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The only thing that helps me sleep at night is knowing that Zach is there with her, protecting her when I can’t. It’s too much to put on his shoulders. He should be allowed to be a kid, but instead he has to step into the shoes of a man and protect his little sister. It makes me proud and sad at the same time.
The amount of physical abuse he’s taken in her stead is maddening. Each time, I hold myself back from rushing in. It’s killing me to watch, but I know that Antonia wants me to react. She wants me to give her a reason to kill me, and I can’t allow that to happen. I can’t leave my children here alone with her.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me that I haven’t had a good meal in over a week. That is another change from my life before the basement. I’d always been fed well, partaking in meals with Amelia; now, I am no longer welcome and have to fend for myself. I’ve been able to make do scavenging in the forest. I even got lucky and caught a rabbit two days ago, but it isn’t enough to sustain me.
The hunger and pains in my stomach have me feeling weaker. The only benefit is that it has my owl feeling stronger every day. If it keeps going the way it has been, I may actually be able to shift by the end of this week.
Meat, he begs.
“I know, buddy. I know,” I say out loud, climbing out of the hunting shack that I’ve been given as my home and grabbing a fishing pole. The goal for the day is to catch enough fish to replace the protein I need. If I get lucky, maybe I can find a few extra to save for the next few days.
“Where do you think you’re going?” A male voice calls out as I reach the shore.
I turn to find Anthony, Antonia’s brother, staring at me with a sneer.
“To catch some fish,” I respond, holding up the fishing pole and giving it a little jiggle as if he didn’t already see it.
“Did Tonia say you could go fishing?”
I scoff at his question. “I have to ask permission to go fishing now?”
“You are no longer aguesthere.”
I let out a hard laugh.
“I was never a guest here. Unless she plans on explaining to my children that she let me starve to death, I’m going fishing.”
Before he can respond, I turn on my heel, pushing the wooden rowboat off the shore and hopping in.
“You have one hour,” Anthony yells as I row away.
“I have as long as it takes to catch enough food for myself,” I call back, knowing full well that he’s just trying to flex his authority now that his sister has given him permission to treat me the way he’s always wanted to.
I row the boat to the middle of the lake and cast out my line using the worms I was able to gather up last night. A small splash off to the right catches my attention, and I quickly reel inmy line to cast it in that direction. Immediately, the line begins to bob, and I yank it, spin the reel, but the line doesn’t move.
“Whoa this must be a big one,” I grunt as I use all my strength to keep myself inside the boat and holding the pole. I plant my feet on the sides of the small wooden boat, leaning back as the fish on the hook at the end of my line begins to pull both me and the boat.
As it pulls me toward one of the small islands, the fish lets go of the line, but the boat doesn’t still. The momentum continues carrying me forward until it pushes up on the shore. If the fish can do this, I am not sure I want to catch it after all.
I look down at the rocky shore in confusion. I begin to reel in my line once more, and it glides like butter, wrapping around the spool over and over. As it does, I search the water for whatever has pulled me so far. I turn in time to see a flash of bright blue rising out of the water.
My hand opens, dropping the pole as the blue turns to the peach-colored flesh of a beautiful woman.
Mate, my owl hoots excitedly in my head. We both watch in awe as the beautiful woman rises from the water like a goddess.
“Hi,” she says. Her voice is musical. Her bright hair and the fact that she’s rising from the water tell me she can be nothing other than a sea nymph.
“Mate,” I say, taking a step toward her.
“Mate,” she confirms, quickening her steps until she’s flinging herself into my arms, her lips merging with mine. I snake my arms around her waist, pulling her naked body closer to mine. I love the feeling of her smooth, chilled skin against my hands and deepen the kiss. I slide my hands under her ass, lifting her as she wraps her legs around my waist. I turn, carrying her to the soft grass.
Hunger pains cause my steps to falter, and she breaks the kiss, looking at me with concern.
“You are hungry,” she says. A statement—not a question. I nod sullenly, hating to look weak in front of my newly found mate. I had lost hope of ever finding her after meeting Antonia and everything that has happened since.
She drops her legs to the ground.
“Will you make us a fire?” Without waiting for an answer, she jumps back into the water, and I see a bright blue tail flicking through the dark water.
