“But you never told anybody she was no longer yours,” Boone told him softly. “You never rescinded your claim, Niko. Who the fuck is going to risk a Prime’s rage over a woman?”
Niko shoved the heels of his hands to his eyes, blood filling his mouth as his fangs grew and sliced into flesh he hadn’t allowed to shift. He pulled them back, not trusting himself even with the taste of his own blood.
“You’re telling me she’s been without a pack, and without physical contact from another Therian since she left North Carolina,” Nikolai said quietly as his memory played back every cutting, cold word he’d thrown at her, while the taste of her still lingered on his tongue, addictive... rich... and entirely too delicious, too exotic... too... other to belong to a Therian. “For ten years, she’s been alone.”
“Actually, it’s more than just Therians. There was a rumor about an Atargarian. At least I thought it was a rumor, but Phoenix confirmed it. She’d been dating the guy and they were in Boston. A Therian coyote saw him and attacked. Blood was drawn, both of the males wounded. Two more dominant male Atargarians intervened and separated them, told the coyote not to show his face in the city again. Apparently... Well, there’s a number of Therians who can’t go near Boston or the Cape anymore.”
“Are you telling me she’s gone without any kind of contact?”
“It’s not like we’re pen pals,” Boone said, his face still red. “But from what I’ve been able to put together, yeah.”
MERIDIA RARELY BANNED anybody from Atargarian territory.
There were those who would abuse people living in the domain her father had decreed was hers until it was time for her to ascend as Prime, but she dealt with such in more final ways; the way she saw it, if somebody was stupid enough to mistreat someone knowing the region was under the protection of the Regnar, then they would be stupid enough—or cruel enough—to do it again.. Unless they were removed from the playing board, so to speak. So, she removed them. Permanently.
Humans were the only exception—she turned them over to the human authorities.
Those authorities knew better than fuck around when it came to serving out justice to somebody who’d harmed those under her protection. It didn’t matter if that person was human, Atargarian, Fae, Nightdweller, or even a Therian wolf who had likely once more retreated inside herself.
But while Colby Winters hadn’t directly harmed Zee, he’d damaged her all the same.
It wasn’t just the denial of physical contact—something that Meridia knew Zee was starving for, in the very basest sense of the word. He’d also brought the memories.
She was tempted to ban all Therians from her territory.
She might yet do so, although it would require a discussion with her Prime. As much as her father loved and doted on her, he required she be a leader first, and a daughter second. Although she saw no reason why he’d say she couldn’t ban Therians from the Cape.
None of them really needed to be here anyway as far as she was concerned.
If official business arose, then exceptions could be made at that specific time. Beyond that? The whole mangy lot of them could go rot. Zee, of course, would always be welcome.
Still brooding over it, she dove beneath the waves, her tailfin slapping hard against the surface of the water in a sign of agitation. One of the seals that lived in the waters brushed against her and she traced her fingers down his side but shook her head in his silent request to play.
He faded away into the inky blackness of the night-dark ocean. She swam on, deeper and deeper, her mermaid form strong and lithe, scything through the water with ease.
One of the larger denizens of the ocean approached, a humpback. She blew out a stream of bubbles in consternation. The big mammal gave her a sidelong look and settled in to keep pace with her. The easy peace from the animal many called a guardian of the oceans undid some of the knots in Meridia’s gut and she shot the whale a playful look before releasing the coiled strength inside her.
They raced. The whale soon fell behind, his mass too much for him to travel at a high speed, but they continued to play, Meridia darting back to circle around and around while he tried to tuck her under one of his fins.
She didn’t let herself linger though, scenting the change in the waters that told her they’d circled back around. Swimming over to the whale, she laid a hand on his head.
“Thank you.” The mer could communicate with many of the more advanced water animals and while the beasts didn’t understand words automatically, creatures like dolphins and whales did know emotion.
She swam backward, smiling at the humpback until he made a slow, ponderous turn and headed out to more open waters. Only then did she turn away as well, heading for the dock that led to her pub, to home.
She hadn’t even shed her sea form for her human legs when she sensed Donner approaching. Sighing, she stroked a hand down the slick surface of her lower body, the scales glittering blue-black in the faint moonlight before dissolving, like they were melting into her skin.
Rising, she turned to face her second, the man who she’d one day ask to care for this beloved stretch of land. She hoped he’d say yes. Hoped he wouldn’t ask to leave and return to his family in the Pacific.
“Here.” Donner peeled off the faded workshirt he wore over a T with Have a Mermaid Orgasm emblazoned across the chest, holding it out for her.
Her lips twitched at the sight and she shook her head. She’d never let him get her drunk again. Accepting the offer of the shirt, she pulled it on quickly, fingers skipping along the buttons as she took in her second’s taut jawline.
“Problem?” she asked.
He inclined his head. “Depends on how you view it. Whelan called, looking to talk to you.”
“Did he?” Going cold inside, she braced her hands on her hips and waited.
“Yeah. I started to tell him to get fucked, but figured your father wouldn’t appreciate it. Asked him if it was regarding the action against a particular Therian male and he said no.” Donner’s eyes went black, a violent sort of humor flashing over his face. “He didn’t seem ready to elaborate, so I pointed out that unless it was urgent, I’d pencil him in for a consult with you in a couple of weeks.”
“Donner, I adore you.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
He rubbed his against hers in a show of affection. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, he finally got the point that I wasn’t dancing to whatever tune he was playing so he told me he was traveling north and wanted to clear his presence with you, as the Alpha of the region.”
“Now that is interesting.” Senses going on alert, Meridia pursed her lips and considered it.
Donner, clearly, had already done it. “Can’t we just ban every damn Therian from this part of the cape? If you explain the issue to the Prime, he’ll understand. He adores Zee.”
“He does. But he is a leader above all else.” She grimaced and ran a hand down her hair. “I’ll call the Therian asshole, find out just why he wants to muddy our waters with his miserable self.”
Donner took her hand and squeezed. “And what if he decides he’s taking her back to his territory? What then? She’s... ” He hesitated. “She’s not who she once was. It’s... Meri, I think she’s dying inside.”