"What happened?" I asked.
"Zak's a wolf shifter, and Kamari’s an orca. So they did what predators do best—used their teeth to solve all their problems. A little crass if you ask me, but I guess it got the job done."
Those two apex predators were nothing to sneeze at, but the fact that they had faced off against the spirit and lived was blowing my mind. Suddenly the idea of a mer and a beaver attacking two humans didn't seem so far-fetched. Maybe we had a chance after all.
It wasn't just us anymore. The baby needed us too.
Turning to meet River's gaze, I said, "I'm all for it."
He looked pleasantly surprised I'd agreed so quickly. "Then we need them to come in here."
To be honest, the idea of hurting another living thing didn't thrill me. I was a pacifist by nature, and River wasn't one of those aggressive hothead alphas either. Both of us just wanted to live in peace. But when the humans refused to play fairly, what choice did we have?
"I can't throw another fit,” River mumbled. “That won't work again. But what can I do to—"
His stomach growled loudly, interrupting him.
We looked at each other as the answer dawned on us. I felt foolish for not thinking of it sooner. The poachers hadn't fed us since arriving, probably because they assumed this whole ordeal would be over faster. At the same time, River and I were so overwhelmed by fear, lust, anger, or a combination of all three that it must have suppressed our appetites.
"That's it," I cried. "River, they still think I'm the buyer and that you’re my property. They can't starve you."
His brow furrowed. "But what about you?"
My heart melted. Even at a time like this, he was thinking about me instead of himself.
"I'm fine for now," I said. "If things get dire, I can chew on some wood. And no, that's not a sex joke."
River snorted. "Fine."
Just like before, I shifted into beaver form and pretended to keep myself busy doing animal things.
"Right." River took a breath, gathering himself. Then he shuffled towards the door and shifted so his mer tail draped over the tiles. "Hello? Humans?" he called in a clear voice. "I'm starving in here!"
There was a pause in the humans’ conversation. They'd obviously heard River. A moment later, one approached the door. "How hungry are you? Can you hold it?"
River made a disgusted face and rolled his eyes. "No? You haven't fed me at all since you kidnapped me."
I couldn't believe how inhumane these men were. Even if they didn't think of River as a person, they still had a responsibility to keep him alive.
"I bet that buyer’s gonna be pretty pissed off when he finds out you haven't been feeding me," River added spitefully.
That kicked their asses into gear. The man at the door swore under his breath and thudded towards what I assumed was the kitchen. The two mumbled something to each other. It sounded like they were arguing over what River could even eat.
While they were busy, I caught River’s eye. "Are you ready?" I asked.
His expression turned hard. "For a fight, you mean? Yeah, I am. I'm sick of these guys."
I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see my fated mate stand up for himself.
"If things get rough, I want you to bail out," I said.
River shot me a flabbergasted look. "No."
I blinked. "What do you mean, no?"
I was so used to River's docile obedience, the way he enjoyed taking my suggestions. I was a little surprised to hear him flat-out refuse.
"Don't get me wrong," River said, tilting his head. "I love it when you order me around in a flirty way. But I'm done being childish. I'm putting my foot—tail—whatever—down. I know you don't want me to get hurt, but I'm not gonna stand back and let my mate and my unborn child be hurt." He puffed out his chest. "I'm the alpha, remember?"
