My Champion

  The admission was so unexpected and honest that she dropped the stack of papers she had been holding. Shaking her head at her own ineptitude, she bent down to pick them up. He shocked her even further when he joined her, picking up the scattered pieces of paper.

  "Did I shock you, young Kari?" he asked in a teasing manner.

  She nodded. "Yes. I was expecting a dictator, but you are..." She hesitated.

  "Tell him," a voice said from the doorway.

  They both looked over to see Bethy smiling at them. "Tell him what you really think. He needs to hear it," she encouraged.

  Magnus handed her the papers as they both straightened, his eyes bright with curiosity. She took a deep breath. "You feel more like a favorite uncle than a prince," she admitted.

  Bethy giggled and nodded. "He is."

  Magnus blinked and began to blush furiously. "I am demanding when I need to be," he said gruffly, walking back to his chair. He sat down and began to go through his own stack of papers.

  "Oh, he is adorable," Kari said, watching the man trying to read notes that were upside down.

  "Not many see this side." Bethy walked in and stood beside her.

  Kari turned to her, pursing her lips. "You could not get him past color coding his notes?"

  Bethy threw her hands in the air. "He was fine when I left him to go live among humans. I don't know how he got so far off track," she said in an exasperated tone.

  "I am right here," he muttered.

  "It is going to take me weeks to retrain him." Kari handed Bethy the "non-urgent" note.

  Bethy winced. "Let me guess, because it was on green paper, it's not urgent."

  "Got it in one."

  "Oh dear."

  "I am still here," Magnus fussed.

  "Kari!"

  Kari turned around to the doorway as Avery flung himself into the room and into her arms. He clutched his forearm to his chest as blood streamed through his fingers.

  "I can't do this anymore! She's a hateful, mean woman!" Avery shook as he buried his face in her neck.

  With fury streaming through her veins, Kari gently disentangled Avery from around her neck and passed him to Bethy who cooed at him and ran a hand over his hair. Magnus was at her side as they left his office and headed toward the front lobby where his secretary sat at her desk. She saw them walking toward her and stood.

  "Sire, thank goodness you are here. That young shifter brat had the audacity to try and tell me how to do my job."

  Kari fought every instinct to throttle the woman. If the prince hadn't been at her side she would have raked her claws across the woman's face for what she had done to Avery. "That shifter brat works for one of the most prestigious training facilities in the world, which grooms personal assistants for the CEOs of the Fortune 1000 companies. He is actually the personal assistant to the owner and CEO of that company; he knows exactly what he is talking about," she fumed.

  "Maybe that is impressive in the human world, but this is Noctem Falls. Working for the prince of our people is in a league entirely of its own," Cheryl argued.

  "You have disparaged both shifters and humans in the thirty seconds I have been standing in front of you. It leaves me wondering if this point of view has affected the way you do your job," Kari pointed out.

  Magnus' eyes narrowed. "Like not passing along complaints from shifter unit warriors or our new refugees?"

  When Cheryl paled, Kari knew her guess had been accurate. She turned to Magnus. "In this type of politically charged atmosphere, neglecting to pass on vital information could have disastrous results. If she were my employee, I would fire her."

  Magnus nodded. "I agree. Cheryl, you are fired. Please pack your belongings and return to your family level. I will discuss your termination with the head of your Founding Family, Hugo Evreux." Sputtering, Cheryl began to pack up her desk with shaking hands.

  Kari looked over at the two unit warriors standing guard just outside the door. "Gentlemen?" she called. As one they turned to her.

  "Yes, Ms. Delaney?"

  "I am sorry; I have not met either of you yet." Kari smiled warmly at them.

  "I am Vindonnus Li'Elearson, Kappa Unit, my friends call me Vin." The fae bowed regally.

  "And I am Keegan Basswood, Iota Unit, witch." The blond imp winked at her cheekily.

  "Could one of you ensure that Cheryl returns to her Level without issue?" she asked.

  Vin nodded. "Of course, it would be my pleasure." His wicked grin hinted that Cheryl would not be missed.

  "How could you! You are one of us," Cheryl hissed at her.

  Kari blinked. "One of you? You mean vampire?"

  Cheryl nodded with a sour expression.

  "People like you are the reason I hate Noctem Falls. I do not see you as "my people"; you are the reason I have stayed away," Kari admitted. Magnus wasn't the only one who looked surprised. "It was almost preferable to stay and be cannon fodder for the ferals than return here to face such prejudice. If it were not for my brother, I would have chanced staying on my own."

  "That animal is not a vampire; he cannot be your brother," Cheryl sneered.

  Kari snapped. She stepped forward and grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her a foot off the ground. She hissed in her face, showing her fangs. "That animal is my family, bitch. It would be in your best interest to remember that. He has more kindness and light in his baby toe than you do in your entire rotting body." She flung Cheryl across the room where Vin caught her easily. He secured both of her arms at her side. "Get her out of here," she ordered.

  Grinning, Vin gave a half bow. "At once."

  "My things!" Cheryl protested.

  "I will go through your 'things'. Anything that is truly yours and yours alone will be sent up later," Kari said, trying to reel in her anger.

  When Cheryl opened her mouth to argue further, Kari growled. "I am having a very bad day! I found my mate with his stomach torn open this morning; do not push me!" Cheryl closed her mouth, and Vin practically half-carried half-dragged her down the hall.

  Kari took a deep breath and forced herself to turn around. Behind her, Avery, Bethy, and Magnus stood with varying degrees of shock on their faces. "Sire, I am so sorry for my outburst. It was unprofessional and disruptive. I will return to Level Six at once." She looked down and stared at the floor, feeling more humiliated at her own reckless behavior than anything else she had experienced in her long life.

  "Like hell you will!" Magnus shouted.

  Kari looked up, eyes wide. "Sire?"

  Bethy had one arm wrapped around Avery and a hand covering her mouth as she fought back giggles. "He likes you."

  Magnus crossed the room and took both hands in hers. He shocked her further when he began to spin her around the room in an impromptu dance. "Please, if we are to be working together, call me Magnus." He dipped her back and brought her upright again. "She is gone! Thank the gods, she is gone!"

  Kari laughed as Magnus twirled her around. "Sire, you are the prince here, you could have fired her ages ago."

  Magnus stopped and shook his head. "Not without political fallout. She is an Evreux. It would have been hard to dismiss her without a good reason. If I were to simply say that she got on my nerves, I could have alienated the entire family."

  "Well it's a good thing Kari and Avery are moving to Noctem Falls, then isn't it. You desperately need a new personal assistant and secretary," Bethy said slyly.

  Avery's eyes were as wide as saucers. "We're moving here?" he whispered.

  Kari felt her stomach drop. She hadn't made that connection yet.

  Bethy took in their stunned expressions. "Sugar!"

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kari felt the room begin to close in on her. "Declan. Declan is my mate, and he is a unit warrior here; of course he cannot leave."

  Avery stepped away from Bethy and wrapped his uninjured arm around her. "It's okay Kari, we can do this! As long as I'm with you, I don't care where we live."

  Kari's hearted
melted a bit. "What about our condo? And your library studies?"

  Avery tensed and pulled back. "Where will we live now? I thought the guest quarters were temporary."

  Kari could feel the mounting panic threatening to overwhelm her. "I do not know Avery, I do not know." She hated not knowing. She was usually wonderful in a crisis; why was she melting down now?

  "It could be because you have had a lot thrown at you this morning," Magnus answered wrapping a fatherly arm around both her and Avery.

  Kari winced. "I said that out loud?"

  "Yes, but don't worry. If anyone deserves to take a moment to reorient themselves, it's you." Bethy smiled at them.

  "Reorient. Right." Kari pushed back the panic and focused on what she should be doing. "We need to finish figuring out how bad Prince Magnus' office is, clean out Cheryl's mess, check in on Declan, grab a bite to eat, then figure out our future plans. I'll break down tasks tomorrow."

  Magnus patted them both on the shoulder and stepped back. "I have a feeling that our esteemed doctor will not trust Declan to stay in bed, so I told Adriel he is to be moved to my guest quarters on this level, so we could keep an eye on him. There is more than enough room for the two of you as well."

  Kari sputtered. "But Sire, we were supposed to go to Level Six."

  Bethy shook her head. "If you were another refugee, that might be the case, but you're not. You're Declan's mate and my uncle's new assistant; that makes you practically family."

  Avery scooted closer to her, "I like having more family," he whispered, blushing.

  Bethy inhaled. "He's just too sweet!" She pulled Avery into her arms and hugged him. He smiled brightly and rested his head on her shoulder.

  Kari looked at Magnus. "Sire, are you sure you would like me as an assistant? To be honest, I will run you ragged."

  "Are you sure you want to take this on? From what you said earlier, you run a very successful company training CEO's personal assistants."

  "How did you..."

  Magnus nodded to Avery. "As if you would let him work for anyone else?"

  Avery laughed. "Nope!" He popped his 'p'.

  "I can do most of my work remotely," she tapped her chin. "But I would hate to give up my condo. I love the view, and it is in my hometown."

  "I am sure we can arrange something," Magnus said nodding.

  Kari turned to Avery who was beaming at her, and he nodded. She turned to Magnus. "I am willing to try this on a probationary basis. If, at the end of the training period, you or I feel like we are not a good fit, I will begin interviewing the paranormal assistants my company has trained for a replacement." She stuck out her hand.

  Grinning, Magnus shook it. "Deal."

  "Wonderful, now I really get to break you in," she said evilly.

  Magnus' grin faded. "What?"

  Bethy laughed at his expression, then sobered. She turned to Kari. "Can that wait a bit?" She looked down at her watch. "Adriel should be here any moment with statements regarding Declan's assault, I, for one would like your input."

  Kari turned to Avery. "Will you be okay here by yourself?"

  Avery rolled his eyes. "Yeeeesss. As long as someone can bring me some antibacterial wipes." He eyed his new desk and shuddered. "And maybe a sage smudge stick."

  "Brat." Kari ruffled his hair.

  "Don't worry, Ms. Delaney, Vin and I will watch over him," Keegan offered holding up a first-aid kit.

  She nodded at him. "My thanks."

  Seconds later, Adriel and Gavriel arrived with two men she didn't recognize. Straightening her back, she joined them in Magnus' conference room, unsure of what she was walking into.

  *****

  Kari sat between Bethy and the huge bear shifter that had been introduced as Aiden McKenzie, the Unit Commander. She had heard rumors that he and his mate were in the city visiting but hadn't believed them. Shifters, much less a future Elder, hardly ever came to Noctem Falls.

  The unit leader, Adriel Aristaios, sat on the other side of Aiden. He was officially introduced when he walked in shortly after they sat down. He told them he had dropped Micah off at the Unit Level before returning to give his report. According to him, Declan would be out of surgery soon, and the doctor hadn't found any issues and was expecting him to recover fully by the next day.

  On the other side of Adriel was Stefan Bolivar, the acting Alpha to the wolf pack that had taken refuge here in the city. He reminded her a bit of Avery, in that he was young, but where Avery still had the shine of innocence, Stefan's eyes held a bit of jaded skepticism.

  "So, wait. What you are telling me is that Gerald DuBois admitted his mating to Rachelle was arranged?" Magnus asked after Adriel filled them in on the circumstances surrounding Declan's attack.

  Adriel nodded. "Yes, for the entire Level to hear. Evidently it is a common practice among the Founding Families to keep bloodlines pure."

  Magnus sat back, looking stunned. "But that is not what a mate is."

  "Uncle, this concerns me. I grew up here and never heard of such a thing," Bethy admitted.

  Gavriel gave an undignified snort. "Because they knew that if Magnus learned of it, he would abolish the practice immediately."

  Aiden paled. "Please tell me these women were willing."

  Bethy inhaled sharply, looking ill. She stood, placing a hand over her stomach. "Please excuse me." She darted toward Magnus' private bathroom. Gavriel was at her side before Kari could blink. He closed the door as sounds of Bethy retching reached them.

  Magnus let out a string of curse words as he stood and began pacing nervously. "She should not be hearing such distressing things in her condition."

  Her condition?

  It dawned on her what he meant. "She is pregnant?"

  Magnus stopped his pacing and turned to her with a smile on his face. "Yes. We found out after she arrived. I am going to be a great uncle." He puffed his chest out proudly.

  "A thousand blessings on her and her child; this is wondrous news!" Kari exclaimed, making a mental note to order proper gifts.

  Magnus sat back down but stared at his bathroom door. "Maybe she and Meryn should return to Lycaonia. This is not the best environment for them."

  Aiden sighed loudly. "I think you know them both well enough by now to know that they wouldn't leave you in the lurch."

  "He's right," Bethy said, patting her face with a damp paper towel. She smiled up at her mate. "I'm fine. It was just the idea of being trapped like that with someone who wasn't your mate for years, decades even." Her eyes began to tear up.

  Gavriel quickly helped her back to her seat. "So, do we kill Gerald DuBois?" he asked in a calm tone.

  Stefan Bolivar nodded. "Sounds good to me."

  Kari choked on the sip of water she had just taken. Bethy shook her head and patted her on the back. "No, my love, we don't kill Gerald DuBois." Gavriel simply shrugged.

  Kari could understand his line of reasoning. In his mind, Gerald had done wrong, but the most grievous offense, even if it had been indirectly, had been upsetting his pregnant mate. "I like you," she said, nodding her approval.

  Gavriel's mouth twitched. "I believe I like you as well Kari Delaney. You were surprised at my suggestion, but you actually agree with it, do you not?"

  Kari thought about it for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You are forgetting it was my mate he almost killed. Something tells me that Gerald DuBois is no stranger to violence. He may not have intended Declan to be his victim, but he clearly wanted to kill someone."

  Gavriel's eyes darkened. "Forgive me, I had forgotten Declan nearly died. You are right, a man like that carries a taint of evil. He should be dealt with sooner rather than later."

  "He is currently a guest in our detention cells. He will have a chance to plead his case, but I cannot see what he could possibly say to defend himself," Magnus said.

  Kari thought it over. "He is losing his 'mate'; that is a powerful argument."

  Aiden cursed. "I had not thought of it like that. She is right; t
hat could sway people."

  "Wonderful," Magnus groused. "We have the dinner with the DeLaFontaines this week. It was already going to be awkward, this will just make it painful."

  Stefan groaned. "You can leave me off the invite list. I'm not too proud to admit that sort of dinner is over my head. I stick my foot in my mouth in the best of situations. With a dinner like that, I'd start World War Three."

  Kari leaned forward. "Why would it be awkward?"

  Bethy chortled, and Gavriel grinned openly. Adriel, on the other hand, was rubbing the back of his neck. Aiden looked resigned. "Well?"

  Aiden cleared his throat. "My mate, Meryn, and Adriel's mate, Eva, reenacted the scene from 300 with Ivan DeLaFontaine in the transport tunnel."

  Kari frowned, then realized the significance of the tunnel. Eyes wide, she looked from the unit leader to the Unit Commander. "They did not," she whispered.

  Adriel nodded. "My Eva delivered a picture-perfect roundhouse kick to the chest, Meryn's squire electrified him with some sort of blue flame so he could not fly. His son had to fish him out of the safety net, tearing it in the process. We still need to get it fixed."

  Kari turned to Aiden and Adriel. "I have got to meet your mates." Both men winced.

  Bethy cleared her throat. "I'll be happy to introduce you to my newest friend, Eva Mae Miller, and my adopted baby sister, Meryn McKenzie."

  "You adopted his mate?" Kari asked, pointing at Aiden.

  Bethy nodded slowly. "You'll understand after you meet her."

  Adriel tapped his clipboard. "I do not care what Declan may say later to try and avoid trouble, I want Gerald DuBois prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I will not tolerate anyone hurting my warriors, much less hurting a man who is like a brother to me." He paused. "A bratty, insolent, annoying, and exasperating brother, but a brother just the same."

  Kari watched Adriel closely. His voice was even, almost sardonic, his outward appearance cool and collected, but his knuckles were white where he gripped the clipboard nearly to a breaking point. "Thank you, Adriel, for speaking for Declan when he cannot."