A primes passion, p.5
A Prime's Passion, page 5
Outcasts were seen as a threat because they’d done something that violated pack law.
Even though the matter between him and Zee was personal...
He closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose, then out, waiting until the repetitive pattern calmed the caged, pacing animal inside him.
“I have to go to Massachusetts.”
Boone said nothing for a long time. “Colby can never again enter a territory that’s under Atlantic Atargarian protection. If he does, he’s dead. It’s also possible the same applies to the Pacific Atargarians.”
Canting his head to the side, Niko narrowed his eyes on Boone. “Repeat that.”
“There was an... incident.” Boone averted his eyes. “Zee was apparently getting physical with a guy—human—and Colby walked into the bar where she’s known to hang out.”
A vicious, ugly blade cut into him—jealousy, possessive and consuming. But he breathed past it, somehow, waiting.
“Colby grabbed the guy. Meridia’s people intervened. The human wasn’t hurt, but... ”
Red washed over his vision. “Did Colby lay a hand on Zee?”
“You know better.” Boone’s mouth went flat. “But it doesn’t matter. Zee was apparently in such bad shape that she was in physical pain by the time Colby dragged himself off the floor. The only thing that centered her, according to him, was Meridia grabbing her and holding tight.” Gaze sliding away again, Boone swallowed. “Colby’s best guess is that she’s in deprivation, probably hasn’t had physical contact from anybody in years, other than hugs and shit from the few Atargarians she considers friends.”
“That’s not possible,” Niko said.
“That’s what I told Colby.” His mouth tight, the other man continued. “The Therians in the region won’t go near her. Word got around that you... ” Boone’s cheeks went red. “You’d staked your claim.”
“I broke things off!” Niko shouted, feeling sick inside even though the thought of anybody else touching Zee enraged him. Even now.
“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 “You never rescinded your claim, Niko.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.”
“That might be the only reason I’d let him even speak to her,” Meridia said, meeting the other Atargarian’s eye. “We can’t fix her, Donner. But if something doesn’t give soon, she’s lost anyway.”
A savageness tightened Donner’s frame and he turned his head to stare at the water. “You know the things he said. Better than I do.”
“Yes.” Zee had broken down one night, told her everything. Most of the bullshit flying around was little more than assumption, with a few outright lies thrown in, in Meridia’s opinion.
“We should try taking her to Mount Greylock again. It’s been—”
“No,” she said, cutting him off. “She knew nothing but nightmares there.”
“She has people there who love her.” Donner’s jaw locked with stubborn aggression.
“Not enough.” Meridia’s anger at the Wolves of Greylock was an ugly, icy thing. “None of them cared enough, loved her enough to stand for her ten years ago. Fuck, some of them were old enough to fight for both her and Phoenix, her other brothers and the other children when they were being abused, but they didn’t. They won’t love her enough to help her through this either.”
Eyes still glittering black in the darkness, he stared at her.
“Donner.” She touched his cheek. “You, out of all of us, should understand how broken a family can be... even with the bonds of love.”
When he said nothing, she cut around him and strode for the sprawling beach house perched on the edge of the sea.
As she’d expected, Donner had forwarded both Whelan’s number and the entire video exchange between the two males.
Meridia took some devilish pleasure in how Nikolai Whelan’s eyes narrowed just a fraction when Donner offered to pencil him in, but other than that faint reaction, the Prime’s control was flawless.
He displayed nothing but the expected courtesy—and control—when speaking to a chosen representative of another race.
Some of the older Primes still treated the men and women like Donner as beneath them, servants who should kiss their boots.
She didn’t like the fact that Whelan, apparently, was one of the wiser ones.
Not that wise. You saw proof of that earlier.
She nudged the thought aside and smoothed a hand over her hair once more. It was nearly dry and she’d left it to curl wildly around her face, exchanging Donner’s damp shirt for a plain black blouse and jeans, drawing on a pair of boots in murder red.
The boots suited her mood.
She didn’t bother with anything fancy, rarely did.
She was a mermaid, a race that was universally known for being unapologetically beautiful. Under that beauty lay a destructive strength and keen senses.
Some people thought the mer were all beauty on the surface, with nothing much within.
They were wrong.
Meridia’s beauty was a tool to her, a weapon, one second to a mind sharper than most people could even fathom.
Putting through the call, she dropped down at her desk and kicked her boots up onto the scarred surface in a deliberate display of casual disinterest. Nikolai’s face appeared only a second later.
“You rang?” she said, letting the siren song of her voice creep into her words.
He didn’t flicker an eyelash.
“I’m coming into Massachusetts on Therian pack business. I’ll need entry into Provincetown.”
As a Therian Prime speaking to an Atargarian Alpha, this was more of a courtesy call than else, although, Meridia, being the Regnar, had more pull than the other Atlantic Atargarians.
She used that pull now like a blade.
“You didn’t say please, Prime,” she said, smiling sweetly.
“Should I reach out to Olaf instead?”
Meridia smiled, wicked and spoiling for a fight. “Would you like me to call him now? I imagine he needs to be informed of the recent ban concerning one Therian male. He’ll want to know why, of course. He might have questions for you.”
For long, taut seconds, Nikolai simply stared at her.
“Your father won’t deny me entry, Meridia. You know that.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Of course I know that.”
“Then why are you playing games?” The gold of a wolf’s eyes flashed in warning.
She ignored it and leaned forward. “Because, Prime... I want to hear you say please. And I want you to tell me why.”
Whether or not he’d do it would determine her course of action once he arrived.
He was right. If he contacted her father, the Atargarian Prime of the Atlantic would allow the Therian Prime entry. But Olaf, too, would want to know why.
Olaf didn’t have the protective instincts toward Zee that Meridia did, but he was protective of those who’d been offered protection in his lands—viciously, almost violently so. He knew his daughter had taken Zee in, so his protection would extend to Zee.
“I do this only because you’ve cared for one of mine,” Niko said finally, a dull flush on his cheekbones, one that spoke of an anger even Therian control couldn’t conceal.
“Oh?” Meridia tapped a finger against the corner of her mouth. “And just who is that?”
That flush deepened, and another flash of gold. “Zee.”
Playing dumb, Meridia pursed her lips and shook her head slowly. “I don’t have one of yours by that name here, Prime. The only Zee who lives in Provincetown has been mine for the past seven years.”
The year before that, when Zee had first arrived, she’d hidden away when she wasn’t caring for her kids at the school.
Those kids, Meridia knew, were the only reason Zee had held on.
“So you’ve adopted her into your family then?”
“We don’t have packs like you Therians.” Meridia smirked. “We care for and treasure people regardless of whether they swear fealty to the Atargarian, unless they give us cause to do otherwise.”
A taut silence stretched on, shattered like glass when Nikolai all but growled, “Be that as it may, Zee is a Therian wolf who has been away from her pack, her family, her people for too long. Unless she’s given you her loyalty, that means she’s my responsibility and there is no disputing that.”
“Hmm.” Tapping her lips again, Meridia nodded slowly. “Well, you could be partially right. She has been far from her people for too long. But Zee has no pack, Prime. She’s an outcast.” She made the words a purr. “I wonder why that is.”
He flinched.
“As the Appalachian Prime, I would have to agree a lone Therian wolf without pack or home would probably fall under your aegis. Yet, you still haven’t said—”
“Please, for fuck’s sake,” he snarled, the sound clawing free from his throat like an echo of the claws she knew he wanted to use—on her.
Meridia smiled inwardly, delighted. So... it wasn’t just Zee who’s still trapped.
“Of course, Prime Whelan,” she said, outwardly somber. She even dropped her eyes in a brief gesture of acquiescence. He wasn’t fooled. She saw the suspicion in his gaze, running neck and neck with anger. “There are just a few stipulations. I’m sure you understand.”
“Name them.”
“You have only Twenty-four hours to enter my territory—and exit. No more.”
“Agreed.” His face had gone impassive once more, but the derision in his tone made it clear he didn’t intend to be there more an hour, tops.
Wait until you start trying to drive through my crowded city, sugar.
“You can’t shift while in my territory. It will freak people out. They’re not used to seeing wolves out on the cape. So be polite and respect that.”
“Fine.”
“You’re being so cooperative. I do appreciate it, Prime.” She gave him a coy smile and leaned closer.
He didn’t look at all intrigued, and that pleased Meridia even more. “The next stipulation?”
“You can’t force Zee to do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
“She needs pack, home.” He ground his teeth together. “If need be, I’ll take her to Greylock—”
“The fuck you will,” Meridia said, fury slicing through her façade and shredding her control. Her rage echoed in the cutting brilliance of the siren’s song that hummed in her blood... and now her voice. The full power of it, not just a hint.
The connection between them, electronic and computerized, filtered out some of her voice’s power but it still hit Niko with enough force to make him stagger for a brief moment, then sway for another before he threw off the shock.
His teeth had lengthened when he looked back at her.
She didn’t draw back.
“Zee would rather die than return to Mount Greylock. Unless you give me your word as Prime that you will not take her there, then consider this an absolute, hell-fucking no to your request. If you do attempt to enter my lands without my permission, it will be seen as an act of aggression against one of mine. She is under my protection, Whelan. Remember that.”
