Page 3 of Beast of the Bayou

My tone softens. "You should've told me. I would've…done something. Gotten you a better doctor."

"A doctor can't stop aging, mon chéri," she replies softly.

Sighing, I stand and take her hand. "Sit. Please."

Lenora sits down slowly, her hand still in mine as I stand over her. "You know I can't have a stranger in my home, Lenora. It's too…dangerous. What if I—"

Her grip on my hands tightens, suddenly halting my words. She stares up into my eyes. "What if you what—hmm? Open up? Make a friend? Trust someone?"

My jaw tightens.

Open up?

Make a friend?

Trust?

What was that? I had been in isolation for so long, I wasn't even sure if I knew how to behave around "normal" people. And trust—who could I ever trust with my truth? There wasn't a soul in this world who could handle it.

Lenora grabs my other hand, her voice sharp with conviction. "Just because you are what you are, Solomon, it doesn't mean that you don’t have the capacity to still love. Or that there isn't someone out there who will love you just as much as we do. You're not a monster, you hear me? I don't care what them folks in town say."

My tense shoulders drop at her words. Licking my lips, I nod. "Thank you."

She smiles warmly. "Now—me and Edgar here will make sure we find you a nice and kind woman who—"

"A woman?" I echo, sliding my hands out of hers. My head is already shaking. Lenora is the only woman I've been around since my mother passed. I know her scent. It's familiar. Maternal. Safe. But to have another woman in my home—

To smell one.

A fresh…ripe one. I'm not sure if I can handle it.

Already I can feel my canines protruding at the thought. Saliva fills my mouth. I swallow thickly. "I don't think I can do that."

Lenora nods slowly. With a sigh, she tilts her head in thought. "Well…if you prefer…I can bring in a man. Although I know you're not too fond of the scent last I recall." She gives me a knowing look.

The plumber. The last man who was brave enough to step inside my home. I almost ripped his throat out when I smelled him.

My tongue rolls under my teeth, the sharp tips of my canines nicking it. I suck the saltiness of the blood drops before continuing. "Alright. I suppose a woman will have to do," I concede reluctantly.

Lenora jumps up surprising me with her excitement. I can't help but to smile. She beams, hands clasped together. "This will be wonderful, won't it, Edgar?" She glances at him. "A brand new houseguest to liven up this place."

Edgar flicks his tail lazily, his eyes blinking slowly. "I'm glowing with excitement," he drawls.

Chapter 2: Lila Saint-Claire

The funny thing about running from one problem is that you're bound to run into a whole bunch of other ones. When I left my hometown of Baton Rouge, and all it's bad memories six months ago, I finally felt free. I was desperate to start a new life. A place where no one knew me. Somewhere safe where I could finally feel at ease. I wasn't sure if such a place existed, but I was determined to find out.

So I packed as much as I could carry and left with no destination in mind. Then I landed here—Bayou Mourne. I stumbled into this town oddly. It wasn't my first choice. Hell, it wasn't even a choice. But when the bus stopped here during a layover…I don't know, something compelled me to stay. I didn't think too hard on it. I just grabbed my bag and decided to try my best to make a home in this quaint little town.

There's an energy to this place that's hard to describe. Kinda eerie but almost—enchanted in a way. There've been quite a few times I've felt like I was being watched. But the warmth of the people and the beauty of the town more than made up for all that.

It didn't take me long to find a housekeeping job working at the small hotel I had been staying at. A month in, I met a nice woman my age who was looking for a roommate. Right after that, I was even able to find a cheap car to get me to Point A and B. Everything was working out perfectly and I was finally able to breathe.

How quickly things can change though.

Suddenly, I'm staring at the likelihood of homelessness because my roommate's shitty new boyfriend can't seem to keep his eyes off me, and I no longer feel comfortable living there. The hotel fired me for no reason—wouldn't even offer me an explanation. And my cheap little car that gotten me from Point A to B—well, it decided to stay at B when it broke down a few days ago.

Just like that I was back at that point of desperation that prompted me to run away in the first place. I stare at my banking app and an instant headache comes over me. My last check was deposited. A whopping $500. Closing my eyes, I pinch the bridge of my nose and take several breaths to calm my nerves. Inside my room, I can hear my roommate and her boyfriend arguing about me.