Table Of ContentMarina has a bizarre bloodline and a mission to save her
mother’s people. Irdan wants his mate and is willing to get
wet.
Marina Wake has spent her life trying to heal manatees. Her
small recovery centre works to patch up the beasts damaged
by human machines. The problem is facilities need money.
Irdan wants to meet the woman that the seers and her
father have told him about. When he gets her agreement to
the Crossroads, they rush into the balancing and have to deal
with the aftermath.
Marina trades herself for financing the rescue centre for a
decade, and when she has been balanced with Irdan, her
evolution into a partial fey takes a weird turn that neither of
them expected.
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Floating Alone
Copyright © 2016 Zenina Masters
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0803-9
Cover art by Carmen Waters
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Floating Alone
Shifting Crossroads Book 39
By
Zenina Masters
Chapter One
Ma rina watched the huge animals slowly rolling in the
shade of the hospital tanks. “Morning, ladies. How are
you doing today?”
Her mind was assailed with the minor discomforts of
pregnancy mixed with the confinement of the tank.
She smiled and sent calming and loving emotion through
the link. “We want you safe, and we are making a new zone
that you can flourish in. We want it safe for you and your
babies.”
Marina crouched next to the tank and held out a handful
of seagrasses. They were the large female’s favourite.
The huge bulk of the largest manatee cruised toward her,
and Marina fed her as she examined the scars from a
propeller on her back and across her belly. They were healing
well, but she still wanted to get a hold of that pilot and tear
him in two.
“Can you remember anything about the boat, dearest?”
She continued to speak in low tones.
An image suddenly came to her, brought by the proximity.
Red speedboat, call numbers that Marina committed to
memory and a laugh that she put in the same mental file.
“Thank you, mother. I will make sure that he doesn’t hurt
you or your little one again.” She ran her hand along the grey
hide, and the mother lipped at her wrist.
“Dr. Wake?”
Marina turned her head and moved her hand out of the
way before the huge creature could pull her in. Their whimsy
sometimes lacked timing.
“Yes, Toby. What can I do for you?”
“The new investors are here, and you promised to take
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them for a tour.”
She grimaced. “Is it that time already?”
“Yes. I saw them coming in. Are you really pitching to
some fey?”
Marina smiled. “They have tons of money and are willing
to put it into the upkeep of nature. Yeah, I am pitching to
them.”
“It doesn’t hurt that his parent is the local senator.”
“That is also a factor. How do I look?” She brushed at her
shorts and tank top.
“Wet. They will be stunned. Go get ’em.”
Marina snorted and headed for the education centre, the
small building in the middle of the property.
The sleek cars outside of the education centre were
definitely a sign of things to come. Well, Marina hoped they
were. She could use an infusion of cash to the rescue in the
worst way.
Wary of the dampness on her shirt, she fluffed it out so
that the slouching folds of the jersey obscured the outline of
her nipples. Just to be on the safe side, she let her hair out of
its ponytail and let it relax over her shoulders and down her
breasts.
She took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face and
opened the door to the education centre, holding that smile
in place by force when she saw that her father had made an
appearance.
“Ah, Herman. You are here.”
He turned to her, and his peculiarly good looks struck her
as they always did. “Marina, I was just telling these men
about your good work here.”
“So nice of you to be here for this today.” Marina walked
up to him and kissed his cheek.
She squeezed his hands hard, and he winced as he
murmured, “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
Marina turned toward her guests. “Hello, I am Dr. Wake.
Please, call me Marina.”
The two gentlemen smiled, and the brunette stepped
forward with his hand extended. “I am Maweel Nafore; that
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is my cousin, Irdan.”
She blinked when she saw his hand out, and she said, “I
am sorry, I was just handling fish and weeds. I am afraid my
hand isn’t in great shape.”
He smiled. “I don’t mind.”
She winced and extended her hand, gripping his skin as
the wild spark ran up her arm, and she could see he was
getting the same reaction.
“Your—”
“A researcher.”
He let go and stepped back, and his companion came
forward. He spoke in a low drawl. “Forgive my idiot cousin;
he has not seen such a beautiful woman in a long time.”
She winced when he took her hand and the shockwave
was far stronger, but he lifted her hand to his lips and
pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “The pink of your cheeks goes
well with your silver eyes.”
Her skin got hotter.
She licked her lips, and his pupils dilated, showing a
startling change to something that wasn’t human and wasn’t
fey.
Her pulse pounded in her veins, and she slowly withdrew
her hand from his grasp. “Thank you?”
He grinned. “So, you have a facility that you are interested
in funding?”
With that one phrase, he snapped her back to why he was
there.
“Of course. Welcome to the Wake Manatee Rescue. We
are here to rehabilitate and release wounded, injured and
maimed manatee back into the wild. Our goal isn’t to keep
them in tanks; it is to get them back into open water.”
She turned to the wall and activated the screen that
showed the damage done by the propellers, jet skis and other
human vehicles. “Human incursion into manatee waters
needs to be mitigated, controlled, and when they break the
law, there needs to be a consequence.”
She paused, “But that is a matter for legislation. Now, we
are simply seeking funding to support and expand our
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existing facility. Would you like to see the patients?”
Maweel smiled, “We would love to see the animals.”
She frowned. “This is not a zoo. They are not here for
display. This tour is to expand understanding.”
Irdan smiled. “We understand.”
She looked at her father and then ignored him as she led
their small group out of the education centre and out toward
the pens.
“You don’t have a dedicated medical centre?” Irdan
drawled.
“No, we have to create med tents when we need them.
That is one of the items that is on my wish list. To get a
manatee out of the water takes some special lifts, and we
don’t currently have them.”
They walked down the gravelled path toward the recovery
tanks.
“We keep the patients in their normal water type until
they are set for movement again. Over here are my favourite
visitors. These are pregnant females who were struck by
boats, and one of them is nearly ready to return to her
original no-wake zone.”
Irdan drawled, “How did she get injured?”
Marina made a face. “Speedboat, as far as we are able to
tell. Folks want to insist on their right to kill native and
endangered species at will. That is why we are pushing for
larger penalties.”
She led them through the concrete paths and opened the
gate that led into the deep, shadowed tanks.
Maweel looked at the cages surrounding the tanks. “Are
you afraid of the manatees getting out?”
She smiled. “No. While in captivity, they are in even more
danger than nature normally provides. Folks regularly come
by and try to slaughter them for their bones, their hide, their
use in magic, if you believe in that sort of thing.”
Irdan looked solemn. “What do they think they will gain?”
“Power and patience. The feeling of enjoying each
moment as it comes. A few of those caught say it is the best
drug they have experienced. Complete calm.”
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Floating Alone
“What do they do with the hide?”
“They turn it into belts. Apparently, it turns nervous
business men into zen tycoons.” She grimaced.
The shadows shifted, and a curious and wide-eyed face
bobbed upward.
Maweel knelt and extended his hand. “She looks friendly.”
“Oh, she is. Is that suit washable?”
He frowned, and when the snuffling upper lip gripped his
hand and tugged, his eyes went wide with surprise.
Marina grabbed his arm and tapped the frisky lady on the
nose. “You are pregnant. Have some decorum.”
Irdan crouched but didn’t reach out. “She was struck by a
boat?”
“You can see the blade strikes. Let me get some grass.”
She walked to the edge of the pen where some grasses
were still floating and gathered them up. The lady in
question liked being hand fed, so this would get her
attention.
Marina returned to where the dominant lady was trying to
lure the fey into the water, and she waggled the waterweeds
in her face. The attention turned to food, and Marina pulled
the food back so that the lady in question rolled to her side to
show her distended belly with the riot of slash marks.
Maweel made a soft sound, and Irdan crouched closer.
Irdan murmured, “She’s pregnant.”
“All three of the ladies here are. We have two gentlemen,
but they weren’t bleeding for two.”
“Don’t they pair bond?”
“Not really. The males come and go as needed.”
“What is her name?”
Marina paused, “I don’t give them names. They are the
ladies and the gentlemen. They don’t call each other by name
in the wild, so why would I tag them with a name here?”
“How do you keep track of them?” Irdan murmured it
softly as the large head of the female moved toward them.
“Photos that document the damage and blood samples
taken when they arrive.”
“How many have died in your care?” Maweel asked as he
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watched the other females come out of the shadows, letting
their curiosity shine.
Marina looked at him in surprise. “None. If they are alive
when they arrive, they are alive when they leave.”
Maweel blinked. “So, you are a successful facility.”
“Yes, but I have had to turn away six manatee this month
alone. I don’t have the space or the staff to take care of them.
We are run off our feet to take care of the ones we do have,
and these are not a species that normally ends up in such
close quarters. They are solitary but social.”
She sent a signal to the ladies, and they rolled in the
water, looking scarred up but playful. She stood and watched
the two fey stare at the huge beasts in the water as they
managed to express joy while showing the marks of brutal
ignorance.
Marina urged the manatee to play and radiate happiness,
but the sudden streak of pain brought that to a halt.
“Gentlemen, please excuse me. I am afraid that one of the
ladies has gone into labour. I am sorry to bring our meeting
to a close.”
Irdan scowled. “I thought they could birth alone.”
“They can, but if they have too much scar tissue, the skin
won’t flex. I need to stay here with her to make sure that the
baby can make it out.”
She kicked off her shoes and jumped into the pool,
swimming to examine the dominant lady in labour. She
didn’t care what the elves would do; there was time to secure
more funding later.
6
