My jaw fell open as a wave of defiance crashed over me. How dare he suggest that? I hadnotbeen acting like this for the last six months, thank you very much. Cloud was exaggerating, like usual, except this time I wasn't in the mood to hear it.
"Fine," I spat. "If that's how you feel, then I won't ever bring it up again."
Cloud blinked in confusion. "Wait, what?"
I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I pushed myself up off the shore and slipped into the water.
"See, this is exactly what I mean," Cloud said, sounding frustrated. "We were having a nice conversation and then you act like everybody's out to get you. I'm only trying to help!"
My skin felt hot with frustration and the water did nothing to cool me down. I ignored my twin and swam ahead. He might've been a master of the sky, but the water was my element and I could swim faster than he could fly.
"Don't ignore me!" Cloud called. When again I didn't reply, he let out a frustrated squawk. "Fine, go throw a tantrum by yourself like you always do!"
His last word was punctuated by the familiarwooshof air as he took off, flapping his wings and shooting off in the opposite direction. He was finally gone, leaving me to my woes in peace.
Except now that I was by myself, I felt more ashamed than ever. I hated fighting with my twin, but he never understood how I was feeling. Nobody did.
Maybe I was meant to be alone forever.
After a short aggressive swim took the edge off my hotheadedness, I lounged in a mellow pocket of water. The rustling of trees and singing birds relaxed me. I sighed and sank beneath the water until only my eyes and forehead were above the surface.
Earlier I thought about being a harpy like Cloud. But what if Cloud had been a mer like me? Then I wouldn't be alone in this feeling. I wouldn't be the only mer I knew.
I couldn't be the only one in the world, could I? That would be too cruel and lonely to fathom.
But if Cloud was a mer too, that opened up the possibility of Cloud being objectified, just like I was. I didn't want that for him, not ever.
I let out an angry exhale that came out as a stream of bubbles. I was tired of being a mer. What if I wanted to be something else? Not for the first time, I wished I was born a boring wolf shifter like Zak.
I glanced down at my tail shimmering underwater. Therewasone other form I could shift into...
The familiar cry of an osprey made me look up. At once I recognized my omega father, Weston. I relaxed. At least it wasn't Cloud coming to try and make up with me. I wasn't ready for that yet.
"River," he called.
"Hi, Dad," I said.
He banked his wings, spiralling down in the air until he was above me. Once again I felt a stab of jealousy. If only I could have been born an osprey shifter like him, or a koi shifter like my other dad. Then there wouldn't have been anything special about me.
"I saw Cloud on the way here," Weston said in his usual cool voice. There was nothing accusatory about it, which I appreciated. He knew that my brother and I argued and that we always made up in the end, so there was no reason for him to bring it up.
"I told him the same thing I'm going to tell you," he went on. "I've heard there are humans in the wildlife preserve."
I frowned. That was strange. Humans weren't allowed in the wildlife preserve—the only one I knew of was Dr. Pine, our grandmother who wouldn't hurt a fly—so when they were here it only meant trouble.
"They might be shifters in human form," I suggested.
Dad let out a noncommittal sound. "It's a possibility, but we can't know for certain. Just be careful, all right?"
"I will."
"Will you be home for dinner?"
I smiled. That was just like him—no theatrics, no drama like Cloud or our other dad. Just straight to the point with no judgment.
"I might stay out for a bit," I said. That was code for 'I want to be alone.’
Dad nodded, then spread his majestic wings in preparation to take off. "Sure. See you soon."
