MERIBELLA

Hours passed. Hours wrapped in the thin blanket, sitting before the sputtering fire, and wondering why she was such an idiot. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The mantra echoed in her head, each repetition bellowing like a struck gong. He was a dangerous stranger who'd done nothing to earn her trust; quite the opposite really if she forgot about the one, tiny, life saving incident.

And she had flung herself at him. Her body bore his brand; her hips seared where he'd gripped her to stop her indecent grinding against him. The man had tossed her to the floor in his desperation to escape her touch, and she did her best to convince him she was being a tease. But he'd called her bluff when he left.

Shame smothered Meribella. Never had she let herself be touched or allowed herself to touch a man the way she had this evening. But when he'd leaned in to fasten the blanket back around her, something awoke within her. The same thing that stirred when she gazed at the moon shimmering over the sea, wild and wanton, a beast so different than the elegant animal she could become wearing her selkie skin.

Realizing there was no use wallowing in self-pity, she fed the fire and pulled another blanket from off the bed in the other room. The couch was old and lumpy, but at least the room was warm enough that she could sleep without breaking a tooth from chattering teeth. Pulling the contacts from her eyes, she placed them in the container with solution and set it aside. They served no purpose right now, but wasting them was foolish.

Snuggling beneath the blankets, she contemplated her next step. As she'd expected, running would do her little good. The man would find her wherever she went, but with his promise to stay away, perhaps she didn't need to leave Camden just yet. She thought of Vivian and Joe. The work was hard, but the people were kind. And for all her loathing of human emotions, she found comfort in knowing there were people out there who would acknowledge her absence.

That night she dreamed of running and wet soil smeared on the pads of her feet. Fog spiderwebbed across the ground, but the tendrils rolled away from every step she took, highlighting the path. Dark red and gray blurs filled her peripheral vision, but she didn't dare turn her head or slow down. Pools of moonlight splashed against the ground and made the mists sparkle so brightly they mirrored the stars in the inky expanse above.

Never had she imagined she'd find a place in the world that would resonate with her as deeply as the ocean, but every time her foot struck the damp earth, her heart filled with tranquility. Meribela's lithe form wove between the trees and rocks, bursting out of the woods and into a clearing glowing brightly beneath a full moon.

She took a hesitant step forward, dropping her eyes to the ground when the texture changed. No longer was she standing on soil, enriched by the decay of leaves and dead things, but on the bone white sands of a beach. Her smoky path had faded, but a new beacon drew her forward: the crashing of white capped waves against the shore.

Peace existed both forwards and backwards. The bright star of the sea- that's who she was, but even as she raced down to the familiar waters, her eyes traveled back to the celestial body that reigned over the night. The stars belonged with the moon did they not? Together, they could rule the heavens and set the sea afire with diamonds.

Her feet had stopped, and she stood, equal parts distant from the woods and the waters. How she wanted both, but deep down, she knew it couldn't be so. A splash drew her attention, and she saw the silken forms of seals frolicking in the spray and the weight on her shoulders lightened. Whatever called her into the shadows and vapors of the forests was foreign. The sea was her home.

But just as she moved, a howl pierced the air. Letting her eyes roam back towards the woods, she saw a large wolf with blazing blue eyes, a stark contrast to the black fur masking his face and running in a streak down his back to the tip of his tail. White and gray fur feathered around his haunches, blending and fading into one another. Beside him, a phantom shape shimmered in the air, a more slender beast of silver and white capped in black. She- for she knew it was a female- watched her with shining sea foam eyes and waited.

The large male wolf turned to look at his companion, the mirage mirroring her indecision, wavering and strengthening. He nuzzled her and released a mournful whine when she faded to nothing more than a shimmering outline.

To her left, her kin called to her, voices clear and pure. To her right, the wolf begged for the salvation of his mate. Sobbing, she crouched to her knees, prayed, and darted towards her destiny, hoping she'd made the right choice.

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

"Ya alright there kiddo?"

Vivian's question had been posed at a normal volume, but Meribella felt each syllable detonate inside her skull with the force of an atomic bomb. Sleep deprivation was not something she handled well, and waking up to a body that felt as though it had run every mile in that dream only added to her misery.

"Fine, just had a long night."

"Hmm... Tall, dark, and handsome keep you busy did he?"

She choked on the coffee she'd just swallowed. "Who exactly are you referring to?"

"The last guy you waited on. You were so eager to wait on him, and then he started that fight with poor Tom. Bless him. He doesn't mean to be so grabby, but after a few drinks, he just can't help himself. And then you ran out of here so quick, and he followed after you."

She let the older woman prattle on for a few minutes. "How do you know he followed me?"

Vivian blushed. "Joe saw him go in your direction. I had the hardest time convincing him to stay here. You're a big girl, and you'd get help if you needed it. I didn't sense anything off about him, you know. By the way, you look much better without the wig and contacts."

"You sure do," Joe agreed, dropping a basket filled with clean towels next to the ladies. "Fold these up for me will you? Guess things are better if you're not in hiding anymore."

"I told you Joe," Meribella insisted as she reached for a towel, "I was never hiding."

"Hmm, you let me know if that bastard lays a hand on you."

"Will do." They were quiet for several minutes before she worked up the nerve to ask a question. "What do you two know about the compound a couple hours from here?"

Joe and Vivian shared a look. "Them boys is no good love. You stay away from them," her boss commanded.

"Ah, Joe. You know they don't mess with the local girls. Animal trainers is what I've heard. My brother lives out that way, and he says he hears beastly noises at all hours of the day."

Animals. Could they be shifters? "So they're not a bunch of gay men?"

"Oh good lord child," Vivian laughed, tears forming in her eyes and falling into the creases of her skin. "You've been talking to Duncan and his lot? Damn shame that would be if they were all gay. A bunch of fine looking men they are."

Joe grunted. "I don't know nothing about that, but no good comes of any girls who mess with them."

"I told you Joe, they don't mess with the ladies around here. Haven't in years."

Meribella grabbed for another towel. Her curiosity was peaked, and Vivian and Joe were the first people to speak on the subject with confidence. Everyone else spoke of whispers and rumors. "How many years?"

"Guess it's been what... Thirty years? Raff Wellington, the heir of the estate out there, married a local girl named Meghan."

"Damn shame what happened to her. Seemed to happen a lot to their wives."

"What?" The look again. "Will one of you spill the beans? Please. What happened to Meghan?"

"You tell her," Joe said and walked away, his steps heavy with frustration.

Vivian opened her mouth, but the answer was delivered in a masculine voice that was becoming all too familiar.

"She died."

A/N- This chapter will likely go through a major overhaul. The first part was too short, but the second part doesn't seem to flow with it... but we will see where we go from here! Let me know what you think so far!