Raff

'Have you considered the possibility that she may not want to be saved?'

Raff growled, drawing side eye from Lincoln and Thorne as they walked behind the selkies. Valencia's words had been playing on a loop since breakfast. A day ago, he would've said the thought never crossed his mind. Outside of the small fact that his little hellcat may be pissed because the idea that she needed rescuing even crossed his mind. Meribella didn't do damsel in distress well.

But to think she might be content in her current predicament ate away at him until he felt raw and exposed. Even his wolf seemed defeated to think they'd lost their mate- not from death but from choice.

"You okay?" Thorne touched his arm and searched his face. "If you want, I can scout ahead. You don't have to see her yet."

He shook off her hand and stared ahead. "I need this. To see it with my own eyes."

"Raff, you know what Dorea said. Whatever Meribella has done, she did it because of manipulation. They've literally poisoned her to break her bond to you."

Thorne spoke the truth, but it didn't ease his pain. Some small part of him expected more from the one who was supposed to be the perfect match to his soul. 

"You know, I heard her voice while I was being held by Vivian."

"What?" Thorne gasped, drawing Lincoln's attention to their conversation.

"It reminded me of the bond Lincoln and I share as Beta and Alpha, but it wasn't always clear. Like a radio channel you couldn't quite tune in. At first, I thought I was imagining it."

"Can you not hear her anymore?" Lincoln asked.

"Not since," he began but drew in a shuddering breath, "the last thing she said was his name- Caspian."

"Fuck dude. H-how did she say his name?"

"Lincoln."

"What? It's important."

"How?"

"Well, did she say his name the way you say my name in the bedroom, or was it like you say my name in public?"

Thorne shook her head and rolled her eyes, but Raff didn't miss the smile teasing her lips. Gods, this was how they must feel around him and Meribella. His heart skipped a beat. Felt. It was all past tense now.

But the more Raff thought about Lincoln's question, the more sound the logic became. He'd noted the anguish in her voice. It had been a plea. An apology. Fur bristled beneath his skin as he tried to calm himself. There was no use judging her until he saw her. And even then, he wanted to look into her eyes and see that she felt nothing for him.

The heavily wooded area they walked through began to thin, and when they reached the forest's edge, Valencia signaled for everyone to stop. She pointed at Raff and called him to her. The selkies stepped to the side as he approached their matriarch, some watching him with interest, others with barely veiled disapproval. But no one would speak against their leader.

"As one of the clan leaders, I will stand at the north end of the pool, on the ledge, while the fights take place. Everyone else will line up along the cliff edges."

"And what of the contestants?" he asked, scanning the area with the mind of a soldier.

The sea pool was larger than he expected, perhaps half a football field in length and width. Waves crashed against the natural wall, sending white foam cascading over the tops and into the calmer waters of the lagoon. The cliffs were high, but considering the exceptional eyesight of the spectators, the would be excellent. Valencia hadn't revealed how they would accommodate him during the fight, but there was no doubt that this arena was built with the strengths of the aquatic warrior in mind. 

"They will wait on the sidelines. Matches are determined at random by drawing lots."

"And Meribella?"

"She will be with me."

"As a prize?" he snarled.

"No, as a leader. The clans look to us, and we look to the Star Blessed. There is no official

prize for this tourney. It all depends on who wins."

"And who do they think will win?"

Valencia did not hesitate. "Caspian is the strongest warrior on this island."

"Was. I'm here now."

                                                                       ********************

Meribella

Meribella watched the clan leaders congregate on the ledge over the sea pool. They smiled at her and bent their heads in deference, but no one spoke to her. She put a hand over her stomach, wishing the churning would stop. Every morning she woke up drenched in sweat, her mouth sour with sick, and her eyes gritty from tears.

Nerida told her she was still recovering from her illness, but Meribella couldn't remember being ill. She'd asked for Addien only to be told the selkie had been dismissed. Her request to return to her cottage on the beach was also denied, and a room in the Leopard clans caves was prepared for her. The damp and darkness didn't suit her, but she couldn't find it within herself to argue.

She couldn't find it within herself to do much these days. Her power was like a weak echo in her chest. Faint and untouchable. The days before her arrival on the island were cloaked in mist and mystery, only bits and pieces of the life she lived before made it through the fog. She wanted to ask Valencia for help, but as soon as she'd gather her resolve to ask to visit her grandmother, she would find herself spiraling back into sickness. 

"Are you unwell my love?"

Her hand fell from her stomach, and she forced her face to soften as she gazed up at Caspian. "I am alright. The sun is rather bright after being inside for so long."

"You will be fully healed soon," he replied, reaching for her hand. She jerked back, but he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips. As his mouth brushed against her skin, she wondered why she pulled away. "I will win today."

"I would expect nothing less. You are a powerful warrior."

"When I do," he continued, his hands going around her waist, "we will mate with the blessing on your womb. Our child will be the most powerful child this clan has ever seen."

Meribella leaned into his embrace, searching for the appropriate response. Didn't she want to have a child with Caspian? Why did the idea cause panic? She thought of their nights together. Or tried to at least. Her evenings were a blur.

"You won't be upset that our child will not have a skin?"

"The Fae Queen will gift our child with the ability to become whatever she desires," Caspian responded, a fevered intensity in his gaze as kissed the top of her head.

A foreign rage bubbled in her blood at the mention of the Fae Queen. Her intended spoke of the woman often, but Meribella couldn't understand his loyalty. No matter how he assured her of the woman's good intentions, something inside her whispered warnings.

"I don't think-" she bit off what she was about to say as she spied the arrival of the Harpy Clan.

Next to Valencia stood a stranger- a woman with skin and hair just like Meribella's. Unlike everyone else, the newcomer wore a flowing dress of sheer pink silk. The empire waist emphasized her swollen belly. She stirred a memory in Meribella's mind, but it faded before she could grab onto it. Just like most of her memories these days.

Nerida joined Meribella and Caspian, her sharp face pinched, her voice venomous when she spoke. "Why are they here?"

Meribella looked to where she was pointing. All around her the clan leaders were muttering and closing in around Valencia. Meribella swallowed a scream as Caspian snatched her by the arm and spun her around. But it was too late. She'd seen him.

Raff.

Gasping for air, she flailed in Caspian's arms, but he wouldn't release her. The bite of his fingers grew crueler with every attempt to get free, and finally, she fought through the weakness that had plagued her for days. Latching onto the bit of power in her middle, she forced it to the surface, unable to stop a smile of satisfaction from spreading across her face when Caspian let her go with a hiss.

Stepping back, she looked at the shimmer spreading over her body. With every passing second, it became stronger. If she remembered correctly, it was nowhere near her full strength, but for the first time in days, she could remember.

"Meribella, stop," Nerida demanded.

"I will make a scene if either of you so much as moves towards me, is that understood?"

"Caspian, get her under control."

The large selkie male glared at his mother. Smoke curled from his fingertips, and the people around them were commenting on the strange smell in the air. No one looked over at them, though.  They were too busy discussing the newcomers. Baring her teeth at the mother and son, Meribella lifted her palms in a silent warning.

"Meribella, don't do this," Caspian pleaded. "We were trying to make things easy for you."

"Rape and drugging is the easy way?" Thankfully, those memories remained fuzzy, but Meribella felt as though every inch of her body was unclean.

Nerida nodded but Caspian looked down. Shame radiated from him. The Leopard Clan leader stepped forward, making a shushing signal as Meribella dropped into a fighting stance. "You don't want to make a mistake."

"It's over Nerida. I'm going to report you to the other clan leaders."

"Then he will die," Nerida said.

"You're bluffing." Meribella tried to find Raff in the crowd. But she only managed a brief glimpse of his back as he followed the other fighters below. "You didn't even realize he was here, and he can beat any of you in a fight."

"Maybe," Nerida admitted.

"Caspian, you need to go with the others," Nixie called, motioning him forward.

"He'll be right there," Nerida replied, waving at the Ringed Clan leader before turning her attention back to Meribella. "Maybe in a fair fight, but nothing about what's going to happen next will be fair."