"What's third form?" Meryn interrupted. Colton opened his eyes and looked at her.
"As a shifter we normally have two forms. Man or animal. One or the other. But in rare instances when the man and the animal are completely in sync, when both want something with the exact same levels of intensity, we're able to shift into a third form, half man, half animal. It's only happened a dozen other times in our written history."
"And Byron was able to do that?"
"Yes, which practically cemented him as an Elder until the day he dies. At the hearing Edward appealed to his men to testify on his behalf and every single unit member turned his back to him. Edward was tried by the council and found guilty. He was executed and cremated so that his body would not be buried within the city. His ashes were given to his sister, one Daphane Bowers, formerly Carthage."
"Holy shit!" Meryn gasped.
"It gets better. Daphane pushed to get her son assigned as Unit Commander, Donovan Bowers. He's actually not a bad guy, but he never wanted to be a warrior. The men refused. They said they would only take orders from Aiden. The council didn't know what to do. Aiden was so young, barely out of his teens in shifter years, though Donovan wasn't that much older."
"What did they do?" Meryn asked.
"There was nothing they could do. It wasn't that Aiden went back and fought alongside the Alpha Unit, it wasn't that he cleared a path for escape despite the overwhelming odds. It was the fact that he went back for the fallen dead, that he risked his life to bring them home, showed the men that he cared more for them than his own life. That is why his orders are never questioned and why every single active or retired unit member will always defer to him."
Meryn's heart ached for what Aiden had gone through, but more than that she felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
"Not that I don't want to learn more about Aiden, I do. It's just ..."
"Why did I tell you?"
"Hmm"
"Tonight you will see a different side of Aiden. I don't really know if I can put it into words." Colton grew silent and thought for a minute.
"Aiden commands the respect of the most powerful men in the city, but more than that he has their undying loyalty, love and trust. Nearly all of Lycaonia's unit members will be there, past, present and future, since trainees are allowed to attend in uniform. Even if he weren't Byron's heir, which is prestigious enough, their support alone makes him a voice to be heard."
"You mean in Lycaonia right?"
Colton shook his head.
"Darling, when Aiden takes over from Byron he becomes the shifter's Elder."
"Right, in Lycaonia, since there are four cities and four council members per city." Meryn said. Colton stared at her for a second.
"You don't understand. Meryn, Lycaonia is the shifter capital of the world. Byron is the shifter Elder that represents all shifters. The other three shifter Elders report to him. In Noctem Falls, the vampire city Magnus Rioux is the vampire Elder, all vampire Elders report to him. In the witch's city of Storm Keep Caiden Ironwood is the witch Elder, all witch Elders report to him and in the fae city of Éire Danu Brennus Vi'Eirlea is the fae queen's consort and fae Elder, all fae Elders report to him."
"Oh my God." The enormity of what Colton had just explained sunk in.
"Aiden commands every single unit warrior across all four cities. Right now that plays a small part in our politics, but when he takes over from Byron he will literally be the most powerful man in our world. Did you really think that an average unit member's mate would get this much protection detail?" He bumped her shoulder with his. Meryn put a hand over her stomach. So tonight was actually going to be a million times worse than she had imagined.
"You okay?" Colton jumped to his feet.
"I need my crackers." Meryn gagged over the words. Colton dove into her backpack and practically threw the bag of crackers at her. Breathing through her nose, she slowly nibbled a cracker.
"You're really not a people person are you?"
"Nope. You guys don't bother me, but tonight is going to be all these important people and now you tell me that Aiden is this super celebrity and I'll have to stand next to him all night and smile and nod and shit..." She took another deep breath.
"Listen, you concentrate on getting through the first half hour of introductions. Leave the rest to me."
She pinned him with her eyes. "You promise?"
"I swear. Just keep it together for thirty minutes." Meryn grabbed one last cracker and put the bag away.
"I can do thirty minutes."
"Good, you're getting some color back in your cheeks. For a second you went milk white."