It was obvious that guys will take some time with their current task (aka setting up umbrellas for shade), so girls decided to start with the fun.
There was no point in looking at the guys, they had enough audience among other beachgoers anyway.
If not for the secured VIP area, many women from the beach would jump on them already.
Tatiana was first to remove her dress, leaving her toned body in a stylish black bikini with golden details. She produced a big silky scarf from her bag and tied it around her waist to create a makeshift knee-length skirt that looked like it came from a fashion magazine.
"Oww…", a muffled cry was heard, and Tatiana knew that was Maddox getting smacked in the head by an umbrella. She saw him gaping at her while he wielded the umbrella haphazardly, but she pretended not to notice.
Tatiana stepped into the water and observed the lake.
She found it interesting to see swimmers on the left and on the right, while everything in front was undisturbed. It was obvious that this was area marked as VIP and others didn't dare to trespass. The discipline of these people surprised Tatiana. If they were humans, someone would dare to test the boundaries and get close.
Tatiana attended many parties, but whenever there was a VIP crowd involved, others were denied access in the visible range. It was easier to keep the uninvited people away completely, than to separate areas. And of course, there are always paparazzi and various spies who are eagerly waiting for celebrities to make something worthy of the front page. Scandals sell magazines the best.
"What are you thinking about?", Maya asked as she stepped next to Tatiana.
"This is really beautiful." She didn't want to comment on the separation of the VIP area from others.
The lake was vast and even with the noise from all around them, it gave her a sense of peace.
"It is. This lake is the center of the Dark Howlers pack. No matter what's going on in the town, every evening, youngsters gather here for parties that end with skinny dipping. This place perfectly combines fun and adventure."
Tatiana's interest was piqued. "Adventure?"
Maya nodded knowingly and looked toward the middle of the lake. "There is a legend that mermaids live at the bottom of this lake."
Tatiana cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "A legend? Do you expect me to believe how there might be mermaids in the middle of werewolf territory and no one went down to investigate?"
"I went down there three times.", Maya said.
"And considering that it's still a legend, I can assume you didn't find anything. Isn't that proof how there are no such creatures as mermaids? At least not in this lake."
Maya shook her head. "You don't understand. The lake is calm on the surface, but once you reach a certain depth, you will feel the underwater currents. They are not very strong but are enough to stir the mud from the lakebed and disorient you. No matter how strong your night vision is, it's impossible to see further than your arm can stretch, and the kelp forest is so dense that one can easily get tangled down there."
Tatiana blinked while thinking about Maya's words. She got it… the water was murky and vine-like plants were all over the place, but… "No one thought to bring some tools in order to trim those plants and clear the way?"
It was Maya's turn to look at Tatiana with disapproval. "Do you always think about destroying the habitat of other creatures in order to get what you want?" Even if there are no mermaids, numerous fish and other creatures live there.
"That's not what I meant.", Tatiana quickly backtracked. "I wanted to say that if there is such a big mystery, I would do my best to investigate. With enough people, you can sweep the place in one go and dispel any false stories that are stirring kids to go down there and risk their lives."
Maya realized that she showed hostility. It was not intentional. "The legend also says that only those who are worthy will be able to see the mermaids. By forcing our way in, we risk disturbing the ecosystem of the lake, and if the mermaids are really there, they will be angry."
Tatiana stifled a laugh. "If that's true, why did you go there more than once? I'm not sure if you are tempting me to go down there, or if you are telling me to stay away."
"Take it any way you want.", Maya responded without missing a beat. "But if you go there and strange things happen, relax and go with the flow. It's the mermaids."
"Did you say, mermaids?", Kalina asked breathily from behind.
"Yes, yes. We have those at the bottom of the lake.", Maya said enthusiastically.
Kalina's eyes sparkled. "Can I see them?"
Maya was pleased that one of the Wilkow sisters was interested in the myths of Darkbourne. "Only if you are worthy. The bottom is murky, and the kelp forest is vast and full of dangers…"
Tatiana rolled her eyes and disconnected from Maya and Kalina who shared interest in the mermaid-nonsense.
Kalina was always a dreamer who believed in things like Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Baba Yaga. And it seems that mermaids should be added to that list also.
How Tatiana saw it, mermaids at the bottom of the lake was a campfire story that started when someone saw a large fish jumping in the distance. It's good to entertain youngsters, but Tatiana was not part of that group.
Tatiana is a serious businesswoman who happens to be a werewolf and she came from Europe to check on her baby sister (aka Kalina).
Now that she ascertained Kalina and Tony are getting along well, and he is not taking advantage of Kalina's kind and carefree nature, Tatiana decided to spend a day or two relaxing before she goes back to reality. Chasing ghosts (or mermaids) was never her thing.
What Tatiana didn't expect was to bump into Maddox.
Mindy's words echoed into Tatiana's head.
Tatiana knew that Mindy was right. She shouldn't play with Maddox.
The truth was that Tatiana was not playing with him, however, she didn't know what to do with him either.
Finding a mate should be a monumental event worth celebrating, yet she found her mate and things just got complicated.
Tatiana turned to look at the big hunk who was cursing an umbrella.
Yes, Tatiana came to check on her sister who found her mate, and Tatiana ended up finding her own mate. Who would have thought of that? And he is an Alpha, with a full schedule and responsibilities he can't neglect. Tatiana is a busy woman herself. How will they make their relationship work? Will they make it work?
