new address.
After he snapped his phone shut, he gave his mate a smile. “Don’t look at me like that. From now on, you need to be protected.”
“We could get some security from my family,” Skylar suggested.
“On second thought, that’s probably not a good idea if I live with you.” He looked thoughtful and a bit worried. “Do you trust this Malcolm guy so much?”
“I never did tell you about my family.” Byron sighed. “Malcolm Bristol was sort of my...nanny-bodyguard growing up. At one point, after my parents died, life got really chaotic within the family.
Heathcliff briefly took over before I was forced to step in.”
Byron really hated to remember that time of his life. He’d been the one to kill his parents, although he’d never actually meant to do so. Even now, Byron could recall it so clearly even today.
It had been nighttime, and Byron had gone out swimming in the gulf. He’d noticed a quick boat approaching him and stopped.
He might have never done so, except his senses identified the occupants of the vessel. It was his parents. Byron had seen then maybe one time in his life. He didn’t remember their faces, only their The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse
77
scents, since Malcolm had taken him away from the main Cunningham residence shortly after being born.
He wondered why they were here now. He didn’t see any reason why they would come looking for him. The beast inside of him stubbornly refused to reveal itself, and he was useless for the family.
A part of him knew he should dive deep into the water, since they couldn’t mean well, but they were his parents, and Byron wanted to know for sure where he stood.
The vessel stopped a few feet away from him. A tall man smiled from the boat. “Hello, son. Going for a midnight swim?”
Byron wordlessly nodded.
“Mind if we join you?” his mother inquired.
“Of course not,” Byron replied apprehensively. He didn’t know how to act around the two strangers that had sired him. The situation was made even more awkward by the presence of several other men in the boat. What were his parents planning?
Moments later, he got his answer. His parents jumped in the ocean and turned into their shark forms as they hit the water. With the swiftness so characteristic of their species, they attacked Byron.
Byron didn’t know what happened then. Some sort of instinct of self-preservation kicked in. He was only thirteen and had no knowledge of how to control it, so he allowed it to flow over him.
At first, he thought his shark had finally decided to show up. This way, he could at least stand his ground against his parents, even if he did get killed in the process. After all, what chance did a shark pup have against two mature predators?
But his human form kept growing and growing without stopping.
His parents moved away, but the people in the boat didn’t manage to make their vessel work in time. Byron’s huge body crushed it, sending splinters of wood and metal flying all over the place.
Byron didn’t understand what was going on, so he allowed his human consciousness to fade into the background of his mind and 78
Scarlet Hyacinth
became pure predator. Suddenly, he could acknowledge his new abilities, just like he did with the enemies in the water.
There were maybe half a dozen sharks around him now, his parents included. A few octopi and even a crocodile were added, from the guards who’d been in the boat. But none of them had any chance against Byron.
All of them tried to flee, knowing their inferiority, but Byron was much faster. He caught the first shark by his tail and gulped him down in one single bite. He was ravenous.
After that, his mind became a frenzy of hunger and silent anger.
Strangely, he knew the exact moment when his jaws clenched around his parents’ flesh, crushing their skulls. He spat them out, unwilling to eat them, but they were already dead.
Shaken by what he’d done, he changed back into his human form and swam
After he snapped his phone shut, he gave his mate a smile. “Don’t look at me like that. From now on, you need to be protected.”
“We could get some security from my family,” Skylar suggested.
“On second thought, that’s probably not a good idea if I live with you.” He looked thoughtful and a bit worried. “Do you trust this Malcolm guy so much?”
“I never did tell you about my family.” Byron sighed. “Malcolm Bristol was sort of my...nanny-bodyguard growing up. At one point, after my parents died, life got really chaotic within the family.
Heathcliff briefly took over before I was forced to step in.”
Byron really hated to remember that time of his life. He’d been the one to kill his parents, although he’d never actually meant to do so. Even now, Byron could recall it so clearly even today.
It had been nighttime, and Byron had gone out swimming in the gulf. He’d noticed a quick boat approaching him and stopped.
He might have never done so, except his senses identified the occupants of the vessel. It was his parents. Byron had seen then maybe one time in his life. He didn’t remember their faces, only their The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse
77
scents, since Malcolm had taken him away from the main Cunningham residence shortly after being born.
He wondered why they were here now. He didn’t see any reason why they would come looking for him. The beast inside of him stubbornly refused to reveal itself, and he was useless for the family.
A part of him knew he should dive deep into the water, since they couldn’t mean well, but they were his parents, and Byron wanted to know for sure where he stood.
The vessel stopped a few feet away from him. A tall man smiled from the boat. “Hello, son. Going for a midnight swim?”
Byron wordlessly nodded.
“Mind if we join you?” his mother inquired.
“Of course not,” Byron replied apprehensively. He didn’t know how to act around the two strangers that had sired him. The situation was made even more awkward by the presence of several other men in the boat. What were his parents planning?
Moments later, he got his answer. His parents jumped in the ocean and turned into their shark forms as they hit the water. With the swiftness so characteristic of their species, they attacked Byron.
Byron didn’t know what happened then. Some sort of instinct of self-preservation kicked in. He was only thirteen and had no knowledge of how to control it, so he allowed it to flow over him.
At first, he thought his shark had finally decided to show up. This way, he could at least stand his ground against his parents, even if he did get killed in the process. After all, what chance did a shark pup have against two mature predators?
But his human form kept growing and growing without stopping.
His parents moved away, but the people in the boat didn’t manage to make their vessel work in time. Byron’s huge body crushed it, sending splinters of wood and metal flying all over the place.
Byron didn’t understand what was going on, so he allowed his human consciousness to fade into the background of his mind and 78
Scarlet Hyacinth
became pure predator. Suddenly, he could acknowledge his new abilities, just like he did with the enemies in the water.
There were maybe half a dozen sharks around him now, his parents included. A few octopi and even a crocodile were added, from the guards who’d been in the boat. But none of them had any chance against Byron.
All of them tried to flee, knowing their inferiority, but Byron was much faster. He caught the first shark by his tail and gulped him down in one single bite. He was ravenous.
After that, his mind became a frenzy of hunger and silent anger.
Strangely, he knew the exact moment when his jaws clenched around his parents’ flesh, crushing their skulls. He spat them out, unwilling to eat them, but they were already dead.
Shaken by what he’d done, he changed back into his human form and swam
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