‘Darian?’ She looked at him questioningly. He hadn’t said much during dinner, but he’d reached out to comfort her when she needed him during the startling revelations. The action spoke volumes to her, but she had to make sure they meant the same to him.
‘You know how close I am?’ he asked, leaning against the door.
‘Yes, in fact, I’m shocked that you haven’t turned yet. Your strength of will must be immeasurable.’
‘Hardly, I’ve just surrounded myself with things that help.’
‘Like your atrium? I noticed earlier today in the woods, your aura lightened when you touched the tree.’
‘You can see auras?’
‘Not in the same way that the fae do. You can only see the auras and soul light of your mates. I can see different colors tied to emotions. It’s tied into my empathy.’
He nodded. ‘Interesting. To answer your question if my oasis helps, yes it does. I am fae, a child of the earth. Plants help bring us light.’
She stepped forward. ‘Then why don’t you go back to the fae garden, the one from my dream. That place has to have enough light to help.’
His eyebrows came together in a frown. ‘You keep mentioning a dream from when you were a child, that we were evidently in the fae gardens, but I don’t remember that dream. The only dreams I can remember having of you are the ones that happened recently. In them, you are an adult, and you’re always laughing.’
‘I’ve had those, too, but the one that keeps coming back to me is the first one. I was six, and we were in a garden. You promised you wouldn’t forget me.’ She stared at the floor. All her life, she had feared he would forget her. Maybe in her own way, she had known this would happen.
Darian moved away from the door and pulled her into his arms. ‘I would never hurt you intentionally. If I made such a promise, I am sorry more than you know that I don’t remember such a beautiful dream.’ He kissed the top of her head.
‘I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me? That you wanted me to ‘find someone from my own planet’.’ She tilted her head back to stare into his beautiful face. He looked so conflicted.
‘If I were half the man I used to be, I’d send you away. I would do anything to keep you safe, but I find myself drawn to you. The more I am with you, the more I want to live, to fight this insidious darkness in my heart. I just don’t see how this is going to end well for either of us.’ He rested his forehead against hers, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
‘If being with me pushes back the darkness, then never leave my side. If you need a reason to live, do it for me, do it for our future children. Please don’t assume I would be better off without you, not now.
‘You fear that if we’re tied together, you turning feral would drag my soul down with yours, but what you don’t realize is that I would happily jump into the depths of hell to be with you. If I lost you, I wouldn’t be able to live in this world alone. I would take my own life to be with you.’
His arms pulled her closer, squeezing her tight. ‘Don’t say such things,’ he said, his voice breaking.
She pulled back and raised her hands up to cup his face. ‘There is no other for me and no life without you, so make the decision. Are we to live or die?’
She saw a flash of fear in his eyes before it was replaced by resolve. ‘You’re not going to ever back down are you?’
‘Nope.’ She popped her lips on the letter ‘p’.
He smiled gently. ‘Then I guess all I can do is stay by your side for eternity.’
‘It’s good to have life goals.’ She was smiling so much her cheeks hurt.
Shaking his head, he swept her up in his arms. ‘I can’t, in good conscience, claim you yet, I want to see if being around my mate is enough to pull me from the edge.’
‘Then make love to me.’ She laughed at his shocked expression. ‘If being around me helps, just think of what making love to me could do?’
He laughed out loud and her heart soared. When he looked down at her, he wore the same roguish expression she had fallen in love with as a child. ‘I came in here tonight to tell you to stay away, but I can’t fight temptation anymore. I cannot refuse your offer of paradise; I’m not strong enough.’ He laid her down gently on the bed.
‘I’ve been waiting my whole life for you,’ she said sitting up. She reached around and unzipped her dress. When she looked up, he was staring down at her, his eyes wide.
‘What do you mean you waited? You can’t be a…’
‘A what? A virgin? Let me break it down for you: I have three extremely overprotective older brothers and three extremely overprotective half-brothers. Their moral compasses tend to break if they are pissed enough. I have six units of warriors who would happily destroy any guy I dated who made the mistake of hurting me. To top everything off, I have been dreaming of you since I was six. Dating has never really been an option for me.
‘So yes, I am a virgin, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been taking care of business myself, if you know what I mean.’
Darian’s mouth opened and closed, then open and closed again. He blinked once before a sexy smile appeared. ‘Does that mean you have toys?’
Amelia kicked her shoes off and dropped them over the side of the bed. ‘Maybe.’ She shimmied out of her dress and threw it on the floor. When she was down to her bra and panties, she lay back on her elbows and crossed her legs at her ankles, getting comfortable. ‘You going to keep me waiting much longer, princess?’
With a low growl, Darian slowly began to unbutton his dress robe. ‘Lie back and close your eyes.’
Amelia relaxed, lay flat on her back, and closed her eyes. She waited and listened carefully, trying to figure out what he was doing. She heard the rustle of fabric and assumed he had removed his robe. She wanted to open her eyes.
‘Keep them closed.’ His deep voice came from her right. He’d walked around to that side of the bed. She shivered at his tone.
After a couple minutes, her mind had worked itself into a hectic mess. Where was he? What was he doing?
‘Are you thinking about me?’ His words now came from the foot of the bed.
‘Darian, I don’t understand, what are you doing?’ She wanted to open her eyes and manhandle him onto the bed. Her body was coiled in anticipation of his touch, knowing that she was about to make love to her mate.
‘Being with a lover is very different than ‘taking care of business’ on your own. The fact that I am the one to teach you the difference humbles me. I am going to take my time and introduce you to lovemaking.’
She felt his fingers at her ankle. Casually, lazily he began to run his fingers up her leg to her knee and back down again. She felt completely out of control even though all he was doing was touching her leg.
‘Darian…’ Even to her own ears, her voice sounded strained.
‘I bet you never took the time to explore every inch of your own body. How could you? Did you ever stop to appreciate the way your body changes as it prepares itself for loving?’
She shook her head. Her insides were shaking. All she wanted was for him to drive into her as fast and as hard as he could. She needed him desperately. She squirmed, squeezing her legs together.
‘Are you imagining what I will do to you? You saw my cock when I was getting dressed. Are you wondering what it looks like hard and dripping for you?’ His voice came from her left. He was circling the bed.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. ‘Yes.’
With the lightest of touches, she felt his fingers at her hips as he pulled down her panties.
‘You wanted to give me a reason to live, and now I have one. Fate has given me my own piece of heaven, and I will guard it ferociously.’ He spread her legs and she nearly came unglued when she felt his tongue slip between her folds and nibble her gently.
‘You taste like the sweetest of nectars. If we could stop time, would you let me stay right here? I could feast on you for hours and never get enough.’ He began deliberate strokes over her clit, pushing her climb toward madness.
‘Darian! Please! Don’t tease me anymore,’ she begged.
She felt his body move between her legs as his hands slipped under her body to release the clasp on her bra. He pulled it from her body, exposing her breasts.
‘How can one woman be so perfect?’ His voice was louder now that he was closer.
His hot mouth wrapped around her nipple, and he tugged and twisted mercilessly. When his hand reached between their bodies to circle her clit, she cried out and bucked against him wanting more, needing more.
‘Open your eyes, my love,’ he whispered.
Her eyes flew open to see him leaning over her, his lavender eyes bright.
‘My love?’
‘How could I not love the crazy female who kneed me to prove that I wouldn’t hurt her? How could I not love the woman who is willing to descend into hell rather than lose me? I have so very little to offer you, not even a certain future, and you give to me at every turn–your trust, your faith, your body. How could I not love you?’ He buried his face between her neck and her shoulder.
‘I’ve loved you for so long,’ she sobbed. It felt like a dream having him here with her. She wrapped her arms around his head and her legs around his waist. She would never let him go.
He pulled back to look down at her. ‘I wish I could give you more.’
She sniffed and let her tears fall over her temples. ‘All I have ever wanted was you.’
‘I don’t deserve you.’
She began to protest, and he kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘I don’t. I know this. But Goddess willing, I will have enough time on this Earth to make up for the sadness I have caused you.’
‘I wish I had found you a month ago,’ she whispered.
When he realized she was referring to her conception cycle, his eyes filled with tears. ‘I can do no less than try to hold on for the next year. Nothing could honor me more than for you to have my child.’
‘I’ll hold you to that, princess.’ She smiled.
His eyes danced, and he leaned down to nip her collarbone, making her laugh. ‘We need to talk about this nickname you’ve given me.’
‘I like it.’ She grinned.
‘You need a nickname, too, then,’ he said, kissing her neck.
She sighed. ‘I have one.’
He pulled back and looked down at her. ‘What is it?’
She shook her head. ‘Nope, I’m never telling you. I’ll never hear the end of it.’
His smile was wicked. ‘I’ll find out.’ He reached down, and seconds later, she felt him begin to push inside of her. She lifted her hips to end his slow impalement. He kept eye contact and chuckled. ‘None of that. You’ve been in control all your life; it’s my turn.’
Inch by inch, as he stretched her, she realized two things: One: Sex toys couldn’t compare to the heated flesh that she felt. Two: She should have been using larger toys. She was just about to tell him to stop when her body stretched again, accommodating his size. She breathed out a sigh of relief.
His eyes were filled with concern. ‘Are you well? Should I stop?’
‘You stop and I’ll kill you. Just give me a second to adjust.’
His eyes crinkled when he smiled, and he kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Trust me?’
She nodded. He took her at her word. He leaned down and bit her neck as he plunged deep into her. The pain from the bite turned the burning sensation from his stretching her into pleasure, and her body short-circuited between the pain and pleasure.
‘Gods! Yes! More, Gods, more!’
With a deliberate rhythm, he worked his body in and out of hers, each thrust causing them both to cry out. She had never felt so strung out like this. The time he spent not touching her had built up her desire to unimaginable proportions. Each time he didn’t touch her intensified a hundred fold the times he did.
When he began to increase his pace, she knew he was close. He reached between them and placed a finger on either side of her clit. Every time his hips surged forward, he stroked her with his movements. When he threw back his head and roared his release, she easily followed him.
For a few seconds, they enjoyed the feeling of being intertwined before he pulled out of her. Grinning like a schoolboy, he stared down at her. Breathing heavily, she flipped him off. Laughing, he headed toward the bathroom and came back with a washcloth.
He cleaned her gently, kissing her belly and using his finger to tickle her opening. When she clutched down involuntarily, she groaned. She would be feeling this tomorrow. He disposed of the washcloth in the bathroom, returned to bed, and pulled her into the curve of his body.
‘It’s so quiet,’ he murmured.
‘I thought so, too, after visiting your room.’ She yawned and snuggled into his chest.
‘You’ll move to my room tomorrow.’
‘Oh, I will, huh?’ She poked at his side, making him laugh.
He pulled back so he could look her in the eye. ‘Would you do me the honor of moving into my quarters?’
‘Yes, my prince.’ She yawned again and got comfortable. For the first time since meeting him, she fell asleep hopeful of the future.
*****
Amelia woke the next morning to soft kisses on her face. When she opened her eyes, Darian was smiling down at her. ‘Morning, sleepyhead.’
‘What time is it?’ She sat up and saw that he was already dressed in his black fatigues.
‘Not even seven. Breakfast is at eight. I thought you’d like time to get ready.’ The difference in him was amazing. There was life in his eyes, and he hadn’t stopped smiling.
‘You look…’
He laughed. ‘I hardly recognize myself. I woke up this morning and the darkness was nearly gone. I haven’t felt this good in years.’
‘So it’s still there?’
He nodded. ‘Maybe it will always be there, which means you will have to help me keep it at bay.’ He grinned at her and tugged at the sheet covering her body.
‘Darian! Horndog! What have I created?’ She jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom.
‘Need help?’ he offered.
‘No, thank you. If you come in here, I won’t get anything done.’
His masculine laughter was cut short when she shut the door.
Men!
She replayed the events from the night before. Squeezing her legs together, she shook her head. She turned on the shower and quickly went through the motions of getting ready. She put on her makeup and smiled at her fresh-faced appearance. She loved her job, but didn’t feel like doing a complete look every day. Wrapped in her towel, she walked into the room and pulled out her suitcase. Darian watched her get ready.
‘What happened to your suitcase?’
‘I was in a rush trying to get ready for you last night.’
‘So your suitcase exploded?’
She nodded. ‘Pretty much.’
She dug her way through her clothes and pulled out her favorite jeans and a cream sweater. She was debating between her green boy-cut panty set and the blue when she heard Darian clear his throat behind her.
‘Blue.’
She turned. He was staring at the navy blue lace set as if it were the rarest treasure on the planet.
‘Blue it is.’ She stood and let the towel drop, quickly pulled on her bra and panties, and could have sworn she heard her mate whimper. Bending over, she shimmied her breasts into place. She grabbed a pair of socks, put those on, and then slid on her jeans. Finally, she pulled on her sweater.
‘Warmth!’ She snuggled her face into the neckline.
‘Come on, love, I can smell breakfast from here.’ Darian stood and held out his arm.
She had imagined how life with him would be. He’d never know how happy it made her for him to escort her down to breakfast.
Amelia hummed happily as they walked into the dining room. The men stood, nodded at her, and sat when she did.
‘She’s alive!’ Beth declared with a smile.
Amelia blinked, thinking that Beth was referring to the amazing night she had shared with Darian. Her confusion must have shown because Meryn elaborated.
‘You’re up before noon.’ Meryn yawned.
Ryuu was already passing out cups of steaming beverages. He turned to her. ‘Itoko-sama what would you like before breakfast?’
‘Before breakfast?’
Darian chuckled at her side. ‘We have learned to appease the beast before we start eating.’ He pointed to a bleary-eyed Meryn who was blowing on her mug.
‘The beast, huh?’ She turned to Ryuu. ‘I’ll just have a cup of coffee.’
Ryuu nodded and picked up a carafe. ‘Cream? Sugar?’ He turned over her cup. As he poured, the rich smell of coffee filled the air. ‘Yes please, both, and lots of each.’
Ryuu poured milk into a tiny creamer on his serving cart. He set the creamer and a sugar bowl on a small silver tray and set them beside her coffee cup.
‘Thank you, this smells amazing.’ She lifted the cup and inhaled deeply.
Ryuu nodded, his expression intent. ‘We take our coffee very seriously around here.’
‘Thank the Gods we do! Ryuu, can I get what you normally serve Rheia? The coffee with the espresso?’ Keelan collapsed into his chair. Ryuu immediately headed for the kitchen.
‘What’s the matter buddy? Sandman kick your ass?’ Colton laughed.
Keelan looked up with a murderous glare. ‘Why in the fuck are you so happy?’ he growled.
Colton jerked back as if he had been electrocuted. Everyone around the table stared. To Amelia Keelan just seemed more like Kendrick than usual.
Colton stood, his eyes wild, and looked down at his mate. ‘Fix him! He caught a case of Meryn!’
Rheia rolled her eyes and pulled her mate back down into his chair. Penny giggled at her father’s actions.
Meryn growled. ‘I am not contagious, asshole.’
Ryuu swept in from the kitchen, a tall mug in hand. ‘I made it extra strong.’ He set it down in front of the witch and stepped back.
Eyes half closed, Keelan took his first sip and grimaced but kept drinking. His eyes opened slowly, and he blinked, looking around the table. ‘What’s for breakfast?’
‘We have an assortment of bagels and pastries,’ Ryuu answered turning to head back into the kitchen.
Keelan nodded and yawned. ‘Sounds good.’
Aiden stared at him. ‘Everything okay?’ he asked in a very neutral voice.
‘Yeah, I’m just working through some stuff. Oh! Here, I finished it last night when I couldn’t sleep.’ He stood and walked to the other side of the table, stopping in front of Meryn. He handed her something, and she stared at it for a second, looked up at him and then back down, and squealed. She popped out of her chair and threw herself at Keelan, hugging him tight.
Amelia exchanged looks with Darian who shrugged. Amelia turned back to Meryn. ‘Meryn, what is it?’
Meryn was hopping up and down, trying to kiss Keelan’s face. Aiden scooped her up and set her back down in her chair. She was so excited she was practically shaking. Keelan made his way back to his chair and sat down.
‘He made me a sonic screwdriver!’ Meryn waved the cylindrical metal object around.
Beth turned to Keelan. ‘I didn’t know you knew that much about science.’
Keelan shrugged and took another sip of coffee. ‘Who needs science when you have magic?’
Meryn turned it over in her hands. ‘What does it do?’
‘I recorded the sound that the sonic screwdriver makes from the show; it plays that when you press the button,’ he explained.
Meryn looked crestfallen. ‘Is that all?’
Keelan shook his head. ‘No, it plays that sound when you press the green button and launches a stun spell when you press the white button. Each spell is set to knock out a full-grown vampire, the paranormal race least susceptible to electric shock. I think it has a hundred charges stored. When you run out, Ryuu should be able to charge it for you.’
Meryn covertly began eyeing her mate, her finger twitching over the button.
‘No,’ Aiden said.
‘But…’
‘No, Meryn, you cannot test it on me.’ Aiden gave her a stern look and kissed her forehead.
Amelia could tell that her baby sister-cousin was dying to see it in action.
Meryn turned and stared at Colton.
‘No,’ Rheia said.
‘Y’all are no fun.’ Meryn set her screwdriver down next to her plate, but kept looking at it longingly.
‘Breakfast is served,’ Ryuu announced as he wheeled the cart in. One by one, everyone picked what they wanted. Amelia was stuck. She wanted a bagel but also wanted something sweet.
Darian leaned in. ‘Get both.’
She kissed his cheek and did as he advised. She selected an asiago cheese bagel and a raspberry and cream cheese danish.
‘Look who is all kissy-face this morning,’ Meryn teased.
Amelia looked up and Meryn winked. She grinned back and gave Meryn a thumbs up. The men chuckled.
Darian turned to her. ‘Speaking of last night, you said you had three brothers and three half-brothers. As far as I know Caiden, Kyran and Tristan are the only Ironwoods I know.’
‘Well, technically, Caiden, Kyran, and Tristan are my half-brothers. Thane, Justice, and Law aren’t related to me at all; they are Caiden, Kyran, and Tristan’s half-brothers. But growing up, we never made the distinctions, and they all looked after me.’
She heard a fork drop and looked over at Colton who was staring at her.
‘What?’
‘You can’t mean Thane, Justice, and Law Ashleigh?’ he choked out.
‘Yeah, why?’ she looked around in confusion; even Darian looked impressed.
‘Because they are like ghosts. They work completely outside the system and don’t report to anyone. Frankly, they are fucking badass.’ Colton’s voice was full of reverence.
Meryn glared at Aiden. ‘More people you forgot to mention?’
Aiden shook his head. ‘Baby, no one tells them what to do. Even the council can’t order them to do anything; they live by their own code. Every fifty years or so, I extend the offer for them to join a unit, but they always decline.’
‘So how are they related to your brothers?’ Gavriel asked.
Amelia spread cream cheese on her bagel. ‘The Ironwood brothers and the Ashleigh brothers have the same mother. The Ashleigh brothers were born about fifteen hundred years before Caiden, but unlike the Ironwood brothers, the Ashleigh brothers are triplets.’
‘Rumors are true then,’ Gavriel said, rubbing his chin.
‘It explains their strength,’ Aiden added.
‘How is that special?’ Meryn asked. Rheia was the only other one who looked confused.
Amelia realized that they didn’t know because they were human. ‘Meryn, multiple births are really rare amongst paranormals. The essence of what we are tends to demand all of the mother’s resources in the womb. Shifters have their animal, vampires their strength, fae their light and witches their magic. Usually, in instances of multiple births, one baby becomes dominant and tragically kills their sibling by taking all the nutrients. Twins are rare and triplets are considered divine gifts.’
‘We have a set of twins serving in the units don’t we?’ Meryn asked.
Aiden nodded. ‘Yes, Nigel and Neil Morninglory, they are twin witches from Storm Keep.’
‘What was it like growing up with legends for older brothers?’ Colton asked, his face alight with hero worship.
Amelia laughed out loud. ‘Difficult. I used to call Thane all the time to complain that Caiden hated me and didn’t want me to have any fun. Thane would let me cry and vent then explain how much Caiden loved me because he wouldn’t let me jump from the castle battlements like the boys did. Even though we’re not related by blood, they spoiled me terribly.’
‘Do you think they’ll like me?’ Meryn asked in an unusually quiet voice.
Amelia stared and then she remembered Meryn was now family. She had forgotten such an important fact after being with Darian. ‘They are going to freaking love you! Especially Thane. He’s like you and Kendrick; they don’t like people either.’
Aiden choked on his danish. ‘Oh Gods! She is related to them now.’
‘Ha ha! Wait until I tell them you locked me in your trunk.’ Meryn grinned.
Aiden turned milk-white. ‘Now, baby…’
Amelia heard a roaring in her ears, and it felt like ice covered her heart. ‘You did what?’ she asked through clenched teeth. It felt like the floor had shifted under their feet.
One moment she was glaring at Aiden, the next, Darian turned her and took full possession of her lips. His tongue teased hers, and she felt her anger drain away. When he pulled back, the concern on his face was clear to see. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes, thank you for the help.’ Amelia couldn’t believe what she had almost done.
‘What just happened?’ Beth asked, gripping the table.
Embarrassed, Amelia covered her face. She had almost lost control of her magic like an untrained child. ‘I’m so sorry! I haven’t lost control like that in a while. I normally don’t get angry like that. It’s just the idea of poor Meryn locked away…’
Colton laughed. She removed her hands and glared at him. He held up his hands in surrender. ‘You didn’t get the full story. Aiden put her in his trunk after she knocked him out with the back of his toilet and used his head as a kickboxing bag. She ended up denting the shit out of his trunk.’
Amelia blinked and slowly began to smile. ‘Ryuu did mention that bear shifters were susceptible to toilet decks.’
Aiden growled. ‘Anyone would be. Those things are heavy!’
‘Again!’ Penny yelled, her face glowing with excitement.
Rheia shook her head. ‘No pumpkin dumpling, the ground shaking isn’t good for the house.’ Penny frowned looking disappointed.
Aiden winked at the small child. ‘How about we give your grandmother a couple hours off this afternoon, and you can help me train the men again?’
Penny brightened and rewarded Aiden with a smile. ‘ ‘Kay!’
Aiden looked like he would swagger in his chair if he could. He was that proud of himself for making the small child smile.
Amelia felt Penny’s excitement and could relate. The days she got to ‘play’ with her brother’s units were some of her best memories growing up. She’d have to give Penny pointers before they left.
Meryn clapped her hands together. ‘Okay, if we don’t have any more revelations or earthquakes about to happen, let’s head over to Adelaide’s. If we time this right, we can get a second breakfast from Marius.’
Ryuu stared at his charge. ‘You can’t be hungry.’
Amelia giggled. ‘I don’t think he knows about second breakfast,’ she said in an exaggerated accent causing Meryn to laugh.
Ryuu turned to Rheia. ‘Are you sure she doesn’t have a tapeworm?’
Rheia shook her head. ‘Afraid not.’ She turned and kissed Penny on her forehead. ‘Let’s get you settled in the front room before I head to the clinic.’
‘You’re not coming with us?’ Beth asked.
Rheia shook her head. ‘I wish. We’re getting one of the two necklaces back from the council. We’ll be running tests on live cultures to see what happens. Fun times.’
Colton looked over at Aiden, and Aiden nodded. ‘I’ve already assigned Delta and Zeta to guard the clinic. Epsilon and Beta have patrol, and Gamma will be joining us for training. I’ve sent the trainees back to Adair for the rest of the week to help him get the newer cadets trained up. They will be assisting in drills.’ Colton looked relieved.
Meryn grinned evilly. ‘Gamma is coming over?’
Aiden nodded. ‘They should be here any moment.’
Meryn stood. ‘Let’s go.’
Everyone walked toward the front door. Ryuu handed coats to Beth, Meryn, Rheia, and her.
Darian grabbed her hand and let the others pass them in the hallway. He cupped her face.
‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
She turned her face and kissed the center of his palm. ‘Yes, I’m fine. Have fun with the boys.’
‘Thanks to you, I will. I haven’t enjoyed the company of my friends in so long, thank you.’
‘No charge,’ she quipped.
Hand-in-hand, they entered the foyer. Colton was saying goodbye to Rheia and Penny. When he walked to the door, she let go of Darian’s hand, approached the little girl, and knelt in front of her. ‘Hey, Penny.’
‘Hello,’ Penny replied in an adorably sweet voice.
‘I was raised by my brothers, and they used to have me help train, too. Want some tips?’
Penny nodded enthusiastically.
Amelia leaned in close making sure none of the men were listening. ‘They are used to being the tallest people around; if you need to go around them, go vertically. They hardly ever look up.’ Penny nodded. ‘Also, if it’s a matter of speed and it looks like they’re about to get the upper hand, make it look like you’re about to fall. They will instinctively slow down and try to catch you.’ Amelia winked at the small child. Penny gave her a thumbs up and raised her hand. Amelia slapped her a high five.
Rheia watched her as she stood. ‘Should I be concerned?’
Amelia shook her head. ‘Nah, if I lived through it, so can she. Shifters are sturdier than witches.’
‘Fair enough.’ Rheia turned to her daughter. ‘Be a good girl.’
‘ ‘Kay!’
Darian walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Be a good girl,’ he whispered in her ear. She shivered and turned in his arms. ‘Only for you.’
‘Okay break it up you two, virgin eyes over here!’
Amelia and Darian turned to see Sascha leaning against the doorway. Amelia was about to tell him what he could do when Meryn walked passed her toward the door. Without pausing, she extended her sonic screwdriver and stunned the unit leader. He dropped to the floor with a loud thud.
Meryn jumped, throwing her fist in the air. ‘Yes! This shit is awesome!’
Aiden sighed, but the grin tugging at his mouth showed that he really wasn’t too mad. ‘Meryn, no stunning the men. We need them able to protect you,’ he chided gently.
She shrugged. ‘It was worth it.’ She stepped over Sascha’s body and tilted her head back for a kiss. Aiden chuckled and gave her one.
Keelan stepped past Sascha’s body, looking smug. ‘It worked better than I hoped.’
Aiden turned to Colton. ‘Drag him to the training course.’
Colton grabbed Sascha’s ankle. ‘I’m not even going to complain about dragging his heavy ass. It was worth it to see him go down.’ He turned and was about to take his first step when Rheia’s voice stopped him short. ‘Do not let his head bump with each step. I don’t have time to tend to him this morning.’
Colton sniffed. ‘You just ruined my morning.’
Rheia gave him a sly smile. ‘I’ll make it up to you later.’
He immediately brightened and dropped Sascha’s ankle and grabbed the Gamma unit member by the back of his jacket. ‘Come on, old man, time to train.’
Darian leaned in close. ‘And you were upset about a tiny tremor. This is everyday life at the Alpha estate.’
Amelia smiled. ‘I love it!’
Ryuu walked past them with the car keys. ‘Ladies, whenever you’re ready.’ He bowed.
‘Hey, Penny, Felix is staying with you today. Keep him warm,’ Meryn called. Amelia watched as the tiny sprite flew over to Penny and sat on her shoulder.
‘ ‘Kay!’ Penny said snuggling the sprite close.
Meryn turned to Amelia and Beth. ‘Let’s blow this popsicle stand!’
Darian kissed her gently and accompanied her to the door.
She had a new baby sister-cousin and was closer to claiming her mate. Things were definitely looking up.
