The Jaguar’s Arranged Mate

“Why not?”

“I need to see how the fence repair is going, locate any other places we might not have discovered yet that they are targeting, ensure no parts of the wall need repair because of the elements…”

It had been raining a lot since the Brutal Claws had first attacked them, almost as if they had brought the poor weather along with them. It certainly hadn’t brightened anyone’s spirits.

“Can’t you appoint someone to be in charge of the repairs?” she asked.

By now, they had reached the mess hall, and Beric opened the door for her. It seemed almost more perfunctorily than out of anything more kind and loving. “I did. Sam. A Teal Warrior. I don’t know if you’ve met him or not.”

“If you have someone in charge already, why do you need to check on everything?” she asked as they entered the mess hall. They had the place to themselves. It felt almost eerie to be walking in the large room, past all of the empty tables, with no one else around them.

“Because.”

“Because you’re a control freak.” The words just came out.

He glared at her. “I want to make sure everything is done to ensure my people—”

“Our people,” she retorted. She shouldn’t be acting this way. He had so much stress. He didn’t need grief from her. Lack of sleep and being pregnant was no excuse for being so irritable.

Beric sighed. “Yes, our people.” He ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t easy.”

“No one said it would be.”

He gave her a small smile. “Sit. I’ll get us some food.”

Miera didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to eat. Her appetite was gone. All they did was fight. It bothered her. They were fighting. Their people were fighting each other. And they all were fighting the Brutal Claws. Nothing was going the way they had planned. Nothing was good. Nothing was right.

Tears burned her eyes. She wasn’t normally a crier, but she hadn’t been feeling right for most of her pregnancy, and especially the past few weeks. Maybe a good, long cry was just the thing she needed. An outlet. God knew she had enough aggression to let out during the battles, but that wasn’t enough.

Beric brought over a large heaping of fruit. “It’s not much—”

“It’s fine.” She swiped a banana and forced herself to eat it.

For a long while, they sat in silence, eating. It wasn’t a comfortable quiet. No, it was oppressive and heavy, and it wore Miera down. She felt as if a cloud was hanging over them. Maybe we were foolish from the very beginning. Maybe we should have fled. Or maybe we should have tried to talk to the Brutal Claws.

But she knew that those options were ones they had rejected already for good reason. They were stuck, and either they would find a way to survive or they would die. That was what their lives had been reduced to.

“This marriage isn’t going to work, is it?” she asked.

He had been peeling an orange. Her husband now laid it on the table. “We have more pressing issues to worry about right now.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Her stomach grew really tight. That banana hadn’t been a good idea, and she’d known it. “If we can’t be united, how can we expect—”

“Our people should listen to us. They should follow our word.”

She narrowed her eyes as she rubbed her belly, hoping the pain would settle down. “They should follow our example.”

“We’re here. Talking. Eating. That’s more than what they’re willing to do.”

“Yes. No.” God, her stomach was so tight she almost couldn’t breathe. “You’re eating, and we’re not really talking. We’re arguing.”

“We’re talking.”

“You can’t even look me in the face.” Miera pushed back from the table. She was going to be sick. “You can’t stand me. You hate me.”

“I would never say I hate you.”

“Why not? It’s the truth. You only married me because you had to, for your people, and now that part isn’t even going right.” Another shot of pain filled her, her stomach tightening again. She jerked to her feet.

“Miera, sit down. I—”

“You never would have married me if you had the option not to.” She closed her eyes, trying not to feel anything—either physically or emotionally. How exactly she felt about Beric she wasn’t completely certain, but she knew she did care for him. One day, she might fall in love with him.

But one day might never come.

And maybe it was unfair for her to bring this up now. He was grieving his father and pushed into all of the responsibilities of being alpha of a pack of were-jaguars who were being hunted and killed by another pack, all the while trying to merge his pack with another so that those two packs might have a chance.

A chance that looked bleaker and bleaker every day.

“I just…” She stared at him, breathing through her nose, trying not to vomit. “If we survive this, somehow, someway, just know that we can divorce. I won’t force you to remain with me any longer than you have to be.”

Without waiting for a response, Miera pushed her chair back so hard it fell over. She walked away—the pain preventing her from running like she wanted to.

Beric called after her. She heard his voice, heard his footsteps nearing her, heard the roar of air rushing past her ears as she fell to the ground. Between her legs grew warm and wet.

It took Miera a moment to realize what was happening. Her water had just broken. The baby was coming. She was in labor.

And it was early. Much too early.

The chances of her baby surviving were not high at all.