MERIBELLA

The next hour dragged by so slowly Meribella thought she might tear the cottage down in a fit of impatience. Already, six different selkies had stopped by requesting to see her marks, and while she knew they were only excited about the birth of a new generation for their people, she had to fight the overwhelming urge to punch them in their teeth.

"Would you stop pacing?"

"No," Meribella snapped even as she slowed her steps.

Addien arched a brow and pressed her lips into a thin line. How had Meribella missed the changes in the woman before her? The quiet confidence that had replaced the broken spirit? The peacefulness in her eyes?

It probably didn't help that you were drugged out of your mind.

"Meribella? Are you okay?"

She froze. She hadn't meant to send that thought along the bond. "No. I mean, yes. I'm fine. Still getting used to separating my thoughts from what I send to you."

"I kind of like the idea of hearing your thoughts."

Heat suffused her body, making her ache in all the places he'd touched and kissed the night before. Gods, how did the man manage to make his telepathic words drip with sexuality?

"All I have to do is think about how you looked when you came while I was between-"

"Alright, sir. That's enough. You're going to have to teach me how to have a little privacy."

She felt him pout. "Fine. I think I can manage that. Are you heading this way soon?"

"Yes. We have to wait exactly one hour before we can leave. No one mentioned the viewing parties that would show up afterwards. These people have no shame."

"I can think of someone else who has no shame. Remember how you got on your knees and took me all the-"

"Okay. Love you. Bye."

She imagined a wall slamming between them and almost yelped in surprise when the line went quiet. Not quiet like before- a terrifying, empty silence. No, she could still feel him. He was amused and kind of proud.

"I would think you would be relaxed after last night," Addien said, stretching her long, tan legs in front of her. "Nerida may be an evil bitch, but she's not lying when she says your marks are extraordinary. You and Raff must've given each other great pleasure."

Meribella tugged on the ends of her hair and nodded. Then she sat on the bed and dropped her head in her hands. As much as she enjoyed Addien's company, she desperately wished for Thorne right now. Her friend was nearly as blunt as the selkies, but her humanity tempered some of the more jarring traits.

"That's the problem. It's like I can feel him still touching me. Still making me," she fumbled over the words and ended up mumbling something incoherent.

"Aroused?" Addien supplied.

"Yes! I don't understand it. I mean...I've always wanted Raff. There are times I crave him as much as I crave food. But this is agonizing. Every step I take makes me want to moan. My skin is super sensitive. If we were any other couple, I would drag him into this cottage and have my way with him until we couldn't lift our limbs. Is this normal? Are these marks doing this? Or is it because Raff and I are both marked now?"

Addien turned her head to the side and studied the swirls on Meribella's body. Once again, Meribella was clothed in lace, and the marks glittered through the elegant material.

"The marks carry the magic offering to the gods and the changing color is a sign of their acceptance. That they have bestowed the blessing to your womb. I do not believe they play any other role in the ritual, and never have I heard of a male becoming marked. There are some women who claim to go into a heat afterwards, but most believe it is because of the pregnancy hormones."

"But that's impossible for me."

The selkie woman shrugged. "Perhaps it is because you are true mates?"

Meribella liked the idea but dismissed it. The soul bond between herself and Raff wasn't new, and while it was growing harder and harder to keep from crossing the line in the bedroom, it had never felt like this before.

"What if it's because we didn't actually have intercourse last night? What if the magic is going to drive us wild until we give in?"

"I think that's very possible," Addien answered, all traces of teasing gone from her voice as she mulled over Meribella's words. "We should speak to Valencia about this."

The idea of asking her grandmother about her sex life was about as appealing as streaking naked through the selkie village. She'd probably love it, while Meribella would be dying of embarrassment. But if Raff was feeling half as restless as she was, they were in deep trouble. She thought of his aggressive flirting through the bond, but that wasn't a sure indicator of something unusual. The man had no shame when it came to his appreciation of her body and their chemistry.

"That's not a terrible idea. If we have time, I'll speak to her, but this is really more about stopping Nerida than stopping me from jumping my boyfriend."

"Considering if we fail to stop either one, you'll end up dead, I think Valencia will make time."

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine," Meribella said, forcing a smile to her lips as they walked across the island. It wouldn't do for the people to see her scowling. Not when they thought she was over the moon about her night in the Temple.

"I'm a realist. Optimism is just a fool's way of coping with disappointment, and pessimism is giving up."

"I'm sorry."

Addien looked at Meribella with shock. "Why?"

"For ever thinking you were just some scared servant. I was always grateful for your kindness, but you seemed weak. Now, knowing what I do about the culture here, I respect you for surviving."

"Thank you. It wasn't always like this, you know. When I was a child, the lines weren't so rigid. Everyone was equal. But after Kai disappeared, people used the fear and uncertainty to create division. My clan is by far the worst thanks to Nerida. Women who weren't in positions of power were viewed as breeding stock. Our entire value centers around our ability to have children. And it's so unfair because growing up, I never saw myself having children. At least not for a few centuries. They weren't a priority for me."

Meribella considered Addien's story and turned her gaze out to the sea. A rare day of sunshine pulled the gray from the rough waters and highlighted the blue jewel tones. It looked almost tropical, and despite the brisk swim this morning, her heart longed to be in the ocean.

"It's strange. On the one hand, I understand everything you're saying. Children weren't something I considered growing up. Not because I didn't want them, but because men weren't a complication I was willing to put up with."

Addien laughed. "That I cannot understand. I was nineteen when I welcomed the first man into my bed. Well, I suppose I welcomed two of them. I was trying to catch up to my sisters. I was a late bloomer."

"I get it now," Meribella said unable to hold back her own giggles. "But when I met Raff and I found out children weren't an option, it's was all I could think about. I want to be a mother so badly. But mostly I dream of a little person who's the best of both of us."

"Seventy-five years ago, there was an uprising in my clan. Nerida had displaced our old leader the year before. Many thought, and were likely correct in their thinking, that she had murdered him to take his place. Not a single child was born during that year, and that's when she decreed that she would be in charge of creating mated pairs based on our attributes."

"That's sickening."

The girl beside her nodded, her gaze turning inward as she continued. "She judged based on beauty and height. The strength of our human bodies and the perfection of our selkie coats. Magical ability was prized above all else. Those who were imperfect were sterilized. Those who refused were put down."

"Addien, how has she not been stopped before now?"

"She spread her influence over the other clans. All but the Harpy people fell in line. I told you, she preyed on fear. Our numbers were dwindling, and many of the pairs showed results. Children were born again. But my parents decided to fight back. They found a small group of people willing to risk their lives, and in the end, they were all killed. As if the deaths weren't enough to convince people to follow her rule, she decided to make an example of me. She broke my leg. Over and over again. Every time it started to heal, she broke it. Eventually, my body couldn't keep up. I asked the healers if they could correct the deformity, but they said it was impossible."

Meribella couldn't stop herself. She threw her arms around the girl and hugged her tightly. How selfish she was to think her lot in life was so terrible. She'd been blessed to live away from such cruelty.

"It's fine. It really is. For awhile, it was a blessing. I wasn't worth bedding, and it gave me the freedom to live on my own terms. At least until I found out Nerida didn't kill me because she couldn't bring herself to waste a perfectly good womb. But then you showed up. You gave people hope again. That's what you are Meribella. Hope for our people. For a better world."

"You're putting way too much trust in me. I'm just a girl who ended up with power because of the genetic lottery. If my grandmother was any other selkie but Kai, I'd just be a human with an exotic ancestor."

"No." They stopped in front of Valencia's door. Ivy grew on the white washed walls, and an awning of bright blue hung over their heads. "The power is passed down through your people because they are good people. Not because of their blood. But because of their heart. Astra chose you."

"You underestimate yourself." Meribella cupped Addien's cheeks and pressed her forehead against hers. "Without people like you, there wouldn't be anyone to still have hope. If Astra loves her people, then she owes you a great debt."

"Don't be blasphemous," Addien gasped, but there was no heat to her words. She opened the door, but Meribella didn't move to follow. "Are you coming?"

"Give me just a minute." Raff's voice drifted through the door. It hummed through her and brought back to the surface the desires she'd managed to ignore during their deep conversation. "I need to get myself under control unless you all want a show."

"You do forget who you're talking to right?"

"Go!"

Addien scurried inside. She could hear her tell everyone it would be just a few more minutes before she arrived.

"Okay, get yourself together, girl. Just sit across the table." A breeze stirred her hair and carried Raff's scent to her nose, making her clench her thighs together and groan. "Or maybe across the room."

"Why do you smell like a cat in heat?"

She put her hand on the stucco wall and willed the swell of desire to fade before facing the very angry werewolf. His anger permeated the small space and burned her nostrils.

"Well, it's good to see you too, Lincoln."