"Being little sucks," Meryn growled and walked out.
Warrick winked at Eva. "Have fun."
"Thanks!"
Ryuu easily lifted them out of the canyon to the edge where the desert began. "Stay close, if there's any hint of danger, jump into the canyon," he instructed.
Meryn looked down at the drop. "What if you aren't paying attention?"
Ryuu continued to stare at her without answering.
"Right, super squire, got it." Meryn looked up and squinted at the sun. "Feels so good."
Eva had to agree. Her tiger was already wrestling for control; it wanted out to sunbathe. She looked around; it was only Ryuu and Meryn. Shrugging, she stripped out of her clothes and shifted.
"Holy fuck! You're, like, huge!" Meryn said, climbing up on a rock. "Don't eat me, okay?"
She chuffed and licked the side of Meryn's face, causing her to giggle. She easily vaulted up on to the large rock and got comfortable. Meryn seemed just as happy to lie in the sun.
Eva opened one eye and watched Ryuu pick up her discarded clothes then fold them neatly. She sighed and closed her eyes again.
She lost track of time as she dozed happily in the sun. It wasn't until Ryuu walked over to them that she realized how much the sun had moved overhead.
"Denka, it's been over an hour, and you're starting to turn bright pink. I think it best if we headed inside now."
"Five more minutes. There are no walls. I've missed the sun and wind," Meryn mumbled, half asleep.
Eva touched her nose to Meryn's cheek. Ryuu was right; she was getting toasted. Carefully, she used her teeth to grab ahold of Meryn's collar. She stood, lifting her off the rock. She hopped down and trotted to the edge.
Ryuu bowed. "My thanks."
Meryn yawned. "Can I ride you next time? You can be my battle cat! That would be so cool!" Meryn giggled when Eva swung her from side to side.
When Warrick opened the door for them, his eyes widened. "Everything all right?"
"Yup, we're cool." Meryn gave him a thumbs up as Eva carried her through the level.
Stefan stopped what he was doing and cracked up. "You're in trouble now, Meryn. Once Eva's tiger considers you her cub, you're her cub for life."
"Really?" Meryn asked.
Stefan waved them on. "Good luck."
Adriel and Aiden walked over. "We were about to head down for a break before another meeting. Care to join us?" Adriel offered.
Without answering, Eva carried Meryn to the tunnel and jumped. True to his word, Ryuu, without prompting, lowered them down to Level One. Adriel escorted Aiden behind them.
When she approached the door, she hesitated. How would she open it with no hands? Adriel stepped in front of her and opened the door. "There you go love."
Eva carried Meryn into the prince's home, not stopping until they were in the private room assigned to Meryn and Aiden.
"Eva, what are you doing? The sitting room is that-a-way." Meryn pointed the opposite direction.
Eva jumped, with Meryn, onto the bed and set her down.
"Eva, I'm not tired," Meryn argued before a huge yawn caught her.
Eva was in full agreement with her tiger. It was definitely nap time. She pulled Meryn between her paws and began to groom her.
"Seriously!" Meryn exclaimed, trying to get away.
Gently, Eva rolled Meryn backward with the pads of her paws and continued licking her.
"This is ridiculous! Adriel, get your mate." Meryn yawned again.
Adriel was about to step forward when Aiden grabbed his arm. "Wait a moment."
Eva licked her one last time then nudged her down with her nose.
Meryn complied. "I'm not even tired."
Eva ignored her and began to purr.
"I'm..." Meryn yawned again. "I'm fine." She snuggled in close to her, and Eva continued to purr. After a couple minutes, her breathing evened out, and she was asleep.
"Eva, please, I beg you, let her sleep. It's the first time she's slept in days," Aiden implored.
Eva opened one eye and yawned before resting her chin on her paws. Of course, she would let the cub sleep.
"Come on, Commander, looks like we are not needed here," Adriel said, holding the door open for Aiden.
"Thank you," Aiden whispered.
They closed the door and Eva sighed happily. She got to doze in the sun, and the cub was sleeping, everything was right in her world.
*****
Eva woke up and looked around. Meryn was still sleeping next to her. Carefully, she moved away from her and jumped down off the bed. She shifted back to human and looked around. Thankfully, Ryuu had placed her clothes on the chair in the corner.
She was just finishing up buttoning her shirt when Meryn woke up. Bleary eyed, she sat up and yawned.
"That was awesome sleep." With eyes still half closed, she rolled out of bed and stood, swaying a bit.
Eva bit her lip. On one side of Meryn's head, her hair was sticking straight up from where she had groomed her before their nap. She was about to say something then shrugged. She'd find out soon enough.
Meryn waited for Eva to steer her out of the room and toward the living area. When she heard voices coming from the dining room, she changed directions and headed that way instead.
When they walked in, Beth's eyes widened. "Oh dear."
Aiden had a huge grin on his face. "Did you get a good nap in?" Aiden's eyes softened when Meryn trudged over and climbed into his lap. Still smiling, he did his best to flatten her hair.
"Best sleep in days. Coffee," Meryn said shortly.
Eva walked around the table and sat down next to her mate. There was a tightness around his eyes that she didn't like. "What?"
He looked startled then smiled. "You already know me so well." He looked at the table. "Why not grab something to eat."
It must be bad if he wants me to eat first. Eva stood and grabbed a couple sandwiches that were on one of the platters in the middle of the table. "Eating, see. Now talk."
Adriel hesitated, looking over at Meryn. "She can handle whatever you think you shouldn't say, so spill," Eva directed.
Ryuu walked in from the kitchen and handed Meryn a cup of coffee. Aiden frowned. "I thought she wasn't allowed caffeine."
Ryuu shook his head. "Her body is processing it well. In fact, the baby seems to enjoy it."
Aiden looked at his mate dubiously. "If you're sure."
Ryuu nodded. "I am. Actually, after that nap, she's doing almost as well as if we were back in Lycaonia. The lack of sleep was getting to be a worry."
"Enough about my coffee. What's happened?" Meryn asked, her eyes finally open.
"There's been another murder," Beth said quietly.
Eva dropped her sandwich, the food turning to lead in her stomach. "Who?"
"A Brian Carolton," Adriel said.
Eva sat back in her chair. Brian hadn't been a close friend, but he was part of the pack. She knew he'd be missed.
"Are we any closer to finding the killer?" she asked.
Adriel took her hand. "With the housing project nearly complete, we will be able to dedicate our efforts to finding Augustus Pettier. Thank the Gods for the twins! I do not think we would have finished so quickly without them. Their idea to create two-story buildings grouped in quads allowed us to house eight families per quad. Each quad houses between thirty-two and fifty people."
Eva stared. "You'd only need four or five of those for the entire pack. That's amazing."
Adriel smiled. "Each design also gives the families shared living space for meetings, communal laundry facilities, and of course, the closed courtyard for the pups."
"You all have completed four of these already?" she asked.
"No, we were able to build twelve, six along each wall. We should have plenty of room for a while."
Eva looked at her mate. "Then why did you say the building process was nearly complete? It sounds finished to me."
"We still need to run the utilities: Sewe
r, water, and electric. They should be wrapping up by this evening." Adriel lifted their hands and kissed her knuckles. "Families have already been assigned their new quarters, and the fae warriors are working with Stefan to get personal belongings delivered from the city estate in Albuquerque."
"Thank the Gods. Is there any chance some of my stuff was delivered? I'm itching to change my clothes." Eva pulled her button down away from her skin. It wasn't dirty per se; she had just been wearing it for days. Though Beth's evening dress had fit, her every day clothing was just small enough to be uncomfortable.
Adriel winked. "I may have pulled some strings. Your boxes were carried down to our home while you napped."
"I can't wait." Eva smiled and picked up her sandwich. "We ran into Warrick at the city entrance today. Evidently, he's related to the jerk that harassed us in the Marketplace."
Aiden's low growl carried throughout the room. "I want a chance to speak to this Andre."
Meryn giggled. "You may want to let Warrick handle it. He's almost bigger than you, and he was very upset that his cousin mistreated his commander's mate."
Eva smiled. "I'd say Andre is in for a rough evening."
"Unless his uncle stops him. He did say that Andre took after his uncle," Meryn reminded her.
"With family like that, I'm glad I don't have any uncles," Eva shuddered.
"I have an aunt and uncle now." Meryn picked up her spoon and started in on her pudding.
"What do you mean now?" Eva asked.
"My aunt didn't know about me when I was growing up; my grandmother didn't tell her that my mother had a child, and the last time my aunt saw my mother..." Meryn's voice trailed off.
"Meryn?" Eva watched the barrage of expressions flashing over Meryn's face.
"Hmm? Nothing. Anyway, I got to meet them when I found out Amelia was my big sister-cousin. I went from having no family to a ton of family. It's still kinda weird though."
"It's been just me for hundreds of years. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel," Eva said, taking another bite of her sandwich.
"What is your cousin like, Meryn," Adriel asked.
"She's like me, but she's nice and likes people."
"There are two like you?" Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ryuu took Meryn's coffee cup and replaced it with a tall glass of water. "Denka has described itoko-sama very accurately. Amelia is a unique individual who, due to her empathy, is very kind and attuned to the feelings of others. She doesn't like conflict and prefers everyone around her to be happy."
"So she thinks like Meryn?" Magnus asked.
Ryuu shook his head. "No, my denka is more practical and ruthless than Amelia. If anyone thinks like Meryn, it would be Kendrick."
"Kendrick? Kendrick Ashwood?" Adriel asked.
"Yes. He moved from Storm Keep to take over caring for his brother," Ryuu replied.
Adriel tapped his water glass absently. "His name came up quite a bit in speaking with the twins and other witches. In fact, did we not we get a delivery from Lycaonia from Kendrick for Nigel and Neil?"
Meryn's head turned to face her squire. "Their stuff came?"
Ryuu nodded. "Yes, I took the liberty of delivering it to them while you napped. They were very excited."
"Sweet! I can't wait to see what they come up with. I put in a request for floaty devices." Meryn rubbed her hands together.
"Floaty devices?" Beth asked.
"Yeah, waiting for a tunnel escort blows. I asked them to make me something where I can get around the city by myself," Meryn explained.
Everyone around the table looked uneasy at the idea of a free-range Meryn loose in Noctem Falls.
Meryn scowled. "I can take care of myself, besides don't I have, like, four bodyguards now, not counting Ryuu?"
"Don't forget the wolves are watching out for you, too. Stefan seems to have latched on to the idea that you need protecting," Eva reminded her.
"Oh, yeah. He's fun though. I wouldn't mind hanging out with him." Meryn took another bite of pudding.
Beth's face became thoughtful. "It's not like you to take to someone so quickly outside of our family.
"He's good peeps," Meryn said.
A rapid succession of buzzing had everyone reaching for their phones.
"It's mine," Beth announced. She looked down at her phone, and her eyes widened. Her finger moved quickly as she scrolled. She closed her eyes for a moment before she turned to Meryn. "Meryn!"
Meryn's hand froze in the middle of lifting her spoon to her mouth. "What?"
"How could you?" Beth demanded.
Gavriel leaned in close to his mate and read Beth's phone. His eyes widened, and his mouth began to twitch.
"What? I'm not admitting to anything until I know what I'm being accused of." Meryn set her spoon down.
"You... again... no more." Beth waved her phone around.
Magnus watched, his expression one of concern.
Eva heard the front door open and close before Broderick and Caspian appeared in the dining room doorway. Broderick was grinning and Caspian looked exasperated. "I know it's not true, but I had to come up here to see how you'd be handling it," Broderick chuckled and took his seat next to Magnus. "Breathe, honey."
"Breathe? This isn't the first time she's done this!" Beth crossed her arms on the table and lay her head down on them. Gavriel's head was turned away, but his entire body was shaking with laughter.
"What? Seriously, now I'm dying to know what I did?" Meryn grinned as she took in the chaos around her.
"Ugh!" Beth screeched, her head still down.
Gavriel lost all sense of composure and slumped over his mate, laughing hysterically.
Beth sat up, forcing Gavriel to lean back in his chair. Her mouth twitched. "It's not funny."
Broderick had also joined Gavriel, who was laughing too hard to answer.
Caspian shook his head. "Do not mind them darling, they are idiots, but we love them anyway. What are you going to do?"
Eva sat forward. "Please tell me what she did. Curiosity overload over here."
Beth exhaled loudly and leaned back in her chair. Her resigned expression changed to a soft smile. "Meryn announced on Facebook today that thanks to a third party, she and I were now 'expecting' together."
Eva blinked. It was true that they were both pregnant. How could that be wrong? Beside her, Adriel began to chuckle. "What?"
Adriel turned to Beth. "Was it worded just like that?"
Beth nodded.
Adriel turned to Eva. "Think about it. Thanks to a third party, they are having a baby together."
Third party? Oh!
"Oh." Eva looked at Meryn, who still looked confused. "She still doesn't get it."
Beth sighed. "It wouldn't be so bad, except she also announced we were in a relationship together. Of course, she meant that I had adopted her as a sister."
"Yikes." Eva winced in sympathy. "What's being said?"
"What did I do?" Meryn demanded.
Eva turned to Meryn. "You kinda implied that you and Beth used a sperm donor to get Beth pregnant since you're both lesbians."
Meryn gasped. "I did not!"
Caspian leaned in. "Is Gavriel breathing?"
Beth turned to her mate, startled. She whacked him on the back, and he inhaled loudly then proceeded to laugh uncontrollably.
"You're no help," Beth said, laughing.
"I was a big help," he managed to choke out.
"Oh you!" Beth rolled her eyes.
Meryn pulled out her phone and stared down at it frowning. "Is that why someone asked me what clinic we used?"
Beth groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"Shit." Meryn looked up at Aiden. "Your brother may be calling you confused about phone calls he may or may not be receiving concerning artificial insemination."
Aiden just chuckled until his phone began to vibrate. His laughter was cut short. "Shit." He stood as he answered. "Hey Adam, funny you should call." He walked out of
the room, rubbing the back of his neck.
Eva sat back in her chair, holding her mate's hand. Beth slapped Gavriel's arm as she one-handedly typed on her phone in an effort to do damage control. Broderick cackled as he helped himself to a second sandwich. Meryn scrunched up her nose as she started reading messages.
She turned to her mate. "How was your day?"
Adriel smiled as they took in the chaos around them. "Getting better and better."
CHAPTER TWELVE
After the confusion over Meryn's Facebook announcement calmed down, everyone finished their lunches and returned to whatever project they had been working on for the day. Eva was looking forward to a quiet afternoon in the communications hub with Meryn. Her time in the sun, power nap, and lunch had her feeling great despite the rough start that morning.
Adriel kissed her softly. "Have fun," he said, winking at her.
"I don't think I have a choice when Meryn is involved," she said.
He gave her one final kiss then left, closing the door to the hub behind him. Eva got comfortable in one of the high back leather manager chairs while Meryn tapped away on her laptop. She had just started to doze lightly when the door swung open and slammed against the wall.
"Meryn! We did it!" Nigel announced, bursting through the door. Neil was right behind him, beaming proudly.
Eva jumped a mile. "Dammit boys, y'all trying to kill me?" Eva clutched at her chest.
Meryn jumped up. "Seriously! Already? High five!" Meryn held up both hands, and the twins clapped hands with hers.
"It was in the book you got us from Kendrick. Once we were able to wrap our heads around the theory of trapping winds in crystal, it was surprisingly easy to do." Nigel handed Meryn a small stone. "Later we can see if we can make these into key chains or something easier to carry."
Neil handed one to her. "We were going to do these for the refugees, but it takes a lot out of us. We actually had to wait until the housing project was done before we did these, otherwise we would have been useless. Besides, Adriel isn't comfortable with the refugees having access to the entire city. He said trying to keep them safe was hard enough when they were all in one place."
Eva turned the stone over in her hand. "Is this pumice?"