CHAPTER SIX
Etain's expression darkened. "Earlier this afternoon when Vivi and I took the injectors up to Level Six, Meryn joined us. She wanted to install speakers there for her new PA system. One of the tunnel escorts said some things to Meryn that hurt her feelings."
Vivi rolled her eyes. "Men." She turned to Aiden. "From what I heard Meryn has had run-ins with this particular escort before because she said, 'Not you again,'. The tunnel escort said that people were talking about Meryn saying that she was an embarrassment to you and how people felt sorry for you."
Rheia sucked in her breath, and Aiden snarled. Vivi looked down the table at Rheia. "What?"
Rheia's eyes were misty. "Meryn had a very difficult childhood. We're still getting details as she's not one to share, but one thing has become extremely clear. She must have been told on an almost daily basis how worthless she was. Her grandmother ignored her to the point of neglect and put her down often. Meryn has been walking around for the past couple months waiting for Aiden to announce that he has changed his mind, and that he would never be with someone like her."
"Oh gods! Hearing that from the tunnel escort must have been like her worst nightmare coming true," Ellie said sniffling.
Aiden stood chest heaving. He looked over to Etain. "You're with me."
Etain stood. "Yes, sir."
"Aiden," Magnus called out as the Unit Commander stalked from the room.
Aiden spun a dark-brown muzzle semi-imposed on his face. "Yes," he snarled.
"Whatever you do. You have my blessing." There was a dark look in the prince's eyes.
Aiden simply nodded and headed for the door. Etain dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
"Have fun storming the castle," she called out after him.
Etain frowned. "What castle?"
Vivi shook her head. "Never mind. Give em hell."
"That I can do," he promised, grinning evilly.
*****
Etain had to almost jog to catch up the commander by the transport tunnel. Etain held out his arm. "What level, sir?"
"Give me a second. If we go up there now, I will kill someone." Aiden put his hands on his hips and took a few deep breaths.
Etain noticed that when Aiden rested his hand on his arm, his claws were out despite trying to calm down. "Level Five first," Aiden said.
First?
Once on the level, Aiden walked up to the door of the first set of quarters. Etain inwardly groaned. The quarters next to the tunnel were always those of the highest ranking family, in this case. DeLaFontaine.
Aiden raised his hand, but instead of knocking, he beat on the door so hard it split down the middle. A moment later, a frightened looking squire opened the door. "Y-y-yes?"
"Tell DeLaFontaine he has two minutes to assemble his people before I start pulling people out of their houses and considering how pissed I am. They may not make it out in one piece."
"Yes, sir!" the squire left the open door at a run.
Less than a minute later DeLaFontaine was standing in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, a sneer on his face. When he saw the state Aiden was in, he swallowed hard. "Unit Commander, what can my people do for you?"
"With Etain Vi'Aerlin as my witness, I am challenging anyone on the level that feels that they have a right to hurt my mate. Once I leave this level any future insult will be seen as a direct challenge to me, and I will respond in kind with a fight to the death," Aiden announced in a quiet tone.
DeLaFontaine's face drained of color. "Gods, what has that idiot escort done now?"
"Five minutes I will wait. After that I will assume everyone on this level has nothing to say. After I leave this level all bets are off," Aiden looked at his watch. "Four minutes and thirty seconds."
DeLaFontaine scrambled away from the door and a moment later runners were heading in every direction.
Aiden cracked his knuckles. "While we wait, fetch your mouthy tunnel escort, I am challenging him directly."
DeLaFontaine nodded. "Of course."
Etain had never been more proud to call himself a unit warrior. Aiden McKenzie through action and deed had proven over and over again through the centuries how deserving he was of his rank. It was moments like this, not his bloodline, that earned him the respect and admiration of every unit warrior across the country.
Etain knew he would never forget this moment for as long as he lived. He knew he was witnessing something that would live as legend throughout his long lifetime. He would do anything and everything possible to ensure that Aiden saw this through to the end.
DeLaFontaine dropped a struggling man at their feet. "Commander, he is all yours. I hope that this small show of support on my part helps to prove that I do not share this worm's feelings."
Aiden simply nodded before kicking the escort in the teeth, much in the same way Vivi had earlier that afternoon. "Get up you sack of shit. I am going to remove my mate's name from your mouth physically. When I am done with you, you will never again look in her direction. You won't even stand in the same proximity as her, stealing her air."
Etain stood feet spread, hands clasped behind his back and watched as Aiden McKenzie beat the living hell out of the man who had hurt his small mate. Now he understood what he had meant by Level Five first. The commander was only getting started.
*****
"Do you think they're okay?" Vivi asked for the third time.
Anne snorted. "I think they are just fine. I would hate to be anyone standing in their way."
Ellie's eyes were huge. "I've never seen a shifter that close to third form before. He was hanging on by a thread."
Anne sighed happily. "That's how much he loves her."
"I would tear apart continents for you my love," Kendrick interjected.
The three women looked over at him, and Anne nodded. "Of course you would." They exchanged looks and laughed.
"I am feeling very left out over here," Kendrick said pouting.
Anne popped up off her stool. "My poor mate." She walked over and kissed his face repeatedly.
Vivi relaxed against the lab counter. Rheia and Marjoram were doing another sweep at the hospital seeing if there were any major changes with the children. So far, the children were doing well. According to Ellie, they looked better than she had ever seen them.
Rheia was also responsible for securing three new donations for further trials. Per Magnus' request, the second batch of donated blood would be coming from the citizens on Level Six. He didn't want the warriors contributing to the point of being pulled from their normal duties. His reasoning was that there was plenty of vampire blood in a city of vampires.
Vivi watched as Anne placated her mate when the book he was holding caught her attention. It was black with blood-red lettering. "Kendrick, what's that book?"
Kendrick held up the heavy volume. "A gift from our little midget. She saw it in Magnus' treasure trove and picked it up for me. She said and I quote, 'It's black and looks like it's written in blood, I thought of you.'" He glanced down at the book. "I am very glad she brought it to me. I hate to think what this could do in the wrong hands."
"Black magic?" Vivi asked.
He nodded gravely. "It makes your stone look like a fidget spinner."
Vivi winced. "I wonder what else she got."
Kendrick's answering grin was terrifying. "Something for Felix."
"I don't even want to know," Anne admitted.
"Did she get anything for herself?" Ellie wondered out loud.
Anne nodded. "She got this little necklace. It's very simple, but she said she liked it."
"So she got a free pass to pick out any three things from Prince Magnus' vault, and she only got one thing for herself?" Vivi was impressed.
Kendrick shrugged and turned back to his book. "That's just Meryn. If she didn't see anything she wanted she would have just walked away. She never would have taken something just to take it."
Behind Vivi the door opened and Rheia walked in smiling. "Getting donations was a breeze. Though, we are starting to get questions from the vendors about a possible treatment for the vampires." She walked over and handed Vivi the bags of blood.
Using her thumb, she unlocked her biometric case. Kendrick shuddered. He was the first witch she had met who showed such a sensitivity to black magic. Carefully, she lifted the stone out the case and carried it over to the refrigerator. She set everything inside and shut the door before looking up at the clock. It was already time for dinner.
"I don't know about you all, but I'm starved." Vivi stretched her arms over her head.
"I know I am. I want to check on Meryn too. She hasn't left her room all day." Rheia said looking worried.
"Let's get ready and meet in the antechamber. We can check on her together," Ellie suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Anne agreed.
Vivi followed the women out of the room and headed toward her quarters. She wondered if she would see her mate before dinner.
*****
"Did I tell you about how he picked up the tunnel escort and used him to beat one of the Noble Family's sons?" Etain asked.
Vivi hid a smile. He had, in fact, twice, since arriving in the suite an hour ago. "Yes, but you can tell me again."
Etain laughed, his eyes shining. "I wish I had recorded it, for posterity of course."
"Of course," she murmured as she applied the last of her make up.
When she turned around she could only stare. Etain was in full fae dress. His long robe was a cream color that draped over his body beautifully. The full body overvest that hung to the floor was a burnt orange accented in embroidered gold. She sighed. "You are so beautiful."
He sauntered up to her and nuzzled her neck. "If I hadn't just watched you perfect your make up for the past half hour, I would kiss you senseless."
"You're too good to me," she teased and leaned her head away from giving him better access to her neck.
He gave her one final quick bite that her knees threatening to buckle before he stood back and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"
They left her quarters and headed to the antechamber. When they walked in she was struck by how very quiet it was. She glanced around, and everyone stood looking grim. Under her hand, she felt Etain's body tense. She followed his gaze and saw Meryn, or at least, she believed it was Meryn.
The small human sat on the edge of the chair her back ramrod straight. Instead of her normal tee and sweatpants she was dressed immaculately in a stylish black cocktail dress. Her hair was perfectly coifed, and jewels dripped from her neck, ears and wrists.
"Who's that?" Vivi whispered.
Meryn gave her a short smile. "Don't be silly. It is just me."
Ryuu stood off to one side. His face was an unreadable mask, but his rage seemed to simmer just below the surface. Waves of anger radiated from him like heat off of asphalt.
Aiden just looked confused. "Are you comfortable baby?" he asked.
"I am very well, thank you," she replied.
Beth, Anne and Rheia exchanged worried glances, which had their mates frowning, their concern doubled, both for their mates and for Meryn.
Sebastian cleared his throat looking anxious. "Dinner is ready," he announced to the subdued room.
Meryn turned to Aiden and waited for him to stand before offering him her gloved hand. He instinctively helped her to rise and escorted her to the dining room. When the door shut behind them, Rheia turned to Kendrick. "What the actual hell?" she growled.
Kendrick shrugged. "I scanned her. She's not under any influence; drug, magic or otherwise. This is all her."
"Come on, we don't want them thinking we are talking about her," Anne said pulling Kendrick toward the door. He frowned. "But we are." Rolling her eyes she walked beside him through the doorway.
Colton looked down at Rheia his eyes shiny. "I want our Meryn back. Fix her," he pleaded.
Rheia bit her lip. "This may not be something I can fix, my love." Growling under his breath, he escorted his mate to dinner.
One by one, the couples made their way into the dining room. No one spoke. The silence was overwhelmingly oppressive. Everyone grasped for something to say and all efforts at small talk fell flat, creating an awkward miasma. As the courses were served everyone ate quietly. No one was laughing at some silly prank or story.
Across the table, Vivi watched Meryn closely. When she wasn't eating she sat with her hands folded in her lap. Her manners were impeccable to the point of being too proper.
"Uh... We've made some progress today," Ellie started, unable to take the silence anymore.
Magnus turned to Vivi. "Yes, please update us on the results of your trials." Even Vivi could tell he was trying to get a conversation going based on Ellie's cue.
Vivi cleared her throat. "We chose to inoculate half of the children with the first batch of donated blood from the warriors. Under the microscope, we are now able to see reactions from the virus as it fights off the vampire blood. I am estimating that the blood is able to destroy at least sixty percent of the virus before it begins to replicate itself."
"Sixty percent on the first trial? That is wonderful news." Magnus exclaimed sounding overly enthusiastic. He turned to Meryn. "Is that not joyous news Meryn?" he asked.
She nodded primly. "Yes, Your Highness, that seems to be felicitous news indeed."
"That is it!" Law growled. "Meryn, what in the hell is wrong with you?"
She gave him a frosty look. "I don't know what you mean."
Law waved at her. "You, all of you. It's not you," he fumbled.
Kendrick patted his shoulder. "Good job."
"He's just worried about you baby," Aiden said. He reached over to pull Meryn into his lap as usual when she slapped at his hands. "Don't act childish, it's embarrassing," she snapped.
Aiden recoiled back in shock looking sick. "What?" he whispered.
Suddenly, everything made sense. Meryn was acting the way she thought she should, so that she wouldn't cause problems for her mate. Something in the way she said the words 'childish' and 'embarrassing' sounded as though she were channeling someone else.
"Etain, my love. Why don't you tell Meryn what Aiden spent the afternoon doing," she suggested.
Frowning he looked down at her. She saw the moment of realization dawn in his eyes when he figured out what was going on. He nodded and squeezed her hand under the table. "Today I was privileged enough to witness something that will become legend. The retelling of this afternoon's events will be passed on from generation to generation for thousands of years to come."
Meryn looked at him. "What did you see?"
"Your mate, the Unit Commander, Aiden McKenzie challenging every level of Noctem Falls."
Meryn's head spun around to Aiden. "Why on earth did you do something like that?" she asked sounding more like herself and less like the wooden doll she was trying to be.
Aiden looked down at her, his wounded soul shining in his eyes. "Because I was tired of the people in this city hurting the most important person in my world."
Meryn's mouth dropped. "You fought an entire city... for me? Why! They're just gonna hate you now, and it's all my fault!" she buried her face in her hands.
Aiden couldn't bear it a second more and scooped her into his lap. She thrashed around, but he didn't let her go. "What makes you think I care if they hate me? They're a city of douchebags right?" he asked.
She stopped wiggling and looked up at him her eyes narrowing. "Are you seriously quoting me back at me?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to protect you," he growled. "You are mine, made perfect just for me! What makes you think I want a mini version of Daphne Bowers?" he asked shuddering. "I want my tiny, mouthy, crazy, quirky, brilliant mate to throw things at me, accidentally shoot me and beat me with my toilet!" he roared breathing heavily.
Meryn's mouth twitched and a moment later the air around her shimmered until she was wearing her Cheeto stained Pikachu pajamas. "I knew you were a mannequin."
Aiden rolled his eyes. "Masochist baby. The word is masochist."
Someone snorted out loud and the entire room erupted into laughter. Colton banged on the table. "I knew you were a glutton for punishment!"
Aiden gave his best friend a flat look. "It's easier to just roll with what she says than to argue."
"He likes it," Meryn said grinning.
"Thank the everloving gods!" Kendrick muttered sitting back in his chair.
Beth glared at Meryn. "If you ever scare me like that again I will... I will..."
"Yeah?" Meryn challenged grinning.
"I will block all your streaming accounts and super glue your laptop shut!" Beth threatened.
Meryn's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!"
"Try me," Beth crossed her arms over her chest.
Meryn looked down at the table. "I thought I was helping Aiden. I didn't want to embarrass him."
Rheia laughed. "You're only now worrying about that?"
Meryn looked up concern on her face. "I do embarrass him?"
The men were all shaking their heads, but Anne and Rheia were nodding and laughing. "Of course you do, but he doesn't care," Rheia replied.
"Rheia..." Colton started.
Rheia held up a hand to head off her mate before focusing on Meryn. "You ignored protocol and moved into the Alpha Estate. You called René Evreux a douchebag in the council chambers. You beat Aiden with a toilet, set his car on fire, took over trainee assignments, somehow managed to get an article printed that Daphne Bowers had vaginoplasty, covered the entire Lycaonia town square in flour glue, flew a drone into Noctem Falls' detention cells to bewitch Gerard Dubois into calling himself a douchebag while under oath..." Rheia gasped for breath. "Do I need to go on?"
Meryn looked up at her mate. "Was that embarrassing?"
Aiden's mouth opened and closed. He looked around then back down at his mate. "I'm not quite sure how to answer this."
Most of the men around the table at this point could barely breathe including Etain. Vivi had no idea the woman in front of her was so wonderfully nuts. She rubbed her mate's back as he gasped for air.
Beth wiped her eyes from laughing. "I think Rheia's point is, that if you can do all that and Aiden thinks you are adorable, what made you think that the way you dress or spoke made a difference?"
Meryn shrugged and stared down at the table.
Vivi took a deep breath and went out on a limb. "Don't act childish! It's embarrassing!" she barked. Meryn visibly shrunk against her mate.
"Vivi!" Ellie gasped.
"Meryn, who used to say that to you?" Vivi asked in a softer tone.
"My grandmother," Meryn whispered.
"Where is she now?"
"Dead."
"Good. She sounds like a hateful bitch."
Meryn looked up smiling a bit. "She was. My Aunt Lily said we may be able to get her grave moved closer so we can desecrate it easier."
Law had just taken a huge gulp of wine began to choke. His face turned red as he struggled to breathe. "Gods Meryn, don't do that!" he fussed.
Meryn turned in Aiden's lap and looked at Ryuu who was visibly fighting his emotions. "I'm sorry."
Ryuu walked over and knelt beside Aiden's chair taking both her hands in his. "Please don't ever change. I would rather take on the entire world than to see you become something terrible."
"You mean a douchebag?" Meryn asked.
He shook his head. "No, normal. You are not normal Meryn, that is what makes you so unique and special. When people conform, they make themselves fit a cookie cutter mold and when that happens, they become interchangeable and replaceable. You my dearest heart are so perfectly imperfect that others fear who and what you are, because you reflect back at them how ordinary and small minded they are. Do you understand?" he asked keeping eye contact.
She gave him a wobbly smile, fighting back tears. "Basically, I'm a Fruit Loop in a bowl of Cheerios."
Ryuu raised both of her hands to his lips before pressing them to his forehead. He brought them down between them. "Yes. Yes, you are."
"You're our Fruit Loop Meryn and don't forget it," Colton said wagging a finger at her.
Etain looked down at Vivi. "How did you know about her grandmother?"
"I didn't. I was much older when I attended university. I may have looked like a twenty-year old, but I had several centuries under my belt. My roommate used to put down others, but when she did, her voice became harsher. I didn't understand it until the first Christmas when her family visited. Her father would bark at her in the exact same tone. I knew when I heard Meryn's voice that they weren't her own words, she was just parroting back something she had heard repeatedly," Vivi explained.
"What happened to your roommate?" Meryn asked turning back around to face the table. Ryuu took a step back but didn't move far away from his charge.
Vivi smiled. "She fell in love with a local farmer much to her father's dismay, moved far away and lived long enough to have great-great grandchildren running around her kitchen."
Meryn gave a decisive nod. "Good." She looked up at her mate. "Did you really fight everyone?"
Aiden grinned and held up his knuckles, that, despite shifter healing were still red and swollen. Meryn peppered his hand with kisses. She looked up her eyes sparkling. "Didja kill anyone?" she asked brightly.
"Oh yeah, she's feeling better," Rheia commented, sipping her water.
Aiden shook his head. "No baby I didn't."
"I bet if he had gone after that tunnel escort after Meryn slapped his hand, that would not be true," Gavriel commented.
Aiden's eyes darkened. "More than likely."
Etain cleared his throat. "He didn't just beat them Meryn."
"Oh? What else?" she asked.
"He declared that if anyone else moving forward hurt you through word or deed it would be seen as a direct challenge to him, and he would fight them to the death," Etain explained.
"Holy shit," Colton whispered then frowned at Aiden. "If you were going to go all out you should have invited me. I think I'm pissed."
Aiden rolled his eyes. "I needed the warrior of the city who had witnessed the transgression for which I was basing my challenge on." He gave Colton a sour look. "You would have complicated matters."
Gavriel chuckled. "That is putting it mildly. There would have been a number of disembowelments and our lovely doctors and nurses are busy enough as it is. They did not need to spend the afternoon stitching up bigoted bootlickers."
Declan sat back. "Etain gets all the fun," he griped.
Colton eyed his new friend. "Maybe we could meander through the levels to see if anyone else needs a reminder on how to treat our midget."
"I am not a fucking midget Colton," Meryn threw a roll at him.
Adriel and Aiden pinched the bridges of their noses before Adriel turned to Aiden. "That is your second in command."
Aiden pointed to Declan. "And he's yours."
Kendrick looked over at Etain. "That reminds me. We need to attend morning drills with Goddard and Viktor. I owe Goddard a bit of sparring and I told Viktor you would be interested in training with him after I told you how he flirted with Vivi."
Etain's eyes hardened. "Oh, he did, did he?" He gave a menacing smile. "Just let me know when you are available," he offered. Kendrick gave him a mock salute.
"Now that, I have to see," Meryn said eagerly. "It will be better than watching an MMA match."
Magnus sat back in his chair looking relieved. "Now that is more like it. This is what I have come to look forward to," he raised his goblet then stared at it as it began to shake. He looked around confused. "Something is wrong with the glass," he announced before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he collapsed to one side.
"Uncle!" Beth screamed.
Vivi stood as chaos erupted.