My Defender(19)

"That's Sei Ryuu. He's my squire. He's really good about keeping me breathing and bathed," Meryn informed her.

"It is my life's struggle." He looked down at her. "Ms. Eleanor, it is wonderful to meet you. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. While my denka resides here. I am assisting Sebastian in serving this home."

"Thank you, and please call me Ellie." She looked around the table. "Eleanor sounds so formal."

Her grandmother chuckled. "Your mother wanted you to have a regal name. But it wasn't five minutes after you were born that your father was calling you Ellie. Your mother was furious."

"Why would she mad at that?" Meryn asked.

Ellie grimaced. "Because I'm an elephant shifter. She was mad that he dubbed me 'Ellie the Elephant'."

"Your mother didn't speak to him for a week."

Meryn's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Ellie. "Did you have huge ears?"

Ellie frowned. "Compared to what?"

"Your body. Like in Dumbo."

Aiden chuckled. "Baby, in Dumbo the baby elephant was ridiculed because he was abnormal."

Everyone turned to stare at Aiden. He blushed. "What? I believe watching human animated movies depicting other creatures greatly helps us understand their mentality toward animals."

Meryn grinned at the others. "He also has a clownfish named Jaws." She turned to her mate. "No. Baby elephants have huge ears when they are born, and they grow into them the way kittens grow into their ears and puppies their paws."

Aiden stared down at his mate. She was dead serious. "No baby, they don't."

Meryn blinked. "What?"

Beside her, her grandmother cleared her throat. "He's right Meryn; baby elephant's ears are proportionate to their bodies. They aren't floppy like in Dumbo."

"Great! Another childhood memory down the tubes." Meryn swirled her soup with her spoon.

"Meryn, I absolutely adore you." Magnus' smile was kind. Meryn ducked her head down, looking embarrassed.

Ellie hesitated then met the prince's eyes. "Sir, I'd like to be able to visit the gardens tomorrow. I'd like to eliminate as many outside factors as possible."

He nodded. "Absolutely. Whenever you are ready tomorrow, let either myself or Sebastian know, and we will open the door for you."

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome."

"I hate to ruin the happy atmosphere, but has anyone found out who Marcus was referring to when he said 'they'?" Kari asked.

Declan let out a low hiss. "No." He turned to a man who looked so much like him Ellie was sure they were related. "Rex? Any luck?"

Rex shook his head at Declan's question then turned to her. "Ellie, we haven't been introduced yet. I'm Rex Lionhart, Declan's older brother. I'm also the shifter Elder for Noctem Falls. What Declan is referring to is his request that would allow us to use magic to get Marcus to talk."

Ellie sat back. "Who is Marcus? And what could he possibly know that would warrant using magic to get the information?"

Kari shivered, and Declan wrapped an arm around her. "That was the long story I was going to tell you later. Marcus tried to kill me, destroying Broderick's lab in the process. He said that 'they' promised to make him a prince. Unfortunately we have no idea who 'they' are."

"And you didn't kill him?" Marjoram asked Declan. "You have a tremendous amount of self-restraint."

Declan's eyes hardened. "We need answers. He was found with a necklace that allowed him to hide the fact that he had gone feral."

Ellie heard her grandmother gasp. Her own mind began to swirl with the frightening possibilities that presented. Declan continued. "Kari's mind was also influenced with the same method vampires use on humans. So either Marcus was strong enough to get into her mind and try to kill her, then killed someone else to go feral, or he's working with someone. We need to know who."

"Wait, go back to the necklaces," Marjoram prompted.

Aiden took over the explanation. "In Lycaonia, we discovered groups of ferals had somehow learned how to strip the soul of an unborn child to use as a container for shifter souls. Each soul creates a small bead that can be added to a necklace. Each bead can give the wearer different abilities, such as masking their feral presence, invisibility, or super strength."

Marjoram's hand rubbed her chest. "The murders," she whispered.

Aiden nodded, looking grim. "Yes."

"Gods above, protect us all," Marjoram murmured.

A chorus of amens echoed around the room. Her grandmother straightened in her chair. "If what you say is true, then not even Noctem Falls is safe." She stared at the prince. "What are you going to do to keep my granddaughter protected?" she demanded.