MERIBELLA

"You've not said a word since we left."

Thorne's statement barely registered. Agonizing indecision warred with anger, turning her stomach into a battlefield of glass winged butterflies. To get what she wanted, she would have to betray everything she believed, but to stay true to herself, she had to give up her dream.

"B?"

Blinking, she realized they'd pulled up in front of her cottage. Her friend sat still in the driver's seat, a question painted on her face. "Sorry- it's just-gods, I don't even know."

"Why don't you start with what happened after they kicked me out?"

"Better come on in. This may take a minute."

Once inside, Meribella heated water to make tea, hoping the vanilla and lavender would soothe her nerves. Nerves that only intensified when she opened her refrigerator and spied the large fish taking up most of the space. How was that only this morning?

She set a cup in front of Thorne and wrapped her fingers around her own mug, inhaling the sweet scent before taking a deep sip. Her friend pushed her tea to the side, and placed her palms on the table's surface. "Spill."

"What do you know about werewolves?"

The witch was silent for a moment. "Are they not shifter Fae?"

"That's what I thought too, but no. Werewolves are descended from a group of men called the Brotherhood, men who protected and led their communities by studying and worshipping nature. They learned the magical properties of plants and stones-"

"They sound kind of like sorcerers," Thorne interjected.

Meribella just shrugged. "I guess I don't know much about them, but Alpha Mac said people compared them to Druids."

She let her thoughts wonder back to the small office, where Mac had described the birth of the werewolf:

"Their first leader, Alfric, rescued a wolf pup, and people whispered that the wolf bonded his spirit with him in thanks. He was faster than normal men, stronger, had better eyesight. His sons were given the same gifts, and the Brotherhood became known for their bonds with the wolves.

"When the Uprising began, the Brotherhood aligned themselves with the humans and witches. Alfric was old and frail at this point, but he wanted to fight. His wolf, called Anou, was dying, but he too could feel the call to battle. He told Alfric to kill him, drink of his blood, and he would have the ability to become a wolf at will. He would be a human who could shift."

Mac's eyes had gone unfocused as he spoke. Somehow, his vile nature lessened, his rough edges softened as talked about the beginning of his people.

"Go on," Thorne whispered, enraptured by the tale Meribella was revealing.

"Mac didn't go into a lot of details here, but there were some in the Brotherhood who perverted Anou's sacrifice. They slaughtered their wolf brothers and stole their spirits. When Alfric confronted them, he was murdered. And all of his sons."

"Oh gods."

Meribella sniffled. She and her family had always held the lives of animals in high regard. To kill an animal who had already given so much was beyond abhorrent to her. "Gods is right. After the demons were banished to the Underworld, the goddess Lupa descended to punish the Brotherhood. For the sins of destroying a family, they would never have their own. They would keep their ability to shift, but the wolf inside of them would fight for control, and only human women could bear a child for them."

Thorne cocked her head to the side and tapped a finger on her full lips. "Ok, so fighting the inner wolf sucks, but that's not much of a punishment. So they can't have half Fae babies... what's the big deal?"

"That's where her punishment is particularly cruel. A human woman can't survive childbirth."

"But what about daughters? Surely-"

Meribella stopped her. "No daughters. Only sons. And that's where Raff comes in. He wants to continue funding a research project to figure out how to break the curse. Alpha Mac lost his own wife and son because of the curse, and he wants it to end. He's asked the packs to stop putting women through this, but Raff refuses. He even funds research to examine women pregnant with werewolves, and he doesn't seem to care how many die."

"Damn. Why are they asking you for help?"

"They think Raff has a thing for me, and they want me to get close enough to him to-to kill him. Mac says it's the only way to unite the packs, and that it's Raff's refusal to do the right thing that caused the split in the first place."

"You're not a murderer B."

Meribella drained the contents of her cup, but the lukewarm liquid only made the ache in her stomach worse. "What if I can talk sense into him? Something about their story doesn't add up. Mac definitely seems like the type to disregard human-female- life, not Raff. And why would the Fae Queen be involved in this? What does she care? I've not made my mind up, but I know I have to go back."

Hot tea spewed across the table as Thorne choked. "You met Morgan LeFay. Holy hell. Why didn't you lead with that?"

"I don't know how she fits in. Unless, she's offering me the bait."

She gathered her dark hair over her shoulder and padded to the open window in the living area. Soft starlight shimmered through the glass and bathed her feet in silver. Echoes of the dream she'd had, of Raff in his wolf form on one side and the Selkie's on the other, filled her thoughts. Was this what the dream was foreshadowing? This choice between the sky and sea?

"What bait? B, what bait are you talking about?"

Meribella turned from the window and wrapped her slender arms about her waist. "They have a potion that can give me the ability to shift into an animal of my choice. I could join my family's clan."

"Is it worth it though? What if you can't convince him to stop? Will you be able to kill him?"

She tried to sound nonchalant when she answered, but as her mouth opened, memories of his body moving against hers came unbidden, spreading heat. "He's just a stranger to me."

"He won't be. Not if you're supposed to get close to him. And you didn't answer my question."

"I don't know the answer."

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

HERRIN

"Leave the papers on my desk and go."

"Yes, Alpha," Herrin responded, dropping the reports as commanded and scurrying away. The space was musty and dark, the only light source the pale and milky moonlight that managed to slip through the cracks of the drawn curtains.

He heard the thump of a heavy glass and the creaking of a chair as the Alpha stood to gather the documents. With his sharp vision, he could make out the heavy beard obscuring the Orion pack leader's face. The man moved as though injured, his steps uneven from too much drink. How easy it would be to kill him now. Forget the plan with the stupid half Fae child.

As though he could smell Herrin's excitement, Raff snapped his head up, his nostrils flaring. "Why are you still standing there? I've already forgiven you for multiple transgressions. Do you need to be punished to understand how to obey a command?"

Moisture gathered in his pants. "N-n-no sir. I'm leaving." His words were filled with fear, but his heart filled with hate. His wolf cowered- always the whimpering and whining weakling. Almost every wolf here could command him. Tell him to beg or die as they saw fit. But only here. In the Starless pack, he ranked near the top. Only Mac and his Beta ranked higher.

Herrin crept towards the house's back entrance. One benefit to being nothing was that no one paid attention to his comings and goings. No one suspected that the spineless runt would betray them, but every risk he took was worth it.

As soon as his feet struck the ground, he let his wolf burst forth. Thin, wiry gray hairs covered his skinny beast in uneven patches. He ran towards the outskirts of town, where a Starless pack member waited to escort him home, letting his mind wander to the girl who'd snagged Raff's attention. The girl who was the cause of his current state. He couldn't blame the man. She was delectable, and Mac had promised she could be his to play with once Raff was out of the way. He could see her now, her golden skin marred by purple bruises, her belly tight with his son.

His tongue lolled out, a wolf's smile. She'd learn to submit. And then she'd die.