53

It was the third day after the naming ceremony and the small group was ready to set out. Mika had left Devion in charge in his absence which shouldn't be too long. Theo had checked on Talia and Matty to make sure they were good before he'd left.
This would be the first time Ari really got to meet Zeek and Cliff. She had met them the other night but neither had said much to her then.
Flashes of Zeek's memories replayed in her mind every time she would look at him. He was a slender, tall male with green eyes and straight brown hair. He had chosen not to wear a shirt and she could see a dark tattoo of tribal designs started on his right shoulder. On his right bicep the ink was very dark, but a raised area in the shape of a V could be made out. She would have to speak with him later on this, but she was not sure if now would be the right time, so she left it alone.
"Luna." Zeek bowed his head as she came up to the group. She was the last to arrive. The meeting place had been outside the vampire head fence post on the west side. Mika and Theo had already been waiting and checking the post. They seemed pretty surprised how well it worked.
"We all ready?" Mika asked the group.
"What's the plan?" Cliff asked taking a quick glance at Ari and then back to Mika. Ari knew he was meaning traveling, how was *she* traveling.
"Strip boys." she said in a nonchalant tone and threw her leather bag open on the ground.
Zeek and Cliff blinked in surprise at her before following their Luna’s order. Mika was more than happy to stripe for his bride. He had nothing to be ashamed of, and certainly was above the others as far as Ari was concerned. Each one removed their clothing, some had less to remove than others to begin with. She was carrying light this time- one a few bits of food, water bottle or three and would be carrying their clothing.
She openly appraised Mika's nude body. *He was a piece of art made by a god.* she thought. He pulled her up to him and kissed her hard, *As are you roka.* She could feel his cock pressed against her stomach, her core gave a quiver of excitement at its touch. *Damn wish you would stripe too.* he winked at her. *Maybe I will later* she teased back. He smirked back and let her step back so he could direct the group.
"We travel as wolf, Ari can keep up. Zeek you and Cliff will lead the front. Theo and Ari center, I am closing tail. The trip should take three days to get to the outskirts. When we stop we will shift back? Everyone clear?" Mika gave out the orders as he took the clothes from the men and placed them in Ari's bag before handing it over to her. Nods from all was all he needed.
"It will be easier to follow the river through the lands into Henery's. That's how we will move. It will also give us access to fresh waters as needed. There are places that we had stayed in when we left that are safe." Zeek clarified.
"We will take that route there and back this time. However, we may need to consider another route if we get followed for the next hit." Theo suggested.
"Agreed that will need to be something we all keep in mind here. Eyes open people." Mika Zeek and Cliff turned and shifted into large grey wolves. Zeek's black had strikes of black fur that went from his face to his tail. the black frames around his green eyes giving him a mask like appearance. Cliff was mostly all grey and white except the tips of his ears which had black tips on them. Standing beside Ari the wolves' shoulders came up to her naval, if they had chosen to get on their hind legs they would tower over her. Their legs were not as muscular as Theo or Mika’s, but she could see that they were coming along as they got more food and were taken care of.
*Try to keep up luna.* Cliff's massive scared wolf eye winked. *Don't let me catch you wolfie.* she teased back. and the group took off.
Ari loved the feel of the wind against her. It wasn't like running like a human had- she didn't get winded. Even though she was traveling at speeds like 50 miles per second, she was able to see clearly the path around her.
Even though she couldn't smell like the rest of them she could smell the green plants around her, the earth beneath her feet. She loved this feeling. She loved being free and not couped up in some home.
Cliff and Zeek had led the group along a body river that had begun to grown wider and Ari could no longer see the trees on the other side.
They had spent the day running and from Mika's guess they had managed to enter what the humans called Fort Smith. the Sun was beginning to set and Zeek and Cliff showed the group a small cave like structure not too far from the backs of the river. The water seemed calm and cool as Ari sat out watching the light reflect off it.
Nearby Zeek and Cliff had begun trying their fishing skills out. So far Zeek was in the lead with three, and Cliff with a mino to show. Mika came up beside Ari and watched trying not to laugh as Zeek told Cliff, “Stick your hand in this hole here and wait till you feel a bite. Then you snatch it out and ta-da!" Zeek pulled out a large cat fish clamped over his forearm.
"Well, I'll be damned." Mika laughed. "Hey where is Theo?" Ari asked as Cliff now tried to find a hole of his own to stick his hand in.
Mika didn't take his eyes off the guys but nodded toward the shelter. "He is getting a fire started. Looks like we will be getting fish tonight."
Shouts from Zeek signaled another successful catch and Cliff was getting agitated now. He waded a little bit further out now in hopes of at least landing the biggest. Zeek pulled his catch to the shore line as Cliff's head dipped under the waters. Mika watched something was making his skin rise. The surface was glass still but that did not ease Mika's concerns. *Get out of the fucking waters now!* Mika ordered through their mental link. Zeek turned back to see Cliff break surface gasping and trying to get away from something. Mika jumped to his feet and raced to the banks. Three heads bobbed on the surface now, their large eyes looking at the group. Cliff was in the grasp of a wriggling tentacle one around his waist holding his arms now in place and another smaller one around his throat. The mermaid holding him was an older looking woman- perhaps in her 40s, her hair a tangle of shells and branches. She wore no top like the ones they had come across before. Slits on her neck flared as she shrieked with pleasure. "Look my darlings. What a fine meal we have been given." she licked her lips as she spoke. The others swam up and began running their hands along his legs and stomach.
"Come now little wolf, I must teach my young how to properly catch their food." she hissed. Cliff tried to break away from her, but she had him too confined.
"You will release him sea whore or I will destroy your nest!" Mika demanded.
"Such strong words from such a little wolf. Come say that in the waters little wolf." her voice cooed.
Mika stepped forward just inches within the waters. "His blood will not be as good as an alpha's come taste." he spread his arms out as an open invitation. Two of the younger mermaids looked to their leader for permission before taking off toward him.
One with a purple hair lunged at Mika and without any effort he ripped her throat out with his fist. The second came at him from the side and he grabbed her by her green and blue hair, yanking her to him. She did not appear to be very old, perhaps in her early teens. She was definitely a young one. With her back pressed against him he began to pull her from the waters. She shrieked and thrashed trying to escape him.
"Elaina!" the larger one histed. "Release her!" she barked.
"I will release your offspring, when mine is released. You harm him. I will harm her equally if not more." Mika warned.
"Ila" Elaina cried as she fought to break free from Mika's iron like grip.
Ila racked her claws against Cliffs chest getting only growls from him in response. Mika pulled the little mermaid further out of the water and took his silver claws and racked it down the center of her tail. Elaina screamed in out in pain.
Ila pushed Cliff's head under water in an effort to drown him all the while she wavered like a serpent. Mika tisked and shook his head. "You really want to piss me off Ila?" Cliff's head managed to break surface and he gulped a large breath in before she plunged him back under. "You hunt for food as do I." she hissed back.
"At the cost of your nest? Because once I finish with her. I will drag every infant sack you have nearby out and let the fun sun them out as you watch helpless." his voice never quivering with rage, but a controlled authority that made Ari's panties nearly wet *What the fuck?!*
Ila shrieked in response and Mika took one swift slice of his claws and the tail end of Elaina's fins were severed. The girl flung her head back and wailed. "NO!" Ila roared. Shoving Cliff further under. Mika dove in after them. He was able to catch Cliff's foot and yank on him. Zeek grabbed Cliff's other leg, and both began to pull him back. It was not easy feat as Ila was much stronger in the waters. Tentacles wrapped around Zeek's ankles and threw him off balance. Mika slashed at the ones that tried to wrap around him. Cliff's face was almost to the surface now. He needed to breathe again, and she snatched him back under.
"Hey bitch!" Ari called out over the wailing Elaina. She'd grabbed her knife and had it to the dying mermaid's neck. Ila head bobbed out of the water. Murderous intent written in her eyes.
"Let them go now!" Ari demanded. "Or next will be her head!"
Seeing that Ari was not a wolf Ila took her as the easier bait and flung cliff further out into the waters. Zeek swam out to get his partner and Mika reared back lunging onto Ila back. Tentacles flailed around him as he grabbed a firm hold on her long hair and began to pull back as hard as his wolf's strength would allow. Her claws racked into his forearms. She was dragging closer to the shore line now. She was hell bent on reaching Ari. He pressed his clawed feet into her back now feeling her body dragging against the sandy bottom. He released one hand from her hair keeping the other like reigning on a horse on her and plunged his hands into her back. Bones cracked and he found what he was looking for. Ila was now trying to throw him from her, but it was too late he had her pinned in the sand and his weight. With rib and muscle, he yanked her heart from her back, and she went limp.
"NO!" screamed Elaina. *End her. Now.* Mika's voice huffed in Ari's mind. In a single motion Ari's blade cut the mermaid's throat and she drowned in her own blood.
*The irony a mermaid drowning.* Ari thought as the creature went limp.