Star Blessed

Leaps of Faith

RAFF

Raff straightened his tie and eyed himself critically in the mirror. His strong jawline was covered in a light scruff that he remembered being told women liked, and his dark hair was brushed into submission for once. Not that he was dressing to impress, he scolded himself. He'd told Meribella that he wanted to offer her friendship, and he meant it. Even if it was only because he couldn't let it be more than friendship. His wolf snarled and whined, not a fan of his policy of humans being off-limits. Particularly one with eyes like the sea and a body- No, he wouldn't go there.

"You're a fool."

"Lincoln, I love it when you give me compliments," he greeted his friend and Beta. No other man would be allowed to speak with such insolence, but their friendship was more important than enforcing his position. It helped too, that Lincoln respected him completely, and Raff would take a man who followed out of loyalty over one who followed out of fear anyday.

"What are the men going to think when they see you messing around with a human?"

"The men should know better than to ask questions, and besides, Nichols seems to think she's not human."

"Man, you and I both know you're just making up excuses to justify this thing. Sure, maybe she's got a little Fae in her, but if she's got even a drop of human in her-"

Raff spun around, his eyes glowing with anger and his nails turning dark and long. "You think I don't know the consequences?"

Lincoln didn't back down, but the slight flare of light in his honey colored eyes was proof that he was forcing his wolf into submission. To shift in anger in the presence of the Alpha was to outright declare a challenge for the title.

"I know you do, and that's why I don't understand why you can't just go fuck a Fae girl like everyone else around here does. Why are you tempting yourself? You referred to her as yours. You're going to undo everything."

Raff shuddered, each word hitting its mark. He sat on his bed and dropped his head in his hands with a slight groan. "Thirty years. For thirty years I've managed to stay away, and then in one night, everything goes to hell."

The bed dipped as Lincoln sat next to him. "If you'd stop being such a damn pussy and go get some ass every once in awhile, it'd probably be easier."

"I've never managed to achieve the same status of man whore as you."

Lincoln chuckled. "I like to spread the love. Why deny the world this perfect specimen? And if you'd consider what I said, humans wouldn't be off the table. There's something special about them, you know."

Arching a brow at his Beta, Raff sighed. "I'll leave all the pretty human boys to you. One of us can't be greedy."

"What are you going to do?"

"She's special Lincoln."

"So are a lot of women. Women who will die if our men decide they don't have to follow your rules because you don't follow them." Lincoln stretched his long legs and stood. "I'm going for a run of the perimeter. It's been quiet the last couple of nights, but we don't want them to think we're getting complacent."

"That's good. Keep patrols doubled up for at least another week."

"Done. And Raff?" He put a hand on the Alpha's shoulders. "You need to figure it out fast."

Long after his friend left, Raff stood in front of the glass wall in his bedroom. Lacey snowflakes twirled in the air, a ballet without music as the wind caught and spun the flurries. By morning, the world would be dusted in white. He usually enjoyed the snow and cold. Tracks were easier to spot, and his wolf was made for the cold powder. Now he could only think of Meribella shivering in the shack by the sea, growing thinner and frailer as the months progressed.

"Damn it," he snapped, pounding his fist on the glass before letting his forehead rest against it. He sighed, his warm breath misting the glass. There was really only one answer to this problem, but it would eat away at what little soul he had left.

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

MERIBELLA

Meribella stood beneath the awning of the restaurant, uncomfortable with the idea of going in alone. Already, she'd earned odd looks from patrons coming and going, but their curiosity and disdain wasn't enough to propel her inside the building. Shivering, she looked up at the clouds which were slowly beginning to release flurries. Weeks spent living with minimal heat made waiting outside easier, but as the minutes passed, she knew she'd have to make a decision soon.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping the next person to leave the restaurant. The delicious smells of grilled fish and roasted vegetables curled around her as the door opened. She couldn't remember the last time she'd managed to eat until her belly was full. "Can you give me the time?"

The elderly coupled eyed her with trepidation. Vivian had loaned her a dress that was surprisingly fashionable. Bold red, it cut off at mid-thigh and hugged her hips, while the top was mostly sheer. Only strategic swirls of lace kept it from being indecent. Paired with heels so high she wobbled when she walked and smokey makeup, she didn't look like a penniless waif, but most people this day and age carried cell phones.

"Quarter after seven," the woman sniffed, tugging at the arm of her companion to hurry him along.

She'd been stood up. There was no other explanation. Someone like Raff didn't chase a woman down and then show up late. Anger churned within her, but it mingled with a heavy dose of hurt and shame. Spying the pier, lit with cafe lights for romantic ambience, she slipped off her heels and headed towards the one thing that could ease her pain: the ocean.

Freezing temperatures meant the patio was empty, and there was no one to tell her the area was for guests only. She'd tell them she was waiting for someone if they asked, which wasn't untrue. He was just never going to show. The pads of her feet protested every step on the chilled ground, but she figured frostbite was less dangerous than breaking her neck trying to navigate the slippery wood with stilettos.

"Meribella," she chided herself out loud, "why are you such a stupid girl?"

The salty spray splattered her skin, the spots where it struck her sparkling like sequins before sputtering out. If anyone saw it, they would think it a trick of the light, but she could feel every cell the saltwater energized as it soaked into her bloodstream. Submerging herself in the icy waters would set turn her skin into a kaleidoscope of iridescent colors, and her heart would beat in time with the crashing of the waves. Waves she could control with a simple thought.

For a glorious moment, she would be who she was born to be, but then the cold would attack her human body, and she would die just like any other mortal. Her sanctuary would become her grave. Tears dripped down her face, likely ruining the mascara she'd begrudgingly applied.

She'd grown up listening to Kai spin stories of slicing through the ocean and diving into depths mankind had yet to explore. Colors her great-grandmother couldn't describe because their human eyes had never beheld such beauty. And every story ended with a lesson: never trust a man for he will steal your joy.

Scrubbing at her face, she lifted her chin. He hadn't taken anything from her; in fact, he'd given her a gift. A lesson learned. Reaching up, she unbound her hair, letting the dark strands billow about her face as she stood at the edge of the pier. Perhaps she would climb over the railing.

The shoes hit the planks with a clunk, and she pulled the skirt of the dress up until the hem rested just beneath the curve of her bottom. Gripping the rail, she threw one leg over and straddled the bannister. The music that always played in her head when she was this close to the ocean grew louder, swelling like a symphony, urging her on.

Pulling her other leg up and over, she let the front of her feet hang off the edge, her heels pressed against a post. Leaning forward, she kept a tight grip on the banister, but she couldn't resist the laugh that bubbled up as a wave answered her call.

"Meribella! Meribella, what are you doing?"

She startled and tried to spin around, but she lost her balance. Twisting in the air, she managed to see a pair of fear filled glowing blue eyes before plunging into the inky abyss.