RAFF

"You sure about this?"

Raff stopped hopping from foot to foot and leveled a hard stare at his Beta. "What's there to be sure about?"

"I mean, I know what you're capable of, but this isn't going to be a fair fight."

"Valencia said they would make accommodations for fighters who weren't selkies."

Lincoln's amber eyes flashed. "Really? Can they help you breathe underwater? Because any fighter worth his salt is going to focus on getting you under the water. It doesn't matter how hard you can hit if they hold you under until you drown."

"I forgot how much of a pessimist you are," Raff snarled, returning to his warm up.

All around them, men and women did the same, and he watched each individual, measuring their strengths and weaknesses. Some he dismissed immediately. Their movements were too slow or their bodies too weak. But the list of true contenders was bigger than he cared for. Selkies were not a small people group. Most were almost as large as he was, and a few, like Caspian, matched him inch for inch.

Thinking of the man turned Raff's head towards the ledge where Valencia was standing. He'd caught a brief glimpse of Meribella before being dragged away with the other contestants, and it hadn't been long enough to ascertain if she was whole and well. But Caspian had been at her side, and that fact alone was enough to make his wolf claw at his human shell.

"My pessimism keeps cocky assholes like you alive," Lincoln continued.

"Why are we still going on about this?"

"Because, I didn't cross an ocean to watch you die, and you're not thinking this through. This isn't a fight against the enemy you know. They might look cute and funny in their seal forms, but those are some vicious motherfuckers. And fast."

"In the water, sure. But on land, they're easy prey for me as a man or a wolf."

"How long do you think they're going to let you stay on land?"

Raff clenched his hands in frustration, but before he could rebuke his friend, Thorne pushed through the crowd carrying a jar. "What are you doing down here?"

"Guys, we've got a problem."

"Good, we were running short on those," Lincoln said as he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"What is it Thorne?"

"I might have cast a spell to help with some eavesdropping, and I overheard a few of the men talking about how easy it was going to be to take you down. Apparently, male Selkies are armed with some pretty nasty venom. One touch can kill or paralyze depending on their intentions."

"Can I say I told you so?" Lincoln asked.

Raff narrowed his eyes but said nothing as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. All the concerns he'd been trying to keep pushed back spilled over, making him sweat as he looked at the fighters in a new light. Now, even the smaller men concerned him, their speed a huge asset in a fight where a single touch could defeat him. And he couldn't fight in head to toe armor. It would make him too slow and too heavy if he fell in the pool.

"Why didn't Valencia say something?"

"I'm not sure it crossed her mind. When I said something to her, she looked surprised and muttered something about dishonorable dickheads. She sent for this and told me to give it to you."

She offered the jar, and he took it, opening the lid and studying the salve inside. "This is going to help?"

"Rub it all over. It will act as a barrier to the poison. It's waterproof, but she said you'll need to reapply after a few fights."

He tugged his shirt over his head and turned so she could apply it to his back. Lincoln growled and snatched the jar. "No way is she about to grease you up."

"Well, you're no fun," Thorne pouted, but she pressed a kiss against his cheek as he started to rub the concoction on Raff's skin. It was thick and oily. Like being coated in Vaseline.

"Thorne, did you see Meribella?"

There was a slight hesitation before the witch spoke. "I saw her. She spoke briefly to her mother and Valencia before rejoining Nerida for the fights. She looks..."

"She looks what, Thorne?" he growled.

"Bad. Like she's lost weight. Her color is terrible too."

"Calm down," Lincoln cautioned. "You can't barrel into this like a hot head."

"I want to know what the hell that asshole has done to Meribella."

"We all want her to be okay, but Raff, this is bigger than B. Vivian communicates with Nerida. Nerida is going to know Dorea betrayed them to save you, and I'm sure she doesn't want word getting out about her dealings with the Fae Queen. We're going to be targets the entire time we're here, and this tournament is a chance to kill you without repercussions."

"I know. I just..." He ended the syllable with a ragged edge.

"Me too. Be careful. Be smart."

"I will."

"Oh, of course, you don't argue with her. What the hell have I been saying this entire fucking time?"

"You're not as cute as she is," Raff teased, drawing his shirt back over his head and finishing the application of the salve. He rubbed it across his face and even over his scalp, determined his enemy wouldn't find a weak spot.

A roar went up and two men separated from the crowd. They lifted their arms in the air, encouraging the spectators to cheer for them as they made their way to the pool, swimming to the center. There they put their feet down, and the water came up to their ankles.

There must be a platform, which would allow for fighting in their human forms. The outer edges of the pool would be deeper, and those were the very places he needed to stay away from. He'd have to work hard to keep his matches contained to the middle. Hard and fast. There was no room for error.

Raff didn't know what he expected from a tournament like this. Truthfully, he'd imagined the kind of pomp and circumstance that surrounded jousting tournaments in films, but this was nothing like that. The contestants weren't here to entertain. They were here to end the fight as quickly as possible. Savage. Like watching stags battle during rutting season- there was little care given to their own safety as they wrestled and snapped at one another.

"This is barbaric," Thorne said with a shudder as the larger man bit through his opponent's neck, spraying blood through the air as he ripped out an artery. This was the fourth round, and it had only been thirty minutes since the tourney began.

Around them, the selkies booed, and several rushed out to grab the jeering victor by his arms. He screamed profanities as they dragged him off while healers worked to save the man floating face down in the water. But from the grim expressions as they carried him off the field, he was already dead.

"So fights to the death aren't encouraged?" Lincoln whispered.

A woman waiting to fight overheard and shook her head. "They're not allowed. It wouldn't make much sense to kill each other during a fertility festival. We're trying to increase numbers."

"So what was that about?" Thorne demanded.

The woman paused before answering, taking a moment to run her gaze over the witch. Appreciation heated her gaze. "It's the bloodlust. Some of the men are stupid enough to dose up on their own toxin- the one they use to increase lust in their mates. It makes them crazy hard to fight, but some of them can't handle it well. They lose their head. Travion is going to be very upset in the morning when his hangover wears off. Klione was his closest friend."

Raff barely heard anything the woman said after the part about increasing lust. "Excuse me, but selkies have a way to make their mates more lustful?"

She tore her eyes from Thorne and nodded. A sly grin curled her lips. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Only the males have it, but I know a guy who would be willing to share if you all wanted in on some fun. I've never had more than a threesome before, but I bet we could make five work."

Lincoln coughed and Thorne went bright red. Raff just nodded, his mind whirling with the possibilities. And if what he was thinking was true, Caspian was a dead man.

"Raff," Lincoln said, jabbing him in the side. "They just called your name. You're up."

He jerked to attention and jogged to the poolside. His opponent looked at him and growled, "you're going to die wolfman."

"Save it for the ring," Raff replied, diving into the cool blue water. When he reached the platform, he wasn't surprised to find the other man waiting.

Crouching into a fighting stance, he looked up at the ledge, his breath catching when he saw Meribella leaning over Nerida to see better. His sharp eyes caught the concern twisting her features, but she must've realized he saw her. A smooth mask dropped over her face, making her a stranger.

"Fight is down here pretty boy," the selkie said, swinging at Raff's face as the whistle blew. "No point in looking over our women. You're not gonna touch a single one them."

"I didn't realize there was so much talking involved," Raff replied.

He sidestepped another sloppy jab, dropping to his knee as he drove his fist into the man's stomach. The man grunted in pain, and Raff shot to his feet, holding the man down by his shoulders and connecting his knee to his chin. The resounding crack echoed, the sound punctuated by the splash of his body as he fell into the water. He didn't get back up.

"One down," Raff said to Lincoln as he rejoined his Beta on the sidelines. He noticed the other fighters were watching him with wariness clouding their eyes.

"Let's just hope they're all that easy."

And they were, for the most part. A few managed to land hits, but they did little damage against his solid body. No one shifted into their seal forms, not while fighting him or anyone else. Whether it was because the shift took too long or to keep things fair for Raff, he didn't know, but it meant he couldn't shift either. There were several times his wolf almost wrested control from Raff, and it was his natural instinct to shift partially during a fight. But he refused to fight dirty.

"They are wearing you out," Lincoln fussed as Raff waded back to shore after his fifth fight. Only a few men remained, and true to his earlier assessments, they were the men he deemed the most dangerous.

"It's an elimination fight. The more I win, the more I fight."

"I get that, but this is non stop. And how has that bastard Caspian not fought a single fight? Everyone else has at least four under their belt. He's gonna be fresh as a fucking daisy."

As if Lincoln saying his name conjured him, Caspian walked through the crowd just as his name was called out. Raff's followed shortly after, surprising him. He'd half expected them to be the final two fighters, but this was far better.

"Wait, you've got to get another coat of this stuff on," Lincoln said as he smeared more salve across Raff's back.

"Shit, hurry," he said as Caspian jumped into the pool. If Raff wasn't out there when the whistle blew, he'd be disqualified, and he couldn't afford to be in the deep end when it blew either.

"There," Lincoln said, not sounding particularly satisfied. "Beat his ass."

"With pleasure," Raff said, racing to the pool and jumping in.

The water was no longer soothing. The salt burned the cuts on his body and shocked his warm muscles. Heavy gray clouds filled the sky and dusk was approaching. Flurries swirled in the air as Raff reached the platform and rose to his feet, his chest heaving from his swim. Caspian looked bored.

"Thought maybe you'd come to your senses."

"You've still got a chance to come to yours. You won't win this fight," Raff said.

"Does it really matter?" Caspian baited, looking up at the ledge. Meribella stood in the open now, her hands cupping her neck as her eyes darted between the men. "I've already won the war."