The Choosing Read online

  Jerath hums his agreement and they fall into a comfortable silence once again, both of them careful to avoid any conversation about their families or friends. It’s too painful to think about what might be happening when they have no possible way of finding out yet.

  Chapter 5

  “HOW much farther?” They’ve been walking steadily uphill for the last hour and Jerath’s legs are starting to ache. It must be almost lunchtime too because his stomach is making some very angry noises. They ate the last of the fish this morning, which Jerath is sort of thankful for even if it means they have no more food. It was an effort to force it down, and he knows his body would protest if he had to eat any more fish today. Of course he’ll probably think differently when they’re starving.

  “Just a little farther, come on.” Serim grabs for his hand and gives it a tug.

  Jerath picks up his pace, but doesn’t let go of her hand. It feels nice, her fingers entwined with his, and she doesn’t seem to mind, so he holds it all the way to the top of the hill.

  When they finally reach the top and look down, Serim gasps at the sight. She squeezes Jerath’s hand and turns to look up at him with wide, excited eyes. “Jerath, look!”

  It’s beautiful.

  If Jerath could have described the perfect place to go through the Choosing, then this would be it.

  The stream Serim mentioned is in fact a small waterfall. It tumbles down over the large rocks, crystal-clear water pooling at the bottom before flowing out in a gentle trickle and carrying on its journey. The pool itself looks to be about ten feet across, and there’s a small clearing on the far side. The sun shines through the gap in the trees and bathes the clearing in warm-looking, natural light.

  Jerath meets Serim’s eyes again and she nods. “It’s perfect.”

  They scramble down the hill together with eager faces. Jerath helps Serim over the slippery rocks, and she bursts out laughing when he slips on the last one and falls backward into the water.

  “Fuck, that’s cold!”

  “Jerath!” Serim gasps.

  The icy coldness took him by surprise, so Jerath thinks his outburst is totally understandable. He shakes the water out of his hair and wipes his eyes.

  “Come on in.” He beckons her. “It’s very refreshing.” He grins and she laughs again.

  Serim climbs over the last of the rocks and lands gracefully on the grass at the edge of the pool. “I will. I just need to get something first.”

  She wanders over to the bushes at the edge of the clearing, and Jerath takes the opportunity to swim over to the side and throw his hunting knife and waterskin onto the bank.

  “What are you looking for?” He watches as she picks flowers and berries and…. “What’s that?”

  Serim turns around with her hands full and a triumphant smile on her face. “Soap!”

  Jerath eyes the collection of flora held tightly in Serim’s fists and raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “You have so little faith in me, Jerath.” She tuts at him and makes her way over to the water.

  Jerath looks on, fascinated, as Serim scrunches everything together and adds a little water. She works it all between her hands, and sure enough, Jerath sees the unlikely mixture start to froth. Serim’s smile is huge now and she has her “I told you so” expression all over her face.

  She steps into the water and walks over to where Jerath is standing, the water coming up to his thighs.

  “Here.” She holds out one hand to him and he scoops the mixture out and holds it gingerly in both of his. “It won’t bite.” She rolls her eyes, and Jerath can’t resist sticking his tongue out at her. “I expected better behavior from someone whose fangs have come in.”

  Jerath just shrugs and grins at her.

  Serim shakes her head and starts to rub the soap mixture under her clothes. “Use it to clean your skin first and then your clothes.” Jerath must look as confused as he feels, because Serim pauses and adds, “Like this, look.”

  She scrubs the top half of her body under her tunic and then pushes her hands below the waistband of her trousers to wash between her legs. Jerath watches, and Serim is so matter-of-fact about it all that he doesn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. But then she starts to peel off her clothes.

  “Then like this.” She rubs the remaining soap into her tunic and all over her trousers.

  Serim is totally naked now and Jerath hurriedly looks away and starts to wash himself. He scrubs hard all over his skin, washing off the grime of three days and two nights spent sleeping out in the woods. He glances over at Serim and sees her duck under the water to wash her hair. Her long, dark locks swirl all around her, and Jerath smiles as he notices the contented look on her face.

  He strips off his shirt and trousers, then rubs the soap into them like Serim showed him and wades farther out to rinse everything off. When the water reaches waist height, Jerath ducks down until his head slips beneath the surface. He’s used to the cold now, and the cool water feels so good against his clean skin.

  Serim is laying her clothes out on one of the large rocks when Jerath comes up for air, completely at ease with her nakedness. She tells him to pass his clothes over so she can do them as well, and Jerath does as he’s told. The rock is in full sun now and it shines down on their clothes. With any luck they’ll dry quickly. Jerath hates having to put on wet things.

  When Serim has finished with their clothes, she slips back into the water and swims into the middle of the pool. Jerath dives under the water and comes up next to her, the splash hitting her in the face as he breaks the surface.

  She splutters and laughs, wiping the water out of her eyes, and then she smirks at him. “Do you know what else I found over in those bushes, Jerath?”

  She looks far too mischievous for Jerath’s liking. “No, what?”

  “Lava berries.”

  It takes Jerath a couple of seconds to make the connection, but when he does he can feel the curl of excitement deep in his belly. He avoided thinking about the ritual all morning while they walked. He can’t wrap his head around the fact that it’s tonight. He’s going to have sex for the first time. The fact that it’s going to be with Serim is kind of weird, yet also kind of right. He loves her—not in the romantic way, but he knows he’ll love her forever.

  As he watches her now, big brown eyes sparkling as she smiles at him, Jerath thinks there was never going to be another choice for him. Yes, he loves Mahli too, but he and Serim have a deeper connection he can’t really explain. It’s just there and Jerath needs it now more than ever.

  “Um… that’s good, then?” Jerath may be excited at the prospect of finally getting his tattoo, but he’s still nervous about actually performing the ritual itself. Serim isn’t a virgin like he is. She tells Jerath everything, so consequently he knows about the three boys she’s bedded and also what she thought of their performances. He’s well aware of what goes where, but he has limited sexual experience, and all that has been with boys. Jerath won’t be able to look Serim in the eye if he’s terrible at it.

  “Yes, that’s good.” She swims a little closer to him and wraps her legs around his waist.

  Jerath’s hands automatically go to her hips to keep her steady, but he still gasps in shock when he feels her rub up against him. “Wh-what are you doing?” He stutters a little and blushes. His cock is soft between them, but having something warm pressed against it is definitely making it take an interest.

  “We’re going to be a lot closer that this later, Jerath. I don’t want you to freak out when we start the ritual, so I’m acclimatizing you.” She grins at him as if her logic makes perfect sense, and he laughs at her.

  “Thank you for being so thoughtf—Serim!”

  His voice catches as she grinds her hips against him and it feels… nice. It’s not the instant heat that flares in his groin when he touches another boy, but it still feels good and he’s already half hard.

  Serim slips her fingers into his hair, and her expression t
urns into something more serious. Her eyes are darker and she licks her lips before speaking. “I don’t think we’re going to have any trouble later.” She rolls her hips again to emphasize her point, and Jerath realizes with a jolt that he’s going to have to fuck his best friend in about six hours’ time. This is actually happening.

  Serim is a solid weight in his arms. She’s not as soft and feminine as the other girls, but just as beautiful. Her body is lithe, full of hard muscle, and Jerath feels her flat, toned belly pressed against his. He’s almost sure that this is helping matters.

  “What about you, though?” Her long hair tickles the tops of his fingers and he idly plays with the ends.

  “What do you mean?” Serim has her head resting on Jerath’s shoulder as she lets him get used to the feel of her body.

  “Well, it’s not just about me tonight.” He swallows. He doesn’t relish the idea of discussing this with Serim, but it’s all been about him so far, and Jerath is well aware that he wouldn’t be Serim’s first choice of sexual partner either. “I mean… I know I’m not exactly your type and you have to come too.” He cringes at his choice of word, but the bite has to happen when the female shifter climaxes. What if he can’t do that for Serim? Jerath feels himself softening as the nerves take over. “What if I can’t… you know… make you?”

  To Jerath’s utter mortification, Serim throws her head back and laughs. It’s totally not what he was expecting from her, and he can feel shame and embarrassment wash over him. He loosens his arms and is about to push her away when she grabs his chin and forces him to look at her.

  “I’m sorry, Jerath.” Her eyes are soft as they meet his. “I’m laughing because that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!” She wriggles in his arms and he tightens his grip again. “I like boys—tall, dark-haired, hot boys. And last time I checked—and believe me, Jerath, Mahli and I regularly check—that is exactly what you are.”

  “Oh.” It’s the most Jerath can manage because he’s a little shell-shocked still.

  “I mean, have you seen yourself?” She gestures over his body and he looks down between them. He’s not as well muscled as some of the other boys his age, but he’s fit and toned. His broad shoulders taper down to a trim waist and slim hips, but Jerath has never considered himself to be “hot.” He’s far too slim for that.

  “Jerath, you are a fine specimen. Both me and Mahli used to have the biggest crushes on you! I can’t believe you didn’t know that.”

  “Um….”

  “Oh don’t look so worried. We both got over that when we saw you making out with Lukas behind the barn that time. What were you then, fourteen?”

  Jerath blushes at the memory. That had been his very first kiss.

  “But I’ve never been with a girl. I don’t know how to touch you… or what to—”

  Serim interrupts him by placing her fingers on his lips. “I’ll show you, Jerath. You just have to trust me.” She strokes her thumb across his jaw and her voice drops to a whisper. “You may be my best friend, and yes, this is an odd thing for best friends to do, but I will have absolutely no problem completing my part of the ritual.”

  She places a soft kiss on his lips, then extracts herself from Jerath’s arms and swims away.

  Jerath stays where he is. He relaxes back in the water and tilts his head up to the sky. It’s a clear day apart from the odd cloud scattered here and there, and that means it will be a clear night. For the first time in… maybe ever, Jerath realizes he’s not worried about the Choosing. Serim will guide him through it—more than likely with the aid of lava berries—and afterward he will be a shifter. A true member of their village. Jerath closes his eyes and drifts on his back. The night can’t come soon enough.

  MUCH to the delight of Jerath’s stomach, Serim feels it’s safe to leave him and she shifts into her panther form and manages to catch a couple of rabbits. He passes her his hunting knife so she can prepare them, while he gets a fire going. Their clothes dried after a few hours in the sun, and Jerath is feeling so much better now that both he and his clothes are clean.

  They roast the rabbits on long sticks, and Jerath moans in appreciation when he bites into the tender flesh. “So much better than fish.” He licks some of the juice off his fingers and grins over at Serim.

  “So much better cooked,” she replies.

  Jerath stops chewing and stares at her. “Eww, Serim. Tell me you didn’t?” He can’t believe she ate one raw while running around as her panther. It’s not unheard of to hunt and eat as your animal, but most people prefer not to. Rumor has it you can still taste the raw flesh when you change back.

  She just shrugs. “I was hungry.”

  “That’s just… ugh!” Jerath pulls a face and goes back to eating his well-cooked, and totally not raw, piece of rabbit.

  It’s dark by the time they finish eating and clean up. Jerath can see the full moon clearly in the night sky, and his skin prickles in anticipation. There’s magic in the air. He looks over at Serim. Her brown eyes are tinged with the blue of her panther, and he knows she can feel it too.

  “Are you ready?” Her voice is steady and she reaches out her hand to him.

  Jerath takes a deep breath to calm himself. He slides his fingers across her palm, his hand trembling slightly with nervous excitement. “Yes.”

  Serim leads him into the center of the small clearing. They prepared it earlier. A bed of large, thick leaves lies on the grass, and next to it sits a bunch of lava berries. They’ll have to eat them raw, since they have no way of making a potion.

  Serim lowers herself onto the leaves, sits cross-legged, and tugs Jerath down to join her. They remain silent as she reaches for the berries and starts to break them off and feed them to Jerath. They taste surprisingly sweet on his tongue and he greedily accepts more from Serim’s fingers. He returns the favor, placing the berries in Serim’s mouth as she opens up for him.

  When all the berries are gone, they quietly undress and place their clothes on top of the leaves as a sort of blanket. They kneel before each other.

  “Close your eyes,” Serim whispers.

  She closes hers and Jerath quickly does the same. Her soft lips cover his in a fleeting kiss before Serim starts chanting. The familiar words flow soft and low, curling around them both, and Jerath feels the magic of them prick at his skin. He’s never experienced a Choosing before but he knows the words that are used.

  When performed properly, the ceremony takes place outside. The village elder recites the incantation with the rest of the villagers who are of age, but the boy and his partner are tucked away in a special hut behind the clearing. The elder is close enough to hear them, so the words can be spoken at the right time, but cannot see them. The ritual union is sacred and private, only to be witnessed by the Goddess herself.

  Out here it will be just the same. No one to see them except the Goddess and her forest creatures.

  Jerath startles as Serim puts a hand on his chest. Her touch ignites something deep in his groin, and it’s so very different from when they were in the water. It must be the berries taking effect, because Serim’s fingers are trailing a blaze of white-hot heat across his skin. Jerath moans as she rubs her thumb across his nipple. His cock lies heavy on this thigh, already half-hard, and it twitches with expectation when Serim’s hands glide down his body toward it.

  She pushes a little, guiding him back down onto the makeshift bed, and Jerath goes willingly. Serim is still whispering words, a stream of beautiful prayers for the Goddess to bless their union.

  Serim falls silent. The first part of the ritual is now over, and Jerath’s heart rate spikes. He knows what happens next and his body is coiled and ready. The lava berries are coursing through his system now, setting his skin on fire and making him ache with need. He can feel Serim’s touches deep inside as she runs her fingertips over the taut skin of his belly.

  His head is a little foggy, his mind blissfully quiet, and he vaguely registers that this is also due to t
he berries. But then Serim’s hand closes around the base of his cock, and Jerath feels nothing but the delicious pressure on his sensitive skin. She uses her mouth to get him ready. He lets his eyes fall shut and arches his back, moaning loudly at the feel of the hot wetness wrapped around him.

  When Serim pulls away, Jerath’s cock is hard and straining against his stomach. He wants to pull her head back down, get her to carry on what she was doing because it felt so good, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knows he needs to let Serim take the lead.

  “Jerath.”

  When he opens his eyes, his breath catches in his throat. Serim is lying beside him and is almost shimmering. Her skin is bathed in a pale-blue light that makes her look otherworldly to Jerath’s hazy mind. She looks over at him and reaches out to take his hand in hers. Serim smiles and whispers, “Trust me,” before spreading her thighs and placing Jerath’s hand between her legs.

  She puts her hand over his and guides his fingers until Jerath is rubbing and circling and Serim’s breath stutters. He marvels at the sight of her, head thrown back and mouth open.

  She starts to speak the incantation again, and her voice is rough with arousal. Jerath feels the words. They heat his body and he wants to… needs to….

  “Serim….” It comes out as a plea and Serim smiles at him through her words, as though she knows exactly what he needs. It’s not like his dreams, where he longs to touch and lick the warm, hard body underneath him. But the feelings are almost as powerful as the berries coax Jerath’s body into a heightened state of desire and keep his mind pleasantly empty.

  Serim moves his hand so he’s no longer touching her and she moves so she’s now straddling Jerath’s lap. He feels her brush against him and he almost whimpers with the need to be inside her. It’s something Jerath never expected to feel. Ever. But the urge is so strong he can barely contain it.