Declan hissed and rubbed his head. He turned to his mate, pouting like a four-year-old. "I think I'm bleeding."
Kari sighed. "You kind of deserved that."
"Meryn, breathe!" Aiden shouted, kneeling beside his mate who had toppled off her gaming chair.
"It... it... bounced off." Meryn rolled around holding her stomach. "Poor Simba!"
Ellie leaned forward. "Is she okay?"
"She's turning red!" Aiden tried to get his mate to stop laughing.
Grant tapped Ellie on her arm and pointed to Ryuu who hadn't twitched a muscle. Ellie exhaled and sat back. If the squire wasn't concerned, the small human was fine. While Meryn was enjoying Declan's pain, Ellie noticed a familiar pair of bright blue eyes staring at her from above the top of the other gaming chair.
He stood and rotated his chair so he faced them. "Hey Ellie."
"He's Fluffy; you should get along great with him, Pillows," Meryn informed them, trying to catch her breath.
"We know each other from when we used to live in the same city, Meryn." She turned to Avery. "I see you got a nickname too."
Avery grinned. "She said I was sweet and fluffy." Ellie noticed the mountain of a man who had been sitting close to Avery stood and casually made his way closer.
She eyed him carefully, and he smiled, pointing at Avery. "We are mates. My name is Warrick DuBois."
"Mates?" Ellie looked at Avery. "Mates?"
Avery's face turned ten shades of pink. He shook his head. "Sort of, but not legally."
"Sort of?" Ellie asked.
"You know I don't turn one hundred for a couple weeks."
She turned and looked at Warrick, pinning him with her fiercest glare. He held up both hands. "We are waiting, I swear." He swallowed and looked down at his mate. "Tell her I have been a gentleman before she guts me."
Grant leaned forward and caught her expression. He smirked and leaned back. "And I used to think I would be the overprotective parent."
Kari chuckled. "He has been very understanding and proper with Avery." Kari looked over at Warrick. "I am sorry, I should have warned you that Ellie takes her role as Avery's aunt very seriously."
Ellie continued to glare at the large warrior. He looked like he ate kittens for breakfast; he would hurt her sweet Avery!
Warrick turned to Grant. "Please tell your mate to quit looking at me that way. We will be living on the same level, and I do not need her sneaking into my home and conducting weird experiments on me."
Grant shrugged. "If Avery is Ellie's nephew, that means he is mine as well." He gave the warrior an evil grin.
Looking absolutely dejected, Warrick's shoulders slumped. "I am not a bad person."
Crap! Now Ellie felt sorry for him. He looked so hurt. Maybe she had been too hard on him? "I may feel better about your mating if..." She trailed off and watched him look up, his face full of hope. He looked like an eager to please overgrown kid.
"If?" he asked.
She smiled, relenting. "If you can find some time to help us set up the temporary hospital tomorrow. I'd like to get to know you better since we're going to be family."
Warrick's knees looked like they were about to buckle; he was that relieved. "Of course, anything you need."
Avery beamed up at his mate. "My mate is absolutely amazing."
Warrick's megawatt smile nearly blinded Ellie. Warrick sat down on the floor next to his mate so that their arms were touching. He seemed so content just to sit next to Avery. "Oh that's not fair," Ellie murmured.
"Tell me about it," Kari agreed. "I try to play the strict one to protect Avery, but Warrick has a way of making me feel like I killed his puppy. They are so ridiculously adorable together, I do not have the heart to chastise them too much."
One of the twins tapped Avery on the shoulder and then looked at Kari. "We're ready."
Ellie watched as her friend got up and sat down in the empty gaming chair. "Ready for what?"
Meryn held up her controller. "A very important quest."
"Right." Kari picked up a clipboard from beside her chair. "Does everyone know what to do?"
"Check!" Avery announced and turned back around in his chair to face the television.
"Roger!" the twins replied.
"Okay, we're going to slowly..." Kari began, starting their strategy meeting.
"Leeeeroy Jeeeennnkkinns!" Meryn shouted.
"Godsdammit, Meryn!" Kari yelled, dropped her clipboard, and picked up her controller.
"Where are you?" Avery asked frantically.
"I'm pinned! I'm pinned!" Nigel called out.
"Shoot the animal thing in the corner!" Declan cried out, pointing to the upper corner of the television.