My Savior(11)

"Thank you. My name is Amelia Ironwood." She thrust out her hand.

Smiling, he shook it firmly. "I know your brothers."

"They are hard to miss."

"True. Let's walk back to the estate and get this sorted." Sascha pointed to the obstacle course.

"Can't I just watch for a bit longer?" She batted her eyes at him.

Sascha sighed heavily. "Oh yeah, you'll fit right in. Come on Peeping Tomasina, time to face your mate."

Amelia pointed to her tree branch. "Can you get my bag?" Her colorful tote was propped against the tree trunk, right where she'd left it.

When Sascha bent his knees and jumped, Amelia felt her mouth drop open. He had jumped vertically fifteen feet, landed on her branch, snagged her tote bag, and hopped down. She remembered hopping up and down in her kitchen in her old apartment trying to knock down her last box of Pop Tarts. After twenty minutes and two kitchen utensils later, she ended up getting her step stool, which had been five feet away in the closet the whole time.

He handed her the tote bag, and she glared at him. "Tall people suck."

Sascha grinned. "You better hope they do." He turned and started walking back.

She was grumbling under her breath about her Pop Tarts when it hit her what he meant. Her mate was one of the tallest men on the obstacle course. She stopped in her tracks and stared. When he turned around and raised an eyebrow, she broke out into giggles.

"That was bad." She jogged to catch up to him when he started walking again.

"I don't have a mate to keep me in line yet."

They walked up to the training course, and Aiden's eyebrows shot up. "You? I thought you were heading to the city."

Amelia smiled. "I took a tiny little detour."

Behind them, they heard cursing. "What is she doing here?" Darian demanded, walking up to them.

"I've come to convince you we're mates," she said.

"Not gonna happen." Darian turned and went into the house.

Amelia looked at Sascha and Aiden. "That went very well, didn't it?"

"Are you sure he's your mate?" Aiden asked, looking unconvinced.

Amelia nodded. "I'm sure. I've been dreaming of him since I was six."

Aiden stared. "Wait. Since you were six? Not recently?"

"Nope." She shook her head.

Sascha looked at Aiden. "He never said anything."

Aiden frowned. "Go see if he'll talk to you. If you are his mate, then this is something he can't avoid."

"Wish me luck," Amelia said and turned toward the house.

"She'll need more than luck. Darian is a stubborn sonofabitch," she heard Sascha mutter.

I can be even more stubborn.

Amelia opened the door and poked her head inside. "Helllloooo?" she called out in her best Tim Curry impersonation.

She heard footsteps on hardwood before Elizabeth, Meryn, and a man in butler attire appeared from a hallway.

"Oh, it's Bubbles," Meryn remarked, before popping something in her mouth.

Elizabeth turned to her. "Bubbles?"

Meryn shrugged. "She's bubbly."

Elizabeth just sighed and turned to her. "Looking for Darian?"

Amelia nodded. "He just came in."

Meryn laughed. "That's what that was? I thought one of the walls had caved in. He sure was loud."

The man in the crisply pressed butler outfit stepped forward and placed his right hand over his heart before bowing at the waist. "Welcome to the Alpha estate. My name is Ryuu; I am the squire here. If you would like, I can show you to Darian's room."

"That would be great."

"I am assuming you will be staying for the evening meal. May I inquire about your lodging arrangements for tonight?" Ryuu asked.

Amelia hesitated. She didn't know.

"She's staying here. She's Darian's mate," Meryn answered for her.

Amelia turned to the small woman and pulled her into a hug.

"She's doing it again," Meryn protested.

"And you're still alive," Elizabeth teased.

Amelia gave a final squeeze and stepped back. "Thank you for believing me." She felt better knowing that at least someone else believed her story.

"Of course, we believe you. Why would you lie about being his mate?" Meryn asked, reaching into a bag and popping a small piece of beef jerky into her mouth.

"Why would he?" Amelia asked softly.

Elizabeth pushed her toward the stairs and Ryuu stepped in beside her. Elizabeth winked. "Why don't you find out?"

"Remember, if he gets growly, hit him with the back of his toilet." Meryn called after them.

Amelia waved at her and kept walking up the stairs beside Ryuu. "Does that work?" she asked the squire softly.

"Evidently bear shifters are susceptible to toilet decks," Ryuu explained.