My Defender(33)

The poor jerk was really having a terrible day.

Meryn peered down into the tunnel. "This! Is! Sparta!"

"Meryn!" Aiden's voice roared behind them.

When they turned, Meryn put her hands on her hips. "What?" she asked.

Both Aiden and Grant looked shocked. Benji giggled, breaking the silence. Aiden turned from the squire to his mate and back as if he couldn't believe what the two had done. "You can't keep doing this," Aiden grumbled.

Grant walked up and pinned her with a stare, his mouth twitching in an effort not to smile. "Well?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie turned back to look at Meryn before looking back up at her mate. "This is Sparta?"

Behind her, Meryn dissolved into giggles.





CHAPTER SEVEN





Ellie could tell by the way Grant's mouth was twitching that he was trying desperately not to laugh. Behind her, Meryn's mate was nearly smothering her as he growled down at the transport tunnel escort. Low moaning could be heard from several levels below them. When Meryn's small, brown head finally popped out from under Aiden's arms, Ellie was shocked at the look of fire in her eyes.

Meryn scowled. "You're too nice! Don't let people be mean to you. You're amazing, and they're just jealous. Next time, tell them to go fuck themselves."

Ellie swallowed hard. "I can't do that." Every time she had ever tried to defend herself, she had gotten so tongue-tied she sounded like an idiot.

Meryn stilled and looked at her. "Why not?"

Aiden pulled Meryn close to his body. "Maybe she's not as violent as you are."

Meryn thought about in a moment. "Oh." She looked disappointed for a second then brightened. "Then tell Grant and he can tell them to fuck off...with his fists!" Meryn punched at the air as if she was boxing.

Grant chuckled and walked over to ruffle her hair. "Thank you for defending my mate, midget."

Meryn moved her head to duck out from under his hand. "I'm not a fucking midget!" She scowled. "And you're welcome. I like Ellie. She's so genuinely nice, I feel like I have to defend her." Meryn began to rub her belly. "After being all badass, I'm starving! I believe Meryn-two-point-oh would like some meat kebobs!"

Ellie didn't know how she felt about the small, pregnant human defending her. But she was adorable in her declaration. Meryn exuded a confidence that made one believe she was eight feet tall and breathed fire.

Aiden shook his head. "No way. I'm taking you back to Level One before you start World War Three." He glared at the tunnel opening. "Then I think I will volunteer to assist Adriel in getting that escort out of the net."

"No! Please!" Meryn begged, folding her hands in front of her chest. "I've been stuck down on Level One for years! Besides, you can't get mad at me for taking out the trash; it's like a civic duty." Aiden rolled his eyes.

Ryuu stepped up beside the pair. "Let's go get your favorite kebobs, visit with Mr. Culpepper, and then we'll go down to the Royal Gardens for some sunlight. How does that sound?"

Meryn weighed her options. Ellie could practically see the wheels turning. Meryn nodded. "Okay, I guess that's a compromise I can live with. But I want some meat pies too."

"Of course, denka," Ryuu replied. As they walked away, Grant reached down to hold Ellie's hand. Together, they walked back to the courtyard to settle in for the afternoon.

In a separate playpen off to one side, Grant lay Benji down for his nap. When Ellie walked over to their makeshift nurse's station, Marjoram joined them. "What on earth was all the ruckus about? A couple of the parents came in laughing after returning from the marketplace for lunch." she asked. Ellie described the scene at the transport tunnel. Smirking, Marjoram shook her head. "It looks like Meryn will be getting extra cookies." She looked at both her and Grant. "That nice boy, the one from last night, swung by to let you know you've both been invited to Level One to relax before dinner. I believe his name was Keegan. Anyway, he evidently was asked to convey the invitation by Prince Magnus himself."

"But what about the children?" Ellie fretted.

Marjoram's eyes were kind. "Ellie, I love you, and I'm very proud of you. You're a wonderful doctor, but you're not a miracle worker. You do have to eat. If this were a hospital, at the end of the day you would sign out and go home. The same should apply here. Physician, heal thyself."

Ellie nodded quietly. When she looked up, she saw that Grant and her grandmother were watching her closely. "I'd like to start children on a round of antibiotics to see if that helps. We have a few hours before dinner, and I'd like to be here in case there are any initial reactions." She sighed, feeling like a failure. "I'm so frustrated. I feel like all we're doing is shooting in the dark."