Chapter 9: Sail at First Light

When he'd snuck out and took his first swim in the ocean, it had been dark out. When Owen had taken him to the lagoon, it was still dark. As Owen started the session of shark school for Zach, it was likewise just as dark. But as that winded down and they started talking about other things, trailing off to a myriad of random topics that half of which he couldn't even remember, it began to steadily get not so dark out.

Zach forgot his next question the moment he realized it. His eyes widened and he let out a gasp as he looked up at the sky. "Oh my god, I need to go. I need to get home." He said frantically and glanced around. But he honestly had no clue where he even was. Just a lagoon in the center of an island that didn't exist somewhere in the ocean that was at least swimming distance from the shore where he lived. Swimming distance for a shark. If he attempted to backtrack, he was certain he'd get lost. And if either his aunt or brother noticed his absence, it would lead to panic.

Owen read the sudden panic on the younger man and just smiled. "Don't freak out on me again." He said with a light laugh. "I can take you home."

Zach blinked at him. "Really? You would do that?"

Owen nodded his head. "I can at least get you back to the beach. I assume you know your way home from there."

Zach rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Yes!"

Owen chuckled as he stood up. He stepped closer to Zach and held out his hand. "Come on." Zach took Owen's hand and let him pull him up. Then he looked back at the lagoon. Owen shook his head. "Nah, we can walk back through the jungle. Follow me."

They weaved through the trees, following no real discernable path. Zach kept looking for any signs of one. But he saw none and honestly had no idea how Owen wound his way through the jungle. He kept up, following right behind him, and they soon stepped out onto the beach. Zach sucked in a breath as he looked out at it. He'd thought the lagoon was beautiful. But the white sandy beach, stretching to the ocean and the water with the light of the just starting to rise sun was simply breathtaking. "Wow." He breathed out.

Owen smiled as he bumped his shoulder into Zach's lightly. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"Nice isn't a strong enough word." Zach mumbled out, still in awe.

Owen let out a laugh and started forward. "Come on." Owen led him across the sand towards the beach, where a man sat. Zach hesitated, seeing him. But Owen just reached back, grabbed his hand, and tugged him forward. "Barry!" He called out loudly.

The man glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened. Then he stood up, brushing the sand from his shorts and legs and he moved. He eyed Zach wearily and tilted his head. "This is definitely not a pup."

Owen laughed and shook his head. "No, he's not. But…" He tilted his head. "He sort of is. First time."

Barry's eyebrows raised in surprise as he looked at Zach again. "Really? So old for a first."

"I… I didn't know…" Zach stumbled over the words with an apologetic tone.

"This is Zach." Owen introduced. "Zach, this is my brother, Barry."

Barry smiled and held out his hand. "The smarter one." He said.

"Better looking one, too." Owen added with a wink.

Zach's face flushed three shades of red as he shook Barry's hand. He cleared his throat. "Nice uh… to meet you." He mumbled.

Owen stifled a laugh and crossed his arms. He turned back to Barry. "The girls?"

"Fed and asleep." Barry answered. "Though it took some convincing with Echo."

Owen smiled again. "Always does. What about you?"

Barry straightened up and puffed out his chest a bit. "Keeping an eye on the beach."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Surveillance is Lowery's job."

Barry shrugged. "Extra set of eyes won't hurt."

"We have cameras everywhere, above

and below the water."

Barry crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Some of us take our secrecy seriously."

Owen laughed and patted him on the arm. He glanced at Zach. "I keep telling him that he worries too much."

"And I keep telling you that you don't worry enough!" Barry snapped.

"Life is too short, brother."

Zach smiled, watching the two bicker for a moment. But then his eyes settled on the ocean again and he was suddenly nervous. What if he couldn't do it again? If he couldn't shift again to swim home? Or if he couldn't control it? How was he going to hide it from aunt Claire? And what about Gray? Should he tell Gray? Should he wait? He sucked in a breath as a million doubts swam through his head.

Owen smiled and moved closer. He bumped his shoulder into Zach's. "Hey, we're not swimming back. We have a boat." Barry attempted to protest but to no avail. In the end, he remained on the beach, watching as Owen steered the boat away from the island. Zach stood beside him at the helm. Owen had called it that and went on to explain that even though it was a tiny coast guard rescue boat, it was still a helm and he was still a captain, he said and winked.

Zach smiled and let out a giggle. His eyes widened and tried not to brush again. He had no clue what was wrong with him, other than the shark stuff. Because he suddenly felt like a blushing giggling teenage girl with her first crush. And even though he may admit, while hooked up to a polygraph, that he found himself very attracted to the older man, he wasn't a blushy giggly virgin. He'd had a few boyfriends before. And even a girlfriend once, during those few months were he was trying to see if he was bisexual. He wasn't. But still, he'd fooled around with a few people in his short lifetime and he shouldn't be this giggling mess.

The boat suddenly lurched and he grabbed onto Owen's arm without thinking. Then he promptly turned red again, detached himself, and stepped away. He gripped the railing of the boat and looked over the edge, trying to distract himself. He'd actually never been on a boat before. Never been at the beach past midnight, never swam in the ocean, never transformed into a shark… it was a night for firsts. He leaned heavily on the rail and took a deep breath. He exhaled loudly and closed his eyes.

"You okay over there?" Owen asked softly after a few moments.

"Yeah." Zach answered quickly. "Just… uh… never been on a boat before."

"I got a bucket if you need to yack."

Zach breathed out again and smiled. The rest of the ride was uneventful and quiet. Both smiled and just watched the ocean. It wasn't until Owen killed the motor and it was suddenly really quiet that Zach even realized they had stopped. Or that they were near the pier. It was still pretty early. The sun had started to rise but the pier was empty. The fishermen weren't even up yet. Zach glanced around in awe. He'd been there a handful of times but never when it was like this.

"Can you find your way from there?" Owen asked, startling Zach out of his thoughts. "I can't exactly take you back to the beach without you having to swim. Thought this would be better."

Zach nodded his head. "Yeah, I've been here before. I know my way around."

Owen smiled. "Good." He took Zach's hand and helped him down off the boat, onto the pier. He held on for a few seconds longer than was needed before he straightened up and shoved his hands in his pockets. He smiled again as he rocked back on his heels. The boat swayed under him and he moved with it.

Zach marveled for a moment that the man didn't stumble. But then again, living his whole life on the water, Zach imagined he never faltered on it. He bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the wood planks beneath his feet. "Uh… will I… see you again?" He asked and he hated the way his voice sounded.

Owen let out a chuckle and nodded his head. "Of course. You still have to meet the rest of my pups properly and the pod. If you want to, I mean." He added softly, tilting his head. "If you don't… then this could be goodbye…" He finished awkwardly.

Zach shook his head quickly, his eyes wide. "No!" He held up his hands then dropped them and rubbed at his arm. "I mean… yeah… I'd like to… see you again… to meet them…"

"Alright." Owen nodded. "Cool. I uh…" He glanced around the boat. "I don't have anything to write with… or my phone…"

Zach smiled. "Me either. I work at the resort." He turned a bit and pointed. He wasn't very far. They could see the buildings from there.

Owen nodded. "I'll find ya." He pointed at his nose and smiled. Zach smiled and waved shyly. Then he turned and ran, not even sparing a second thought to the fact that he was running barefoot. Owen leaned on the railing for a moment, watching until the young man disappeared from view. Then he remained a few moments longer, his eyes lingering. He breathed in deeply, still smelling him. For a moment, he had a fleeting thought of following. He sighed, shook himself, and started the boat.

Zach didn't slow until his house came into view. He didn't dare look back as he left the pier. He was certain if he did, there would be no boat, no Owen and everything would have been just a weird and crazy dream. It probably was, in all honesty. But he didn't want it to be. He wanted it all to be real. It felt real. He leaned over and struggled to breathe for a moment. He knelt down and put his head between his knees. After a few more deep breaths, his lungs finally quit aching and his head stopped spinning. Now he just had to sneak inside and get up to his room and pass the fuck out. Because he still hadn't slept. And he still might work later. He still couldn't remember.

And then the front door burst open and Gray came flying down the porch steps towards him. Shit. He wasn't getting out of this easily. Gray was all long limbs and uncoordinated awkwardness and he tripped down the last step. He fell forward into Zach and the older brother had just a moment to put his arms up as he attempted to catch his brother. But ended up with both of them splayed out on the front lawn.

Zach coughed out as the wind was knocked out of him again. "Gray." He choked out and pushed his brother off. "You… okay?"

Gray rolled over and sat up. "Me?" He snapped. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"A little winded." Zach breathed out. "You got me good." He smiled as he sat up. He brushed the grass and dirt from Owen's old clothes.

"Not that!" Gray threw up his arms. "Where were you all night?"

"Uh…" Zach stammered as he stood up. He continued to brush himself off and avoided looking at his brother. "No where."

"Yes you were!" Gray accused as he stood up. "I know you didn't sleep in your bed all night!"

Zach glanced at the house. "Aunt Claire know?"

"No." Gray shook his head. "She left about a half hour ago. She didn't notice you were out all night! And what are you wearing?" He looked Zach up and down. "Those aren't your clothes. They don't even fit!"

Zach breathed out and ran a hand through his hair. He ignored Gray's question about his attire and focused instead on Claire. Because it was good that she hadn't noticed. One less person to try to explain it to. Even though he suspected she already knew. He was certain she did. It had to have been their mom. That was the only option that made sense. Which meant aunt Claire was one, too. He nodded slowly and reached for Gray. The teen pouted and struggled for a moment but Zach pulled him into a hug. Then he steered them towards the door. "Something happened to me. I'm okay." He added quickly as they headed up the steps. "But it's really something I gotta show you and as you pointed out, I've been out all night and haven't slept. I'm exhausted. Just let me sleep for a few hours and I promise I will show you. Later."

Gray didn't answer and just glared at him.

"Remember what I always say." Zach continued. "We don't lie. We tell each other the truth, no matter what. I promise. You're my pup and I love you." He said, ruffling Gray's mop of curls.

Gray wrinkled his nose and pushed Zach's hand away. "I'm not a dog."

Zach smiled as he eased the front door open. "Wrong kind of pup."

Gray sighed loudly as he followed Zach inside. "Okay, fine." He stomped off.

Zach shook his head and headed up to his bedroom.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Zach fell asleep the moment his head touched his pillows. He didn't even remember to close his curtains and the late afternoon sun eventually shined through and woke him. He opened his eyes and blinked in the light. Then he rolled over on his bed. And saw Gray. His eyes shot open and he practically jumped out of bed. "Gray!" He breathed out and shook his head. "Dude! The fuck?"

Gray shrugged. "You've been asleep for hours. Just waiting for you."

Zach sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Scared the shit outta me." He mumbled under his breath.

"You deserved it!" Gray snapped, crossing his arms. "You were out all night! Now tell me why! You promised!"

"Gray…" Zach started softly.

"No! Right now!" Gray interrupted loudly. "You promised if I let you sleep, you would tell me and you've been asleep for hours and I've been waiting and aunt Claire will be home soon and you promised!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Zach pushed Gray out of the way as he yawned and scooted to the edge of his bed. He threw off his blanket and stood up. "It's kind of amazing. But like I said earlier, it's something I really have to show you. So give me a bit to shower and dress and then I'll take you."

Gray tilted his head. "Where?"

Zach hesitated a moment. He shrugged and headed for the door. "Just… near the ocean…"

Gray's eyes widened and he let out a gasp. "The ocean?" He jumped up and followed. He grabbed Zach's hand and tried to stop him. "No, no ocean!" He shrieked. "Never go in the ocean!" He shook his head. "Never go in the ocean!"

Zach spun around quickly and grabbed Gray's arms. He hated the fear he heard in his pup's voice. "Gray, hey, listen to me! Look at me." He gripped Gray tightly and looked into his eyes. "I was in the ocean last night." He said evenly and Gray flinched. "But I'm okay. You see? I'm okay. Gray, breathe. Can you breathe for me?"

The kid sucked in a shaky breath and nodded his head.

"Good. There's nothing to worry about, okay?" Zach continued evenly. "You know I love you. You know you're the single most important thing in my life. I would never hurt you."

Gray nodded his head again.

"You trust me?"

"Yes." Gray answered quickly.

Zach wrapped his arms around the kid and hugged him tightly against him. "It's amazing and it's gonna be worth it, okay? This is going to change our lives!"

An hour later and Gray still hadn't stopped shaking. They were on the private beach and it was probably a bad idea. Zach had a few hesitating thoughts once they got to the beach. Mostly because of the fact that it was still daylight. But he turned his new, keener eyes on the horizon and saw no sign of swimmers or boats or parasailers or surfers or anyone. Likewise with the beach. Still, they should go home and come back at night. But with the way Gray was shaking, Zach doubted he could get the kid near the water again. And, as the younger kid kept pointing out, Zach had promised.

He led them further down the beach, towards a rocky outcropping. The large rocks might help shield them a bit, just in case anyone did wander by. "Eyes on me." He commanded softly as he backed up a step, moving further away from Gray. He held his hand up as he moved. "Deep breath. Don't think about the scary stuff aunt Claire always says." He stepped back again, this time moving into the water. It lapped lazily at the back of his legs.

"Zach…" Gray's eyes were wide with fear but he didn't move.

Once he was submerged up to his waist, Zach stopped. He raised both of his hands up. "Stay, okay? Don't move."

Gray's eyes widened more. "Zach!"

"Shhh!" He touched his finger to his lips. "It's okay. Remember, I love you, I'd never hurt you, you trust me, and this is actually pretty cool. After the terrifying part." He added quickly and moved backwards through the water again.

Gray glanced around, looking confused and on the verge of a panic attack. But he still didn't move and he looked back at Zach.

Zach stopped once the water touched his chest. He felt the current pulling at him, trying to drag him farther out to sea. Or maybe it was just trying to get him to come swim. He quickly shimmied out of his pants and shirt and left them floating. Then he smiled, took a deep breath, and dunked under the water. He was more aware of the shift that time. It didn't hurt but he swore he felt things shifting around. It was a really weird sensation.

Gray squinted in the sunlight bouncing off the water as Zach's head disappeared. He knew Zach said not to worry, but he couldn't help the way his blood started pumping faster and his breathing picked up and he felt like he was going to faint. His mind was a jumbled mess. The second Zach mentioned the ocean, every single possible outcome had flashed through his mind on repeat. Their whole lives had been spent in fear of the ocean. It was a dangerous place. Gray had soaked up every fact he could about it and what lurks beneath the waves. But Gray trusted Zach. He always had. Zach was the one person he trusted most in the world. If something went wrong…

Gray sucked in a breath when Zach didn't immediately pop back up. He took a step forward and his feet touched the water. A few seconds passed before Gray saw a flash of his arm. He breathed out in relief for a moment. Then he stopped breathing. The hand sticking out of the water was changing color. To a blue gray color. And it was… Zach was...

Gray's brain couldn't process what he was seeing. He had no idea what he was seeing. Fear and terror gripped him in that moment and there was only one thought on his mind. Run. He needed to run. He needed to get away before the shark that might be Zach got him. Before he was eaten like his parents. He turned in the loose sand, wet from the lapping waves. His feet dug into the sand and he tried to move. But he was already mid-transformation without realizing and he ended up flopping down on his belly in the sand. He flailed his shifting limbs and his feet splashed in the water.

Zach's first thought was a joke about a fish out of water. Which he would never, ever mention aloud. But he really needed to get Gray into the water before he suffocated. He shifted back quickly and reached for his beached brother's oddly shaped long tail with his human hands. "Gray." He said the name loudly.

At the voice, the shark stopped. Zach pulled him backwards into the water. Gray swiveled his head around and blinked his black eyes. Zach ran his hand along the smooth scales and grabbed Gray's dorsal fin. "Shhh." He said softly, bending down. "It's okay, Gray." He kept his voice even, barely a whisper. Gray's dark eyes blinked up at him again. Then he turned and swiveled his head. He breathed out and snapped his jaws at the water. Zach breathed out a sigh and shook his head. "I know it's weird. And I know it's scary. But just focus on my voice. I'm right here with you."

It took a lot of coaxing to get Gray to shift back. But after a bit, the brothers were dressed again and sitting on the beach. "I didn't know before last night." Zach said quickly. "I just… I ended up out here in the water… the first time I'd ever swam in the ocean… and it just happened. And I panicked and got too far from shore… and then these other sharks showed up. But they were people, too." He glanced sideways at Gray as he talked. "That's where I was last night."

Gray hugged his knees to his chest and shivered. Both were soaked. He didn't answer.

"I'm sorry." Zach breathed out as he leaned back on the sand. He gazed out at the ocean and for a fleeting moment, he wanted to curse it. For causing the fear he'd seen in his brother's eyes and for whatever hand it had in his parents' death. "I wanted to show you. I didn't mean to force you to change, too."

"You didn't force me." Gray answered logically. "It was inevitable, right? It's in our blood. It would have happened one day."

"Maybe." Zach nodded his head. "Or maybe not. It usually happens around your age for the first time but mine was last night."

"Because you've never been in the ocean before." Gray pointed out.

"Neither have you." Zach countered.

Gray shrugged. "You're my brother… my parent actually… if you're one… I'm one. We're the same. Even if it's scary." He added softly.

Zach threw his arm around Gray and hugged him against him. "It is a little scary. But it's also really cool."

Gray swallowed nervously and nodded his head. "Can we… try again?"