lurked inside him, no matter what façade he chose to wear.
A couple of hours of casual girlie chatter had passed before Rick came in the house with some platters. I hadn't realised how much I had needed a girl-to-girl talk. Celeste was a breath of fresh air, even though Rick had won the battle, for all intents and purposes, fair and square, out in the yard, I was now beginning to think, that maybe Celeste had planned it that way. The way he looked at her now, as he walked into the kitchen, was one of pure possession. There was simply no other word for it, he thought he'd won a prize and yet I knew now that Celeste would be a prize that bit back. I had to admire her, she was reeling him in and he didn't even know it.
If only I had that kind of self confidence, that womanly awareness. I shook my head at that idiotic thought. Why on Earth would I want to seduce Michel? I might as well slit my wrists and wait for him to drain me dry.
“ Here you go,” Rick said as he placed the platters in his hands on a spare space on the bench. “The others have arrived and they're all over at the Hangi.”
I helped them both pile the salads and desserts onto the platters and then carried them out to the picnic table in the shade of an old Pohutukawa tree. The Hangi was off to the side already getting unveiled, the heady smells of deeply cooked meat and vegetables wafting through the air. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. God, Hangis were the best! I said hello to Celeste's mum and to Rick's family, then I made my way over to the Hapū master. I was on his land, I needed to acknowledge the gift of his hospitality. It was never a good idea to ignore formalities around Taniwhas, they may fit in like normal people, but they were definitely not. Piss them off and they'd make sure you didn't live to regret it.
Jerome, Westside Hapū's Alpha, is built like a proverbial brick out-house, he's all muscle and bulk, with a little padding round the middle just because. With a slightly ragged, coarse brown beard and curly, grisly brown hair, you'd think him more a bear than a Taniwha. But those deep chocolate brown eyes held the wisdom of his lineage. Even in human form they looked a little shark-like. He's always been very friendly and polite to me though, but I wouldn't want to piss him off. He hadn't become Hapū master of the only shape shifter Hapū in Auckland by being weak.
“Hey, Jerome. Thanks for having me over for dinner.”
“ No prob, mate. You know you're always welcome on our lands.” A very generous offer considering the Hapū 's desire for privacy and one I wouldn't forget to be thankful for when in his presence.
“ I hear you've been having a busy time of it lately?” His gruff voice was quiet, just loud enough for only me to hear. He was a big guy, looked a bit of a brute from afar, but his voice would have you think of a gentle giant, rather than an outright ogre, if you didn't already know he was a Taniwha.
The question didn't surprise me though. Jerome knows what I am, or at least as much as I do, I think. As Hapū master not much gets past him. It occurred to me then, that maybe he knew a little more. I took a deep breath in and fortified my resolve. If I wanted answers, I would have to face the music first.
“Yeah, it's getting hot in town all of a sudden. Have you heard anything that might help explain it?”
He huffed a little and ran a big oversized hand though his beard. “Actually, I thought it was about time to tell the youngin's a story or two tonight. You might like what you hear.”
I wasn't sure if that was true. Hapū stories, or lore, were fascinating, but how anything to do with me could be wound up with shape shifter legends was a mystery. Still, if Jerome said it was worthwhile listening in, then I would.
A bonfire was lit. Even though it was almost full winter, it was still quite warm in Auckland. The bonfire was more for show and ambience, than necessity though, I think. We all grabbed
A couple of hours of casual girlie chatter had passed before Rick came in the house with some platters. I hadn't realised how much I had needed a girl-to-girl talk. Celeste was a breath of fresh air, even though Rick had won the battle, for all intents and purposes, fair and square, out in the yard, I was now beginning to think, that maybe Celeste had planned it that way. The way he looked at her now, as he walked into the kitchen, was one of pure possession. There was simply no other word for it, he thought he'd won a prize and yet I knew now that Celeste would be a prize that bit back. I had to admire her, she was reeling him in and he didn't even know it.
If only I had that kind of self confidence, that womanly awareness. I shook my head at that idiotic thought. Why on Earth would I want to seduce Michel? I might as well slit my wrists and wait for him to drain me dry.
“ Here you go,” Rick said as he placed the platters in his hands on a spare space on the bench. “The others have arrived and they're all over at the Hangi.”
I helped them both pile the salads and desserts onto the platters and then carried them out to the picnic table in the shade of an old Pohutukawa tree. The Hangi was off to the side already getting unveiled, the heady smells of deeply cooked meat and vegetables wafting through the air. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. God, Hangis were the best! I said hello to Celeste's mum and to Rick's family, then I made my way over to the Hapū master. I was on his land, I needed to acknowledge the gift of his hospitality. It was never a good idea to ignore formalities around Taniwhas, they may fit in like normal people, but they were definitely not. Piss them off and they'd make sure you didn't live to regret it.
Jerome, Westside Hapū's Alpha, is built like a proverbial brick out-house, he's all muscle and bulk, with a little padding round the middle just because. With a slightly ragged, coarse brown beard and curly, grisly brown hair, you'd think him more a bear than a Taniwha. But those deep chocolate brown eyes held the wisdom of his lineage. Even in human form they looked a little shark-like. He's always been very friendly and polite to me though, but I wouldn't want to piss him off. He hadn't become Hapū master of the only shape shifter Hapū in Auckland by being weak.
“Hey, Jerome. Thanks for having me over for dinner.”
“ No prob, mate. You know you're always welcome on our lands.” A very generous offer considering the Hapū 's desire for privacy and one I wouldn't forget to be thankful for when in his presence.
“ I hear you've been having a busy time of it lately?” His gruff voice was quiet, just loud enough for only me to hear. He was a big guy, looked a bit of a brute from afar, but his voice would have you think of a gentle giant, rather than an outright ogre, if you didn't already know he was a Taniwha.
The question didn't surprise me though. Jerome knows what I am, or at least as much as I do, I think. As Hapū master not much gets past him. It occurred to me then, that maybe he knew a little more. I took a deep breath in and fortified my resolve. If I wanted answers, I would have to face the music first.
“Yeah, it's getting hot in town all of a sudden. Have you heard anything that might help explain it?”
He huffed a little and ran a big oversized hand though his beard. “Actually, I thought it was about time to tell the youngin's a story or two tonight. You might like what you hear.”
I wasn't sure if that was true. Hapū stories, or lore, were fascinating, but how anything to do with me could be wound up with shape shifter legends was a mystery. Still, if Jerome said it was worthwhile listening in, then I would.
A bonfire was lit. Even though it was almost full winter, it was still quite warm in Auckland. The bonfire was more for show and ambience, than necessity though, I think. We all grabbed
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