreamed of what it would be like to have a love like theirs. When they passed, I honestly thought my life was over then and there. But as time went on, I realized that I have so much more to give to this world. There are so many people who still need my help. As long as there are people in need, I will always have a place in this world. But, now with Deuce, I have something else to live for now. I have a chance at love. A love that could be the best in the world. Full of chemistry, passion, loyalty, compassion, and trust. Deuce is all of those things. He is a great man. He gives up his free time to help people in need. He is loyal to his family and his chosen path. He loves his business; he enjoys meeting new people and telling them about the history of the swamps. He gets so excited telling about the local legends from around here.

I have that same passion in my job. I love waking each day and going to work. I love the kids that I work with. So far, from what I can tell, I am making a difference in their lives. After I left the midwife profession years ago, I looked for something new. I went back to school and earned my bachelor’s degree in special education. I think I finally found my calling in life. Yes, I enjoyed bringing babies into the world, but I was not happy anymore with it. Working with these kids brings me so much joy and peace. I leave work every day feeling accomplished. I am so proud of the kids that I work with. Each day they are making great strides in their studies and on their way to becoming great adults in the future. I would not change my job again.

But, now, being asked to deliver Deuce’s cousin’s baby, has me feeling that I do miss delivering babies. But as much as I may miss it, I love my current job way too much.

This man brings out feelings in me that I have never felt before. I am becoming fiercely protective of him. Even though I know he does not need my protection, especially when he is in his gator form. But, we do make an excellent team. It seems that we know what the other is going to do before we do it. This man continues to blow me away with his knowledge and his compassion. His brothers are the same way. They work so well together; they are a very well organized team. I enjoy working with them at night. I am looking forward to what the future holds for us. I think it will be very interesting, indeed.

I hope things keep going in the right direction with Deuce. I could totally see us raising a family and being together forever. I have never wanted kids, until I started working with them. Deuce comes along and it seems my ovaries are going into overdrive. They want to reproduce and they want it soon.

But, that will all happen when it is supposed to happen. We will continue to take this slowly and get to know each other. This is the fun part, just talking and learning about each other. We already know that we work well together. Obviously, there is a huge amount of chemistry between us.

Each day is a new journey. I plan on facing it head on, with my heart open. No more hiding who and what I am. Tonight, I will tell Deuce why I am a shifter. Hopefully, he will not go running in the other direction. Because that would break my heart into a million pieces. I know if that were to happen, that I would never let another man in. Never. So please let him not run the other way. Lord, grant him understanding. We can work through our differences, and move beyond them. Yes, we are different shifters, but that is okay. Our animals sense and recognize each other. They are meant to be together, now just the human part of us needs to realize that and get with the program. Nothing is impossible. We can do it.

Chapter Eight

Deuce

After I help Jos and the guys unload and pick up their groceries, I say my goodbyes and head back home. Earlier, I texted my brothers and told them not to eat one of the cheesecakes, so hopefully, they listened and I do not have to kick their asses. I will be so pissed off if they ate that cheesecake. I get home and run inside and check the fridge to make sure, and thankfully, for them, it is still there.

Tonight is my night off from the business and from hunting the swamps. I plan on enjoying it by spending the evening with Adele. If something physical happens, then it does, and if it doesn’t, that is fine with me. I am content just spending time with her and getting to know her better.

Tonight, I will tell her how we became gator shifters. It is time she knows. If I want her to be a part of my life, then I cannot have any secrets from her. Not that it is a secret or should be one; I just want her to know about it. There should be no secrets between us. I want to be as open and honest as I can with her. I will never keep something from her. Even if it means her safety, I will not keep anything from her. I will never turn my back on her. She has come to mean too much to me for me to do that to her. No matter what her secret may be, when she is ready, she will tell me. I will not pressure her. I will not judge or ridicule her either. None of us are perfect. We are not meant to be that way. I hope that one day she can love me unconditionally, faults and all. I have faith in us. Faith that we can overcome anything that comes our way. That one day, our love will be a strong one. I will never lose my faith in us.

I grab a shower and get ready to head to her house for dinner. Once I am ready, I grab the cheesecake and walk down to her houseboat. When I arrive, I see she is sitting on the deck, just watching the water. She looks to be deep in thought and I don’t want to disturb her. But, I know that she knows I am here. I see a smile creep across her lips. She looks up at me and her smile gets bigger. Man, this woman is so damned beautiful. I thank God every day that he has brought her into my life. I never realized how lonely I was until I met her.

“I hope you came hungry.”

“Well, of course I did, my sweet. I am a man, after all, and we are always hungry.”

“I will not argue with you on that one. Let’s go inside; dinner is ready.”

Once inside, I look around at her surroundings. Judging from the outside, it looks as though it would be extremely tiny inside, but, man, are looks deceiving. I guess I never realized how big it really was. It just looks tiny from the outside. But it is the size of a one bedroom apartment on the inside. It is very spacious, indeed. The kitchen and living room area are very quaint and homey. The décor she has is befitting her. It is not too girly or overly done. She has the right amount of décor in the right spots, and it is all simple to her tastes.

“I hope it tastes as good as it smells. It has been a while since I have made this. So, I am not sure how good it will turn out.”

“I am sure that it will taste just as good as it smells. Have faith, my dear.”

We each fix a plate of crawfish stew and grab a piece of homemade French bread. We sit at the table and eat in silence. Because the food is too damned good to be talking, anyway. Holy Merde! This woman can cook, too. I know that is pretty chauvinistic, but I am a lover of food. I am a cooker myself. I know good food when I eat it.

“How is the stew, Deuce?”

“Adele, baby, it is sublime. It is perfect. I have not had a good crawfish stew in a long time. In fact, the last person to make me one was Alexandre. His was good, but not as good as yours. Although I can’t tell him that, because he is very sensitive about his cooking for some reason. I am not sure why.” I chuckle.

We both sit there and laugh. Once we stop laughing, she gets up and takes our plates to the sink. She grabs dishes for our dessert. I bring the dessert from her fridge to the table. I cut us both a generous slice. She takes one bite and sighs.

“Is something wrong with the cheesecake?”

Okay, I can be sensitive about my cooking as well. Sorry.

“Oh no. I am sighing because it is so damned good. It has been too long since I have eaten a really good cheesecake.”

“I am glad that you like it. I love to cook and bake.” She raises her eyebrows at me and smirks. I think she is finding it hard to believe that a man likes to cook and bake.

“I, surprisingly, would never have guessed that about you. But we are still learning things about each other. It is rare for a man to enjoy cooking. You are indeed a rare find, Deuce.”

“How about we grab a beer from the fridge and go sit on the deck and watch the sunset.”

“That sounds like a perfect plan, my dear.”

She grabs two beers and we head out onto the deck.

We sit in the lounge chairs on the deck, facing the water. I look at her. I mean, really look at her. She is everything I want and need. I just hope that in time she will feel the same way about me.

“Deuce, there is something that I need to tell you. I just hope that when I am done, that you do not think of me differently. In order for us to move forward in this relationship, or whatever it is, you need to know who and what I am, and the why to it. It is only fair if we are both honest with each other. Or this will not work between us. Believe me, I want this to work between us. I have never wanted this in my life, but since you came into my life, I cannot imagine you not in it.”

I nod my head, signaling her to go on. I reach over to her and caress her face. That simple touch gives her the strength she needs to start her story. I already know that no matter what she tells me, it will not change my mind about her. I know that this night we will not take this to the next level physically, but I don’t want our relationship to be based on sex. Relationships are so much more than that.

“Okay, so here goes nothing. Have you heard of the legend of the rougarou?”

“Of course I have. That legend has been a staple for this area for generations upon generations.”

“Well, I am that legend. I am the rougarou. I have been the rougarou for one hundred years. And before me, it was my parents. My children will carry the gene, and it will pass down from generation to generation, always.”

I reach over and grab onto her hand, silently letting her know that I am here and I am not going anywhere.

“Before I was born, my parents helped a woman. She was beaten and bruised from her husband. My parents took her in and kept her safe from him. Eventually, he gave up looking for her and left town. Before she left to go back out into the world on her own, she gave my parents a special gift. She cast a spell on them and any children they may have. This spell would be passed down from generation to generation. For their generosity in helping her to get away from her abusive husband, she blessed them to always be the rougarou. You see, only a witch can make a person the rougarou. Sometimes it is done out of spite, but in this case, it was done out of generosity. My family would always shift into a white wolf. Forever to protect the innocent and help the faithless to find their way back to God. My parents were very grateful to the witch and stayed in contact with her for many years. Then one day she just disappeared, never to be seen again. That same day, my mother discovered she was pregnant with me. I am an only child. I am the last of my kind.”

“That is simply amazing, Adele. May I ask, what happened to your parents?”

“They were murdered by a jealous black magic witch. She was jealous of the happiness my parents had together. You see, she lusted after my dad. But Dad only had eyes for my mom. My dad loved my mom with all of his heart and soul. She was his soul mate. They were born for each other. The witch got angry because her tactics did not work to get my dad into bed with her. So, she found a spell that would kill them. We are immortal. We are not killed easily. It takes someone with immense power to undo the spell long enough to kill us. Or iron and silver weaken us tremendously and can kill us if it is left inside us for long periods of time.” She pauses, and then continues. “I will understand if you never want to see me ever again,” she stumbles through her tears.

At some point during the story, she started to cry. The tears were falling from her eyes from reliving her parents’ death. I know what that is like. That pain never goes away; it may get easier to deal with, but it never leaves you.

“Adele, to be honest with you, I suspected that you were the rougarou. I did not want to ask you in fear that you would think I was trying to get something on you to use against you. I plan on staying with you for as long as you will have me. I know it in my heart that you are my forever. There will be no other for me—only you. You were made just for me, and me for you. Our souls scream for us to be connected. You are the light, the one who can help me keep the beast under control. Without you, I will go insane and go on a murderous rage, because the beast will demand it.”

“Really. You don’t hate me?”

“Why would I hate you? You are the most beautiful, intelligent, loyal, compassionate woman I have ever met. You are the other half to my soul. We belong together. We can and will work through this. This is just a bump in the road; one that we have to go over in order for us to truly be together. No matter what comes our way, we will get through it. Nothing will keep us from being together.”

“I have been too scared to tell you, in fear of what your reaction would be. I am so glad that you do not hate me. That you still want to be with me. I believe that, yes, we are meant to be together. And we will be. But for this to work, we have to be open and honest with each other on everything. I want the kind of love that my parents had. I feel that, with you, I can have that.”

“I completely agree. But I want to tell you my story now. You need to know how we became gator shifters.

“My parents and Joslyn’s parents went to New Orleans one night when we were all twenty. It was our last night of being twenty. They went to the tomb of Marie Laveau. They asked her for a wish. For us to be able to always be safe and be strong enough to handle anything that would come our way.

“They performed the ritual; the one asking her for a wish to be granted. The next night, we noticed a change in us. Joslyn suddenly changed into a Bengal tiger, and when she changed back, she was part vampire as well. One by one, my brothers and I started to feel a change in us. We could feel the tingle that we now know lets us know that we are about to change. Next thing we knew, we were changing into white alligators. Not just any normal sized gator either. No, our gators are twenty feet long and weigh about eight hundred pounds. With us being white, we could shield ourselves, and no one could see us.

“That same night, our parents went back to her tomb and completed the ritual and brought her gifts. Little did they know that they were being followed by local supporters of Marie Laveau. These people were fanatics; they took it too far. They believed that they should have been the ones that the wishes were granted to, not our family.

“It took us a few weeks to get adjusted to this new state of being. The majority of the time, we would stay in gator form, just to learn the ins and outs of being in that form. The night of our family dinner, which we had every Sunday, for as long as we can remember, we heard screaming coming from outside. The five of us ran outside to see what was going on. What we found shocked us so much that we could not move. Our parents’ heads were chopped off and placed on stakes in the yard. Their bodies were burning in a fire next to them. We never heard anything. We heard no one come into the yard. Our parents were supposed to be going out to grab dinner. They had decided earlier that day, that that night was a takeout night. We did not hear them come home. Their car was nowhere in sight. Joslyn tried to run over to the heads, and I had to grab onto her and hold her back. Her sobs shook my entire being. Our parents were gone. It was just us.

“Since that night, we have stayed together. Joslyn met her soul mate a few months ago. Since then, we have started up the family dinner again. So, on Sundays, we go over to their house for dinner every week. Her new family has become our family as well. Joslyn is now Skylar’s step-mom, since she is mated to Skylar’s dad.”

“Oh my God, Deuce. Did you ever find out who killed your parents?”

“Yes, we did. But, they are very elusive. They are a coven of voodoo priestesses in New Orleans. We can never catch them to extract justice for what they have done to our family. Maybe one day, but we know that karma works in mysterious ways, and they will get their just desserts coming to them.”

“It makes sense why you and your brothers are gator shifters. Laveau’s powers were said to be unmatched. She was very evil and good at the same time. I know, I do not care about you any less.”

“I do not care for you any less now, either. In fact, I think I care about you a little more now. We have both shared something sacred to us. It will bring us closer together, not pull us apart,” I say.

I look around me to see that it is well past nightfall now. We have been on her deck talking for hours. It feels so good to really get our secrets out. It has opened things up for us, I think. She moves onto my chair with my and cuddles into me. I hold her in my arms. I am content with that. We stay like this for another couple hours before she gets up and yawns.

“I think it is time for me to head home, so that you can get some rest. It has been an emotional night for the both of us. But, it was a good kind of emotional night. We learned so much about each other tonight. Goodnight, my sweet, I will see you tomorrow,” I say.