Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

F amily were the people who were supposed to love you no matter what. They were the ones who welcomed you, when you had no place else to go. They were also the single biggest source of stress in his life, but he supposed that was just part of the balance.

Jacob followed the gentle curve of the long, graveled drive, enjoying his last moments of peace. When the house was finally in sight, he winced. There were at least a dozen cars there, which meant a mob scene was waiting for him inside.

He ignored the urge to turn around and go back the way he came, but it wasn’t easy. With a long sigh, he pulled the rental in at the end of the line of parked vehicles. He wasn’t going to sit out there and stall because it was a sure bet that they’d heard him pull in.

Getting out casually, as if he wasn’t stressed, was the best plan, but when he opened the door and stepped out, a shower of small white things fluttered to the ground. “What the hell?” He squatted down to pick one up.

More feathers. He knew goose feathers when he saw one, and there were five or six of them scattered next to his car. Finding goose feathers at his family’s house wasn’t unusual. There were bucketsful, in all sizes, lying around.

But he was sure they’d dropped from him when he got out, and there had been that one in his hair. Maybe…

Ridiculous of course. The most likely explanation was that a clump of them had blown into his hair, and he just hadn’t noticed the rest. “Stress is making you imagine things, Jacob. You need to settle down.” And then after a second, “And maybe stop talking to yourself out loud, before someone calls the funny farm.”

He couldn’t help the fact that he tended to talk to himself, especially when he was anxious, but he tried not to let anyone else hear him. As for the feathers… he shook his head. They didn’t mean anything.

There was no time left to consider the matter. The front door opened with a crash and people were pouring out, shouting “Jacob!” “You’re home!” “You came!” as they converged on him.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he quickly kicked the feathers away from him, and moved to greet his family. Despite everything… he was glad to see them again.

They all but carried him into the house like a returning hero, and he was starting to wonder why he’d ever stayed away. Fresh snacks, drinks, fawning younger cousins all trying to get his attention—it was fun, until it wasn’t.

“Hey, what’s this?” Marly pulled at his sleeve, and he looked down in time to see his cousin dragging a long white feather from the cuff. Her voice had been piercing in its excitement and the sound of it cut through the room. Everyone turned to look.

It was larger than the ones in the driveway and impossible to shove out of sight before it was seen. His mother grabbed it from his hand, and stared at it with wonder, before her eyes lifted to his. “You shifted!”

“What? No, I didn’t.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then you’re starting to shift. Why else would there be feathers in your clothes?”

“Mom, please. You promised you weren’t going to bring it up,” Jacob said. It was literally the only thing he’d asked, and it had taken less than an hour.

It was like standing under a spotlight. Everyone’s attention was on him, but it no longer felt happy and fun. It had become… anticipatory. But it was only going to end in disappointment again.

“Honey, I know, but this is different. You just arrived, where else would the feather have come from? It’s obviously freshly shed.”

Jacob shook his head. “I’m twenty years too old to be shifting for the first time, Mom. You know that.”

“But—”

“I can’t deal with this. I’m going to take a walk.” They meant well but it was too much.

He ignored all the protesting as he wove through the crowd and slipped out the side door. Space and quiet was what he needed— luckily, he was in the right place for that. They owned a vast swath of land and the only homes on it belonged to other Brood family members.

Acres of trees and scrub gave him plenty of room to walk off his stress, but it was no surprise that eventually he turned toward the lake. For the rest of the family, the lake was a favored spot. For him… it was bittersweet. He was drawn there in the same way they all were, but it didn’t satisfy his needs.

It reminded him of his lacks, and yet he couldn’t stay away.

He dropped down to sit on the rocky beach, just out of reach of the lapping water and thought about the day from hell. The stress was what he deserved for giving in and coming back, obviously, but it had also been weird.

The feathers. He didn’t have an explanation for those. And even now, when he shook out his sleeves, another one dropped into his lap. “What in the fuck… Where do they keep coming from?” His first thought had been a cruel prank. His siblings wouldn’t have done it, but some of his cousins were dicks.

Jacob could see one of them tucking feathers into his clothes and thinking it was hilarious. The only problem with that… was that he’d found the first one outside the restaurant. It made no sense.

He twirled the feather between his fingers, examining it. There was nothing unusual or unique about it. Just another goose feather. He’d grown up seeing millions of them and this one was no different. He let it go and it fluttered to the ground as he turned to stare out at the lake.

Despite everything, it was nice to be home, and the lake did feel like home. It was peaceful, though not quiet. City people were often surprised by how noisy the nights could be out in the wilderness. Even now he heard a swan calling from the center of the lake.

“Guess I’m not the only one feeling lonely tonight.” He stood up and started undressing. If nothing else, he could have a swim and keep the swan company. He left all his clothes on the rocks and waded out into the water.

It was spring fed and that meant it never really warmed, but the cold didn’t bother him much once he adjusted. He headed toward the middle of the lake with powerful strokes, barely splashing as he surged through the water. The lake wasn’t small, and it was a challenging swim.

Occasionally the haunting cry of the swan would sound, and he’d adjust his course, until finally she was close. He stopped, treading water as he looked around, and then he spotted her like a glowing white beacon in the moonlight. He grinned and dove down, closing the distance between them, while under the water, to take her by surprise.

He wasn’t sure what he expected to happen when he suddenly burst from the water in front of her, but it wasn’t angry hissing and an attack with her hard beak. Her large wings beat at him, until he was forced to make a hasty retreat, choking on lake water. He was lucky she didn’t follow him, but she seemed content to glare from a distance.

She’d definitely won the encounter. His head felt… thick, and his skin was somehow burning despite the cold water that surrounded him. He watched her with narrowed eyes, as he scratched an itch on his arm—it hurt.

There was a weird rippling sensation as his hand ran over the skin. Then a sharp pain as something lodged in his flesh bent backwards. “What the hell…” He trailed off as he stared down… another white feather? This one was stuck deep in his skin, and he thought it must be hers.

When she’d been whaling on him with those heavy wings, one of the feathers must have impaled him. He yanked it out, hissing in pain as a drop of blood beaded and then washed away in the water. This has definitely not been my day.

And it wasn’t getting better. Something was wrong. Maybe she’d given him a concussion, or maybe he was coming down with something. He felt queasy, disoriented. He started to swim for shore, but realized he wasn’t sure which direction that was.

There was a prickling sensation across his entire body. Not stippling from the cold, but something more intense and distracting. Itchy spots were flaring, but scratching hurt and there were more feathers.

So many feathers. They were erupting from his skin, a few at a time at first, but soon large swathes of his body were covered in white down and quills and then… it happened. The moment he’d been waiting for since he was young enough to understand what his family was.

After so many years he’d given up. All the other males in the family changed at puberty. The females changed even younger, able to take their shapes almost as soon as they could walk without help. But not him.

Not until now.

He shifted. One second a man and the next… a goose. More specifically a gander, but that term was never really used for the shifters in his family.

It wasn’t what he expected. It was heat and pain; a sudden tearing sensation, like his skin was being ripped off… and then suddenly everything settled into place. He floated on the water, confused and disoriented as he tried to get his bearings.

His man self, the human thinking person he’d always been, receded into the distance and instincts took over. There was a female nearby. She was the same as him, and familiar in an odd way, but not family.

He’d known as soon as he burst out of the water in front of her that she wasn’t a regular swan, and also that she wasn’t someone he knew. He’d expected a cousin maybe, or an aunt, but she wasn’t family and that still mattered to the human side of him.

She was beautiful. Magnificent really. Her feathers seemed to shine in the moonlight and the curve of her long neck was so lovely. She was alone, which meant she had no mate, but he was available.

The goose mind didn’t overthink things or worry about complications. He just went for what he wanted, swimming closer, circling her, while she pretended to ignore him. He saw that as a challenge to present himself.

He’d never done this before, obviously, but most of it was instinct. And he’d seen other mating displays.

He let loose with a long rhythmic series of honks, demanding that she notice him. That didn’t work, but he was up for the challenge. He stretched up, almost standing on the water so he could display his wingspan and mating postures.

Now he had her attention. She watched, and he sensed interest from her as he dipped his head under the water and tipped it back up with a splash. He did it a few more times, and then she began to mirror him.

Success!

Her movements were tantalizing. Her neck arched just so to cast a demur look his way. He was encouraged to continue, and excitement grew.

He was still Jacob, but Jacob wasn’t in the driver’s seat. He was a goose who was being driven into a frenzy by a potential mate and it didn’t leave much room for rational thought.

And she, whoever she was, seemed to be just as eager to consummate things. The head dipping continued until he couldn’t stand it anymore. She had accepted his courting, and he would claim her before any rival could interfere.

The man would have hesitated, the bird did not. When her head dipped beneath the water again, he climbed onto her back. By the time she lifted her head, he was already inside of her. He gripped the back of her neck, pulling and twisting the feathers as he held her in place. It took only seconds before he was done.

The human part of him might have thought it was anticlimactic, but that part had checked out when he realized where the courtship was leading. The goose knew that it had been satisfying and successful. He shouted a loud honk of triumph at having claimed his mate.

He slid off her back, into the water beside her, preening his feathers and fanning his wings with pride as he watched over her protectively. A feeling of smug satisfaction colored his goose thoughts. She was supposed to bathe, and then he would do the same, but instead… she launched herself out of the water and flew towards the shore, leaving him confused.

Instincts said this was not how things were supposed to go after a successful mating. She had accepted him, and he had claimed her. Now his job was to watch over her and protect her, and he couldn’t do that if she was gone. With a series of honks, he took flight, following her to the rocky beach.

But when he glided down and landed, she had changed, shifting back to human form. He watched her long gawky human shape for a moment. It wasn’t nearly as enticing as her sleek swan self. Bare pink skin wasn’t as attractive as feathers.

It became clear that his mate didn’t intend to change back when she started pulling on her clothes in a hurry. He would have to leave his glorious goose form to join her, he supposed.

For a moment he hadn’t been sure how to change back. He’d never needed to shift before, but when he relaxed and thought about who Jacob was in that form, his body took over and did the rest. The moment he was back on bare feet, the weight of what had just happened came crashing down on his head.

The goose had been thinking only of mating and claiming, and now the human had to deal with the consequences. Talk about awkward. He hadn’t even gotten her name and now they were mates.

Mates. That… was something he was going to have to wrap his head around, when he had a chance. He stared at her back as she yanked a t-shirt over her head. “Uh… hey.”

She screamed and spun around. “Holy fuck! Where did you come from?” she demanded. Her eyes slid down his body, noted his nakedness, and then snatched up a fist-sized rock from the shore. “Don’t come any closer!”

He recognized her immediately, so not a stranger after all. “Seems a bit late for that now. I mean…” He jerked his head towards the water. “After that, I don’t think we could get any closer.”

“What are you talking about?” She took a few steps back, holding the rock in front of her. Then in a softer voice, maybe not meant for him, “It can’t be…”

He tilted his head. “I was the goose. You’re a swan, right?”

“I –what? No, of course not. What are you—oh my god! You’re the weird guy from the restaurant!”

“Guilty.” He looked away and cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. I should have known there was a reason I started feeling so strange around you. But to be honest… I wasn’t really sure the whole mate thing would apply to me.”

“Mate… you—” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening. Did you… did you attack me in the water?”

Jacob frowned, eyes narrowing. “Attack you? Of course not. My goose realized you were our mate and courted you.” At least he thought that was what had happened. She’d accepted his advances; he knew that much.

“Listen, I’m sorry if I did this wrong… it was my first time. I thought I’d have more control. You know, be me, but with wings.”

“First time? First time fucking a bird? Glad you don’t make it a habit, perv!”

He blew an exasperated breath out of his nose. “My first time shifting into one. I know… late bloomer, I guess. I’d given up and assumed I was just a throwback or something.”

“I don’t understand any of this.”

“Well, if you put the rock down maybe I could get dressed and then we could talk.” He was starting to feel a little vulnerable in only his skin.

“I… sure, okay. Put your clothes on.” She didn’t drop the rock though.

He sighed and looked around for his things. They were quite a way down the shoreline, and he was half afraid she’d leave when he went to get them. Instead she settled on a large flat rock and dropped her face into her hands to wait.

Fair enough. He trotted down the beach and got dressed. When he returned, he made sure to walk loudly so he wouldn’t catch her by surprise again. She didn’t look up, but she tensed as he got closer.

“So, I’m Jacob, and you’re Lizzy, right?”

“Yes.”

He was silent, trying to figure out what to say. This whole thing had been a shock. Changing, finally, after so many years. Finding his mate at the same time. The intensity of that was like nothing he’d experienced. No one had ever warned him.

But then… maybe they hadn’t expected him to ever form a mating bond.

And then there was the fact that she was a shifter too. That was rare. All the shifters he knew were relatives which could be awkward. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So, we should probably talk about family.”

Her head snapped up; eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean… we’re both bird shifters. We should make sure we’re not too closely related. Usually mating bonds don’t form between close relatives, but… none of this has been normal.”

She just stared at him. “This is… I need to go.” She jumped to her feet and started to leave, but he found the idea of her walking away to be unacceptable to his bird half.

He had to protect his mate. “Wait. I’ll walk you home. Make sure you get there safe.”

“No thanks.”

He grabbed her arm. “Listen, I know this is weird, but we need to talk. We’re mates now and?—”

“I don’t know what that means, but we’re nothing to each other. Noth-thing ,” she said, emphasizing it into two words.

“You know that’s not how this works.” Even he, who had never changed before, knew that much.

She yanked at her arm. “Let go of me or I’ll scream.”

One eyebrow went up and a slight grin slid into place. “Go ahead. You’re on my family’s property and there’s no one else around for miles. They’re going to want to meet you anyway.”

He’d meant it as a joke, and only realized when she flinched, that she had taken it as a threat. His hand dropped away from her arm. “You’re safe, Lizzy. I would never hurt you. Ever.” He couldn’t even if he wanted to.

“What do you call what you did to me on the lake?” She practically hissed the words.

His mouth dropped as he gaped at her. Was she implying…? “You accepted my advances. You encouraged the mating.”

“I didn’t!”

She absolutely had. His goose had known that, and from the way she looked away now, it was clear she knew it too. “I mean, I didn’t know what it meant. It was all... instinct,” she added.

“Instinct is a lot of how it works when we shift. Or so I’m told. Like I said, this was my first time, but the bond was already there. Couldn’t you feel it?” He blew out an exasperated breath. “God, I wondered why I was so awestruck by you in the restaurant. No wonder I could barely string two words together.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You do. Think about it. Think about what you felt when you saw me. You must have… there must have been an attraction for you too…” He trailed off uncertainly as she shook her head again.

Obviously he’d never had a mating bond before. Geese tended to mate for life, but he knew the stories of how it was supposed to work and feel. If he hadn’t cut himself off so fully from the idea that he was a shifter too, he might have recognized the symptoms from the start.

“No, no I just thought you were weird. I’m going home. Please—please, don’t follow me.”

Before he could reply, she turned, and sprinted up to the tree line and disappeared.

“Fuck.”