when she erupted into giggles.
"Ha, ha, ha, magic bean! Hey baby, want to swallow my magic bean later?" Meryn leered up at her mate.
Aiden smirked and shook his head before leaning down to nip Meryn on the neck. "Only if you're very, very good," he promised.
Meryn reached over her head and traced a halo before folding her hands in front of her as if in prayer. "I'm always good."
Colton chuckled. "Hey Meryn, did you have to get a custom-made halo to fit between those devil horns?" he teased.
Anne lifted her hand and tapped her lips. "What do you think Meryn? We could sew his lips shut in his sleep."
Meryn's eyes brightened, and she turned to Rheia. "You don't need to kiss him for a while do you?"
Rheia shrugged. "I could go without."
Colton's mouth dropped as he cuddled his mate. "Darlin', you wouldn't let them do that to me, would you?"
Rheia just winked at Meryn and Anne.
Meryn leaned back in her chair. "Face it gentlemen, you're no longer the baddest motherfuckers in the room anymore."
Aiden kissed the side of Meryn's head. "Don't let the other warriors find out."
Anne smiled. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us," she promised, and the other women laughed. Anne finally felt like she belonged in this house with these people.
Kendrick cleared his throat. "Not to put a damper on things but..."
Colton smiled ruefully. "But we still have some pretty serious allegations against us."
Kendrick set his empty cup down. "Thanks to Anne's suggestion, I may have a plan for that. But that wasn't what I was talking about. I was talking about the perimeter."
Aiden blinked. "But the perimeter is the one good thing that came from this whole mess. The ferals haven't been able to breach it since it went up; we're safe."
Kendrick twisted the cup in his hands. "Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but when something looks too good to be true, it usually is."
Amelia turned to him. "How can the perimeter be a bad thing?"
Kendrick stopped turning the cup. "What if the perimeter wasn't designed to keep you safe by keeping the ferals out. What if it was designed to keep the ferals out to keep them safe?"
Aiden frowned. "I don't like where this is going."
Kendrick looked at the men. "Over the centuries, I've seen many different types of magic, but I've never seen anything like this perimeter. No one in the city is stepping forward to lay claim to it, and if any of the warriors had done it, they would have told you right away. So, if no one in the city cast the spell, who did?"
Colton swallowed, looking ill. "The enemy."
Kendrick nodded. "What if the perimeter is keeping the ferals out because when the perimeter goes down it will shrink into the center of the city, stripping people's souls as the magic collapses? If ferals are in the city when that happens, their precious necklaces could be destroyed."
Aiden thumped his fingers on the table. "Do you have any proof?"
Kendrick shook his head. "No, but I thought it would be irresponsible if I didn't put the theory forward. You're included in more high-level meetings than I am. If you hear something that may explain a portion of my theory, at least you could make the connection."
Aiden stood and stretched his arms up over his head. "I'll keep an ear out. In the meantime, we have drills, gentlemen."
Kendrick stood beside her. "I may join you."
Aiden looked pleased. "I thought you didn't do drills."
"I don't, but I need to speak to a few of your men."
Aiden laughed. "I'll get you on the course eventually."
Amelia shook her head vehemently. "You really don't want that, Aiden."
Aiden's brows snapped together. "Why?"
Amelia squirmed in her chair. "Do you remember that time Caiden had to request that the council approve renovations to the Storm Keep obstacle course?"
Aiden nodded. "He said that the men had gotten used to the..." he looked over at Kendrick.
Kendrick smirked back at the commander.
Aiden turned toward the door. "Never mind. Come on men." He leaned down, kissed
"Ha, ha, ha, magic bean! Hey baby, want to swallow my magic bean later?" Meryn leered up at her mate.
Aiden smirked and shook his head before leaning down to nip Meryn on the neck. "Only if you're very, very good," he promised.
Meryn reached over her head and traced a halo before folding her hands in front of her as if in prayer. "I'm always good."
Colton chuckled. "Hey Meryn, did you have to get a custom-made halo to fit between those devil horns?" he teased.
Anne lifted her hand and tapped her lips. "What do you think Meryn? We could sew his lips shut in his sleep."
Meryn's eyes brightened, and she turned to Rheia. "You don't need to kiss him for a while do you?"
Rheia shrugged. "I could go without."
Colton's mouth dropped as he cuddled his mate. "Darlin', you wouldn't let them do that to me, would you?"
Rheia just winked at Meryn and Anne.
Meryn leaned back in her chair. "Face it gentlemen, you're no longer the baddest motherfuckers in the room anymore."
Aiden kissed the side of Meryn's head. "Don't let the other warriors find out."
Anne smiled. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us," she promised, and the other women laughed. Anne finally felt like she belonged in this house with these people.
Kendrick cleared his throat. "Not to put a damper on things but..."
Colton smiled ruefully. "But we still have some pretty serious allegations against us."
Kendrick set his empty cup down. "Thanks to Anne's suggestion, I may have a plan for that. But that wasn't what I was talking about. I was talking about the perimeter."
Aiden blinked. "But the perimeter is the one good thing that came from this whole mess. The ferals haven't been able to breach it since it went up; we're safe."
Kendrick twisted the cup in his hands. "Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but when something looks too good to be true, it usually is."
Amelia turned to him. "How can the perimeter be a bad thing?"
Kendrick stopped turning the cup. "What if the perimeter wasn't designed to keep you safe by keeping the ferals out. What if it was designed to keep the ferals out to keep them safe?"
Aiden frowned. "I don't like where this is going."
Kendrick looked at the men. "Over the centuries, I've seen many different types of magic, but I've never seen anything like this perimeter. No one in the city is stepping forward to lay claim to it, and if any of the warriors had done it, they would have told you right away. So, if no one in the city cast the spell, who did?"
Colton swallowed, looking ill. "The enemy."
Kendrick nodded. "What if the perimeter is keeping the ferals out because when the perimeter goes down it will shrink into the center of the city, stripping people's souls as the magic collapses? If ferals are in the city when that happens, their precious necklaces could be destroyed."
Aiden thumped his fingers on the table. "Do you have any proof?"
Kendrick shook his head. "No, but I thought it would be irresponsible if I didn't put the theory forward. You're included in more high-level meetings than I am. If you hear something that may explain a portion of my theory, at least you could make the connection."
Aiden stood and stretched his arms up over his head. "I'll keep an ear out. In the meantime, we have drills, gentlemen."
Kendrick stood beside her. "I may join you."
Aiden looked pleased. "I thought you didn't do drills."
"I don't, but I need to speak to a few of your men."
Aiden laughed. "I'll get you on the course eventually."
Amelia shook her head vehemently. "You really don't want that, Aiden."
Aiden's brows snapped together. "Why?"
Amelia squirmed in her chair. "Do you remember that time Caiden had to request that the council approve renovations to the Storm Keep obstacle course?"
Aiden nodded. "He said that the men had gotten used to the..." he looked over at Kendrick.
Kendrick smirked back at the commander.
Aiden turned toward the door. "Never mind. Come on men." He leaned down, kissed
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