"What'd she do now?" Aiden asked, looking slightly ill.
"Yeah! What'd I do now?" Meryn repeated.
"Facebook again," Gavriel answered.
"No way! I didn't post anything lesbian or crazy, I swear!" Meryn protested.
Elizabeth shook the phone back and forth. "Did you or did you not say you helped a new peep today?"
Meryn nodded. "I did."
"And you said she was gorgeous and sweet."
"I did." Everyone nodded, accepting that as a normal post.
"Did you also state, and I quote, I wouldn't mind being her bitch!?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
"Meryn, I love you," Gavriel said simply.
"She posted what?" Aiden demanded.
Ellie put two and two together. "That was about me?"
Grant looked at her, understanding filling his eyes. "The transport tunnel escort," he said.
She nodded then looked at Meryn. "What did you mean?"
Meryn looked around helplessly. "I just meant that since you were so sweet and nice to people, I would be a bitch for you."
"Oh Meryn, that has to be the nicest thing anyone has offered to do for me," Ellie gushed.
"Don't be too appreciative just yet," Elizabeth warned. "She tagged you. There's now speculation that our matings are just a front to appease the older generations and that we're a three way lesbian love triangle."
Meryn's green eyes widened so much they took over her face. She bit her lower lip in consternation, thought about it some more, and then shrugged. "Bow chica wow wow."
Grant burst into laughter. Adriel looked at Grant and nodded. "Happiness looks good on you, my friend." Ellie couldn't help but agree.
"Meryn, you truly are a treasure. I really needed that," Magnus said, rubbing his sides. The prince had abandoned all decorum and had laughed right along with the rest of them. Ellie had a feeling that the prince needed more joy in his life. He looked exhausted, but at least, for now, he was smiling.
Sebastian looked so pleased at everyone's buoyant expressions, Ellie expected the buttons on his vest to pop. "It's been too long since this house was filled with laughter," he said beaming at his charges.
Ryuu's eyes were dancing as a faint smile curled his lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served."
Ellie, along with everyone else, said goodnight to Avery, Warrick, and the twins as they left to return to the Unit Level. Ellie was worried Avery wouldn't be getting any dinner, but he assured her tonight was pizza night on the warrior level, and he wouldn't miss it for anything.
To her surprise, Avery told her that her grandmother had declared that she would meet up with both Avery and Warrick for dinner. She had even promised them cookies. But Ellie knew her grandmother too well; she was going to pump Warrick for information. Ellie absolutely adored Avery, but her grandmother took it to an entirely different level. Avery was the grandson she never had, and if Warrick thought her look was fierce, he hadn't seen anything yet. Ellie had learned from the best.
Sitting next to her mate, the atmosphere around the table was lighthearted and warm. Meryn was tapping away furiously on her phone and scowling.
"She really is quite brilliant. She just doesn't think like everyone else," a male voice commented to her right. Tonight, she was seated between her mate and Rex Lionhart.
"I don't really mind what she said. I've never had anyone offer to be mean for me before." Ellie thought the small human was fierce in her affections. It was as if she'd never had friends before and was clutching tightly to those she perceived were hers. "She can claim me all she wants."
Rex chuckled. "She'd do that with or without your permission. She doesn't really take orders well."
"I think that's part of her charm."
"That's the gods honest truth."
"Ellie," Kari spoke up to get her attention.
Ellie looked down the table at her friend. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to let you know I just received a text from Sulis. He was able to secure all the supplies your grandmother requested, including the hospital beds we need. Now, we just need some place to put them."
"I was approached by many of the vendors today," Eva turned to face Ellie. "They will be clearing out the center section of the marketplace for the sick. They've also volunteered to help the warriors walk the level to make sure the parents of the sick children aren't being harassed by the Founding and Noble family members." She smirked. "They didn't put it quite as diplomatically, but that was the gist of it. They are quite taken with the children, and the angry mob put a bad taste in everyone's mouth."
Rex chuckled. "Thanks to my brother, I have been able to get to know the people here in the city more in the past couple weeks than the previous years on my own. Eva is right; the common citizens have fallen for the children and cannot wait to see them up and playing again."