Page 55 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

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 dovedown, 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…anotherwhite 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’dbeen 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!

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