“So, you have a name?”
Cas laughed. “No.”
Meryn’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Of course, I have a name.” She thrust out her hand. “I’m Cassandra Vi’Illiya.”
The short firecracker took her hand. “I’m Meryn McKenzie. Nice to meetcha!”
Chapter Two
Earlier that morning
“She’s what?” Meryn asked, eyes wide.
Priest exhaled. “Torn apart.”
“Sounds painful,” Meryn quipped.
Priest just stared at her.
She just bopped her head about as she nodded. “Okay, okay, let me think.”
Priest remained quiet but noticed that Aiden kept looking over to where he sat alone with Meryn at a smaller table, away from where everyone was getting updated. The only other one near them was Meryn’s ever-present squire, Ryuu.
“So, first off, I don’t think she will actually get ripped apart.”
Priest was afraid to hope. “You sound pretty sure.”
Meryn took a bite of her cream-covered scone, chewed, then continued. “Most of the dreams have become pretty metaphoric lately. In the dreams where the guys saw their mates dying from something real, like being stabbed or bled to death, those events happened, but because they knew what was going to happen, the foresight saved their mates. But, for someone like Grant and Etain, they said they saw their mates surrounded by and drowning in darkness or death, something non-tangible. It was more like the dreams used images to convey a warning.”
Priest exhaled explosively. “Thank the gods for you, Meryn. My dreams have had me on the brink of a breakdown for days. Hearing what my other unit brothers have gone through has helped immensely.”
He had just relaxed back in his chair when a scone bounced off his forehead. Blinking, he stared at Meryn, who frowned at him.
“Share this shit before it gets that bad. I can’t help if I don’t know.”
Priest chuckled. “I didn’t want to add to your or Aiden’s burdens.”
She shrugged. “Out of all the shit we’re dealing with, this is easy.”
“Are you done monopolizing my mate?” Aiden demanded from the larger table.
Priest stood and held out his elbow for Meryn. She lay her hand on his arm, and he escorted her to her mate, who promptly pulled her into his lap. “Yes, sir. She helped me see something that has been bothering me in a new light. It has helped more than you know.”
“Anything I should know about?” Aiden asked, raising a brow.
“Just normal mate nightmares, babe. I was telling him about the gruesome ones the guys in Noctem Falls had,” Meryn said, meeting his eyes before rolling hers. “Besides, that’s not even the most important thing right now.”
Aiden, Kendrick, and Thane froze before Aiden swallowed hard. “Did you figure something else out?”
“Yeah, you forgot to order my brownies. I’m about to get real unhappy up in this bitch.”
His heart melted just a bit. She deflected the conversation away from his troubles, and if he wasn’t one hundred percent sure his commander wouldn’t maul him, he’d have kissed her for it.
Aiden exhaled explosively. “You can’t do that to me.”
“Why not?” she asked, looking confused.
Around the table, more than one man shook their head, looking pale.
Amelia chuckled, then elbowed her own mate. “I have yet to try those brownies. One would think my mate doesn’t care for me or their unborn child.”
Darian choked on his tea. “I will order some immediately,” he started, then his eyes narrowed. “Wait, can you have chocolate?”
Amelia smiled sweetly. “You better pray to whatever god you fancy that I can.”
Darian looked from Meryn to Amelia and then over to Anne. “Can she have chocolate? Meryn had caffeine yanked a while ago.”
Anne smirked, looking amused. “Amelia is doing very well. I have been keeping an eye on her for Rheia. Considering her mixed heritage, she should be fine.”
“Fine? She’s threatening me with violence over brownies,” Darian protested.
Aiden looked over to the fae prince. “That really isn’t all that surprising. Chocolate is very important to females. And honestly, threats of violence are commonplace.”
Darian snorted. “Yeah, when you’re mated to Meryn.”
Aiden grinned wickedly. “Or, mated to her cousin.”
Darian turned white and stood quickly. He was two steps from the table before he turned and dropped a kiss on his mate’s cheek. “I’m heading there now. Is there anything else you or the baby wants?”
Amelia smiled up at him. “Maybe some of those apple fritters.”
“Anything for you, my love.” He was nearly to the door when Aiden called after him. “Place another order for me. Peter has my account information.”
Darian nodded, then hurried out the door.
Amelia turned to look at Aiden. “That was awful. I am proud of you.”
He winked and kissed the top of Meryn’s head. “I have learned from the best.”
Priest felt his spirits lift at the light-hearted banter. Sitting down, he reached for a scone of his own. When he delicately began to cut one in half, he felt something hit his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a scone as it hit the floor. Reaching up, he brushed crumbs out of his hair before he looked over and saw Meryn frowning at him. “You’re doing it wrong. Watch.”
She picked up the entire scone and dipped it in a light pink cream mixture. She dunked it twice before taking a bite. “Ooo try,” she said, with her mouth full.
Looking down, he dumped his serving of jam into the bowl of clotted cream, then mixed it well. Picking up his scone, he dunked it as he had seen Meryn do, then took a bite.
He looked over to Meryn, eyes wide.
“I know, right,” she said, nodding sagely.
He was about to respond when Meryn and Aiden’s phones began dinging.
Aiden picked up his phone and held it out to Meryn. “Why is it doing that?”
Meryn looked down at hers, and her eyes widened. “No fucking way!”
She began to tap furiously, then jumped out of Aiden’s lap. “How? When?”
Aiden stood to hover near his now pacing mate. “Baby?”
She held up a finger. “Hold, please.” She tapped her phone and brought it up to her ear. “Cam, what the fuck, dude?” She looked around, then put it on speaker.
“Whatever you’re getting from the app, it’s true. I got squads arriving from Norfolk, Langley, Gods Meryn. They’re coming in from everywhere!”
“Are they...okay?”
“We’re verifying now, but so far, so good. Your missing Vanguard were deployed overseas, Menace, but they’re home now.”
Meryn began to jump up and down. “Hell yeah!”
Aiden took her by the shoulders. “Baby, does this mean what I think it means?”
Meryn waved her phone around. “Twenty squads of Vanguard are home. Over one-hundred warriors are getting verified!”
“Cam! Report!” Aiden barked, hope a living thing in his expression.