Chapter Three

Ness hadn’t been born in Scotland, but he couldn’t deny the impact of the eerie beauty around the lake just before dawn. It touched something deep in his soul. There was a sense of timelessness in the place and as he prepared to shift, Ness felt a glimmer of peace – something missing from his life in recent months.

His trip had been uneventful. He answered business emails, double checking everything before he hit the send button. According to his schedule, after Scotland he was due back in the States to visit his candy making factory, something he always enjoyed. The company had started when Ness started experimenting with sugar decades before, and now he had a whole team of scientists/candy makers who were still experimenting on new tastes and textures in the candy industry.

The car was waiting when his plane touched down, allowing him to drive straight to the house his family owned, with very few people aware he was even in the country. Ness never worried about the arrangement his family must’ve had with the authorities at the airport – he just knew it worked. He didn’t even have to show his passport. His crew had accommodations booked for them in Inverness, knowing they were free to have fun and enjoy their stay. Ness knew they’d be back at the plane in three days’ time.

There was comfort in routine, just as Doc had suggested. Ness could see that as he made himself comfortable for his short stay in his family home. It was as familiar as his own back in Arrowtown. There was a couple who maintained the house, keeping fresh food stocked and making sure sheets and towels were clean, but in all his times visiting, Ness had never seen them. He’d suggested once to his mother, as a joke, that they must have house gremlins, but his mother’s frown let him know his humor wasn’t appreciated.

Maybe it was the time difference, or maybe it was the intoxication of the fresh Scottish air, but Ness slept surprisingly well. Ignoring his morning wood, because that bit was clearly the only part of his body truly awake, Ness ran through his morning routine quickly, the sky just starting to lighten through the windows. Dressed in nothing but a robe, he took the short walk down the private trail to the lake’s edge, shivering slightly at the moist chill in the air. But the moment his feet were in the water, Ness’s shift took over.

The world always looked different when Ness was in his animal form. His head was so much higher up for a start. Moving rapidly for such a bulky body, Ness was quickly submerged in the deep loch, confident he hadn’t been seen. It’s not like he would be stopping for photoshoots for tourists. The whole idea of being in Loch Ness was to give a little nudge to existing lore. That meant if any pictures were taken of him, they’d be blurry, out of focus, and exactly what the locals appreciated.

Swimming was something Ness had always enjoyed. The loch was as familiar to him as his own lake in Arrowtown. There was just so much more of it. The loch was incredibly deep – much deeper than Ness’s body of water. That meant there were rocky outcrops that needed exploring and caves to check out. Other creatures that shared the space were always respectful and happy when one of their larger visitors was there, brushing past his bulky body before darting away. Ness swam as much as he could, only remembering just in time that he needed to get out of the water before the mist was burned away by the rising sun.

This is what I needed, Ness thought happily as he made his way back to the shore nearest his house. A long swim. No other demands on my time. A hot coffee waiting for me back at the house. Sometimes it was the simple things that could make a day complete.

Popping his head out of the water, Ness shook his head, sending out his senses to make sure no one was waiting for him on the bank. Shifting as he waded out of the water, Ness scooped up the robe he’d left on a tree branch, wrapping it around his shoulders as he disappeared along to the trail to that waiting cup of coffee. Breakfast would be a good idea, too, he thought as he whistled happily, enjoying the absolute peace and quiet.

/~/~/~/~/

“Holy fucking shit.” On the other side of the loch, armed with a pair of binoculars because not even Cyrus’s animal eyes were that sharp, Cyrus’s mouth quite literally dropped open in shock.

There had been a few issues with the authorities when he’d arrived at Inverness. Scotland was very friendly to visitors, as he quickly learned, and the fact Cyrus had booked a hotel went a long way to supporting his claim that he was simply visiting. But the private plane and lack of suitcases caused a few raised eyebrows.

Cyrus simply smiled, nodded, spoke respectfully, even laughing with the officer talking to him about how he’d just wanted to come to Inverness on a whim. “I’ll buy any extra clothes I need here,” he’d explained. The officer didn’t seem to think that was unusual, and after about an hour Cyrus was allowed into Inverness itself. The car rental place was another delay, sorting out pesky things like driver’s licenses and showing his passport again. By the time he’d finally gotten into the car and pulled up the local map to find his hotel, Cyrus was tired, and his animal side was edgy.

We will find him, but we just have to be patient. Cyrus soothed his animal side, even though he was as keen as his shark to catch sight of the tall man with the auburn hair. But between the fourteen hour plane trip and then the holdup at the airport, Cyrus wanted a decent meal, a hot shower and some sleep before he did anything else.

We already know he visits Arrowtown, he added as his shark grumbled at the delay. Shit comes to shove, we’ll call Blade and get him to track the illusive Farness from that side of the ocean.

It was his animal side who’d woken him up before the sun had fully risen. As it was his shark who’d been pushing to meet the man in the first place, Cyrus kept his grumbling to himself, making sure to grab a large travel mug of coffee from the hotel lobby before heading to the parking lot.

The streets were empty, it was like the whole corner of the world was asleep. I kinda wish I was, too, Cyrus thought, but he drove about half an hour out of town, letting his shark be his guide.

Park here.

Cyrus pulled into a rest area and eased the car to a stop. The place was in complete darkness when he turned off the headlights.

He’s out there.

Where? Cyrus could barely see anything in the gloom. There was a layer of mist across the body of water and while there was a tinge of pink just peeking over the hills, it was barely enough to see anything. Grabbing a pair of binoculars that the rental agent had assured him was useful when spotting wildlife in Scotland, Cyrus got out of the car, his eyes scanning the water. You do realize you can’t swim in this, he reminded his shark. It’s freshwater.

But his animal side wasn’t paying attention. Cyrus was encouraged to search the opposite shore for signs of life. Through the bushes he could just make out what looked like two lights shining from windows. So there is a house there…all right. In Cyrus’s head that meant they were on the wrong side of a body of water, but his shark didn’t seem to want to move.

And that’s when Cyrus saw something – barely - through the mist. There was the dark shape of a man…a big man…his shadow breaking free of the bushes. Focusing his binoculars, Cyrus watched – quietly drooling and feeling like a stalker, but damn that man was fine - as the man just dropped his robe as if he was in his bedroom. You’ve got to love shifters.

But what type? Why was the huge man…? That thought was never finished. Cyrus could just make out the man’s form stepping into the water, and then he shifted. One minute a man, and the next…

Yep, mouth dropped open. In his long life, Cyrus had seen many amazing and wonderful things. Some not so lovely things as well. But standing in the chilly air, in a remote parking lot, staring out across the water, Cyrus felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes at the sheer freaking beauty of the creature who was fast disappearing under the water.

He had no words. The creature wasn’t a dragon. The coloring could be mistaken for dragon scales, the way they glimmered under the faint light. But this creature was too bottom heavy and had no wings. The neck was too elongated as well. So no, it wasn’t a dragon.

Cyrus had no idea what type of creature he was seeing. He was just struck by the beauty of it. Something so big, so powerful, and yet the creature’s entry into the water had caused barely a ripple.

“He can clearly hold his breath for long periods of time,” Cyrus muttered, turning one way and then the other, scanning the surface of the water looking for unusual movements. Water was something he did know, but it was as if the creature was nothing more than a figment of Cyrus’s tired imagination. There was no sign of him.

“But the robe’s still there.” Cyrus knew that when he shifted he could be in the water for hours. Finding a blanket in the trunk of the car, Cyrus got comfortable sitting on the hood, cradling his cup of coffee, his binoculars tucked in by his side, enjoying the serenity of the morning. If my associates could see me now, they’d think I’d lost my mind.

Cyrus had learned a long time ago that patience would pay off, and about an hour later, with the sky a lot lighter and the mist slowly evaporating, his patience was rewarded. A small blue head broke the water’s surface and slowly the rest of the body emerged. Cyrus had just a split second to see the creature in its entirety before the creature was gone, a naked man standing in its place. The man didn’t even look around as he made his way up the shoreline, grabbing his robe and wrapping it around his shoulders before he disappeared into the bushes again.

Another light coming on in the windows of a house Cyrus could barely see gave him all the information he needed. Where’s my map. I need that address.