Challenged - Skinwalker Book 2

Chapter 37

Outside the air was unusually warm for so late in the season. It didn't help that they'd all worked up an uncomfortable sweat in the club. They did their best to ignore their discomfort as Luc lead them towards the esplanade along the river's edge, eventually stopping at a cute little dessert boutique. They got their ice-creams and meandered further down the boardwalk, well past all the night-time activity. They were comfortable in each other's company and enjoying the taste and temperature of their icy treats. Sierra had just finished her ice-cream when they paused near a jetty. It was small and wooden and reminded her of the one she'd spent the whole of summer camp jumping into the river from. An idea sprang to mind and she glanced over to Devon to see if he might have thought of the same thing. He had.

"Remind you of something?" he asked with a grin as he tapped the boarding with his shoe.

She nodded and grinned.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked, unzipping her boots with one eager eye on him.

His grin eased into a broad smile as he started pulling his shirt off.

"Hell yeah! Let's do it!" he replied eagerly.

Seconds later they bolted off the jetty in nothing less than their underwear.

The water closed in around them like ice, causing them to lose their breaths instantly.

"Holy sh..." Sierra's voice trailed off as Devon shushed her quietly.

"Whoo hoo!" he shouted joyfully, like the freezing water was the best thing on the planet right then.

Sierra caught on quickly.

"Oh man, this is amazing!" she shouted loudly, still struggling to breathe while she paddled about.

They glanced up and saw intrigued faces staring down at them. Anthony and Ken's disappeared, but the other's stayed there staring at them.

"What are you doing?" Luc hissed. "We shall get in trouble."

"Oh come on! It's after one in the morning and there's no one else around!" Devon shot back.

"Come and join us. You know you want to!" Sierra encouraged.

Karina, Adele and Senka vanished from sight.

"Adele come back here," Luc scolded.

A few minutes later, she did come back - in her underwear. The poor guy nearly dropped dead with awkwardness, but she chose not to notice. She gave him a big bear hug, told him she loved him and then leapt off the planking with everyone else.

There was a lot of shouting and commotion as the swimmers realised that they'd been duped. Sierra and Devon laughed knowingly, their bodies starting to get used to the frigid water.

"I could have told you all that the water is cold this time of the year," Alyssa remarked with a grin as she stood and started stripping.

"Not you too?" Luc asked when he noticed.

"That is a silly thing to ask a nix!" Alyssa shot back. "Besides," she added slyly as she slipped out her last bit of clothing and headed towards him, "I won't be going in alone!"

One big shove sent Luc hurtling into the water ahead of her. Everyone laughed as he surfaced, spluttering for air at the shock of the unexpected, cold water against his hot skin.

Alyssa swan-dived gracefully into the water after him. When she came up for air a moment later, she finger-shot her panties up onto the decking. Sierra glanced at her in surprise, but Alyssa only smiled back secretively then dove under the water again, a small flash of silver glinting in the moonlight as her hips followed her head. The water went eerily still where she'd disappeared and then seconds later the nix launched herself over them in a wide arch of water droplets, skin and scales. The spectacle was breath-taking! Alyssa's entire lower half was covered in scales that tapered off unevenly onto her torso and her legs had somehow merged to form a very impressive tail. There was something of a spikey dorsal fin along her spine, making her look a tad grittier than the average mermaid image. Her long golden hair sent water spraying in every direction, and as she hit the water she twisted and thrashed her tail to give everyone a playful splash. Sierra suddenly got it: a nix was so much more than a simple child's fable! The sprite was so real, so full of life - she was mind-numbingly incredible!