Far ahead of her, in the deeper waters, was a small child crying and struggling to stay above the surface.
“Help! Someone help!” the woman screamed.
Other people were noticing now. But they weren’t fast enough. A normal human couldn’t make it in time. I knew if we didn’t reach the child soon, she wouldn’t survive.
Instantly, Raja and I reacted simultaneously. He shifted into his black panther form and swam furiously towards her, as fast as a fish. At the same time, I cast a quick clear magic spell, creating a shimmering arrowhead in front of my body that helped me cut through the water with ease.
Raja reached her before I did. He gently picked her up by the back of the shirt she wore, which was soaking wet and bogging her down. But she was flailing and kicking, pummeling her fists into Raja in panic, and causing even more water to splash. I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep himself and the girl afloat at the same time for much longer.
Raja shot me a sharp glance with his intense eyes. Immediately, I knew what he wanted me to do. I cast another clear magic spell - this time, an oxygen barrier around her head, like the ones I created earlier.
Just in time. The girl accidentally kicked Raja’s throat, causing him to sputter and let go of her. They staggered back into the deep water, but this time the girl could breathe and Raja was able to take care of himself.
I finally made it over and grabbed the girl, taking her safely into my arms. She was no longer flailing around, just confused and afraid.
“You’re safe now, don’t worry,” I reassured her. The girl whimpered in response but wasn’t crying anymore.
I lifted her onto my shoulders and circled back towards her mother. Raja carefully slipped under the water and transformed back to human form to avoid being seen shifting.
“Oh my god! You saved her life!” the mother cried, taking her child. Both their faces were wet with seawater and tears. Her daughter blinked, stunned from what happened, but obviously relieved to be back with her mom.
By this point, many bystanders had gathered - other tourists from the beach. Even if they tried to help, Raja and I both knew they wouldn’t have made it in time.
“Was there some weird animal attacking her or something?” one of the men asked.
Raja and I exchanged glances.
“No, just us,” I told him. “Maybe you saw some driftwood.”
Nobody else mentioned anything about an animal. We had been too far away, and everyone was too focused on the little girl’s safety for anyone to notice Raja’s shift, thankfully. All they saw was two men who saved a child’s life.
“Thank you so much,” the mother said, her voice trembling. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without your help. What are your names?”
“I’m Lorenzo, and this is Raja,” I told her. “And you’re welcome.”
“Make sure to keep a closer eye on her,” Raja grumbled.
The mother paid no mind to his grouchy tone, just nodding and hugging her daughter as she waded back to shore. After the ordeal died down and the bystanders left, we returned to our own spot on the sand.
“I can’t believe that woman!” Raja growled once we were alone again. “How can you just let your kid wander off like that!? She could have died!”
“I know,” I said gently, “but accidents happen.”
“Bullshit! If I had a kid, I would never let them out of my sight,especiallynot in deep water!” Raja cried.
“I thought you didn’t like kids?” I asked.
He shot me a glare. “I don’tnotlike kids - I mean, Idolike them, it’s just…” Suddenly flustered, he ran a hand through his damp hair. “I dunno. I never thought about wanting a child before.”
My brows raised. A tiny flicker of hope ignited in my chest. “Does that mean you’re thinking about it now?”
He frowned deeply. “I don’t know. I’ve just never been that scared before in my whole life. Not even when I was attacked by poachers. Just the thought of watching a child die right in front of my eyes scared the shit out of me. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent that from happening.”
Although the comment about poachers concerned me once again, I decided not to bring it up. Raja was clearly already shaken by this incident and didn’t need the added stress right now.
Raja laughed weakly. “Plus, it’s not like I have anyone to knock me up. You are myfakemate, after all.”
A pang of agony twisted my heart. “Right.”
