Page 21 of Tentacles for Christmas
Cooking the salmon I found, I used my pressure cooker to make a bunch of rice. I’d have leftovers, but I needed to do something. Finally, when the sun set, I pulled on my wet suit and packed a bag with clothes to change into.
Rowen was going to give me answers, and then I’d decide if I liked him as much as I thought before learning whatever his truth was.
Walking up to the spot where I’d left his coffee that morning in my haste to get away, I found Rowen bobbing in the water. His head andupper body were visible, and he quickly gave me more questions than answers when I learned he didn’t get cold.
Or if he did, it wasn’t in Blue Lake in mid-December.
While I was in full coverage besides my face, Red was likely naked under the surface. I was blushing at the thought, distracted from our conversation about telling Riley I was there, when Rowen dropped another bombshell.
“Shifters?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“That’s not for me to share. At least not yet,” Rowen shrugged, treading water. Chuckling, he added, “You will find out eventually, I’m sure.”
He didn’t add more, so I slipped into the water beside him. We stared into each other's eyes, and I needed to break the tension. “Promise you won’t drown me?”
Taking my words as more serious than I’d meant them, Rowen nodded solemnly. “You won’t ever be hurt so long as you’re swimming with me. I’ll make sure of it.”
Swallowing I nodded, unable to find the words. Moving away from the pier, I wondered how he swam in pitch darkness. I usually went out right as the sky was getting light, so I only got more visibility as I swam.
“How do you see where to go at night? Aren't there rocks on this side of the marina?”
“I have excellent eyesight.” Rowen reached up to tap his temple, where the frame of his glasses usually sat. “I can see pretty well in the dark.”
“But you wear glasses. Are they only for show?”
“No. I’m colorblind,” Rowen explained. “They help me see more than only in black and white. I can tell the shades apart, but not name the colors without my glasses. Plus, I’m told glasses suit my face.”
Taking in his warm brown eyes, I noticed the pupils were more rectangular than round. They were beautiful. “You’re handsome with or without them.”
Rowen licked his lips. His body shivered and I looked down to see movement under the water. The light from his houseboat only penetrated a foot or two, but I could see shapes and movements that were not at all like legs. I wasn’t ready to see yet.
“Are we going to swim or talk? Because I’d rather talk somewhere warm if that’s what we’re doing.”
“Let’s swim,” Rowen smirked. His arms started moving him backwards, away from the safety of the light. “I’ll call out if you’re going towards anything dangerous.”
“Does Blue Lake have a Nessie monster I need to worry about?” I asked, Following him with a slow breast stroke, I wondered if he was going slower for me.
“Maybe I am the monster of Blue Lake.”
My entire being rebelled at the idea of Rowen being a monster, but I had no reply. I didn’t know what secrets he was keeping, but I could tell the offhand comment was from a deep place inside of him.
My eyes adjusted to the moonlight, and I could see the shape of Rowen ahead of me. We swam in the opposite direction of the marina as I kept pace, and could tell Rowen was going slower for me. Every once in a while, I caught sight of something slipping out of the calm water, like a rogue little wave.
Following him towards an area hidden from the road above by an outcropping of rocks, I knew it was time to get some answers. Pulling myself out of the water, I scrambled to sit above the lapping water. The rocks were rounded by years of water erosion, and comfortable to sit on, though still cold.
My body had gone mostly numb from the cold seeping through. The Pacific Ocean around the Bay Area wasn’t as cold as the lake, and my wetsuit only worked so well. I shivered as Rowen stopped with his upper body out of the water while the rest stayed hidden.
Rowen seemed to notice my attempt to see under the water, with just enough bright moonlight to make out his pale face. “Do you want to know more, now?”
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I rubbed at my arms and nodded. “First, shifters?”
“Alright. Blue Lake has many kinds of shifters, but none like me.”
Taking a beat to let his words sink in, that the small town was filled with people who could somehow change into something else, I asked the most important question.
“And what kind are you?”
“Why don’t I show you?” Rowen met my gaze, holding it as he took a deep breath. Water was dripping from his beard and hair onto his bare shoulders, capturing my attention until he spoke. “Are you ready to see what you glimpsed this morning?”