"I met my mate!" she announced happily.
Around the table, Kyran and Tristan began to choke on their breakfast. Caiden dropped his frying pan, and Kendrick began to rub his chin.
"Wha-wha-what!?" Caiden roared.
Kendrick tapped his lips thoughtfully. "It makes sense. The binding spell wouldn't be able to block a witch's mating dream. Those are how we find our mates."
Caiden rushed around the table while Kyran and Tristan fumbled at their drinks and tried to clear their airways. He knelt down in front of her. "Are you sure? You're just a baby!"
Amelia put her hands on her tiny hips. "Yes, I'm sure, and I am not a baby!"
"You're my baby!" Caiden yelled.
"Our baby!" Tristan corrected. He and Kyran stood and crowded around her.
Remembering her prince, she sighed happily. "He was perfect, like a prince."
Caiden stood, his face like a thundercloud. He looked over at Kendrick and then pointed to her. "Fix this!" he demanded.
Kendrick looked at her oldest brother flatly. "Fix this how, exactly?"
Caiden began to pace in their small kitchen. Of the three, he was the most protective as he was both mother and father to her. Kyran, the second oldest, was her confidant, and Tristan was her playmate. Together, the three of them took care of her while her parents traveled the country.
"There is nothing to fix." She scowled at her brother. Of the three, unfortunately, she was the most like Caiden; they were both headstrong and stubborn.
Caiden walked back over and placed his hands on her shoulders, concern on his face. "Are you okay? Did he do anything weird to you?"
Amelia thought about it for a second. "He put his thing in me."
All four men froze.
The air around Caiden began to spark and crackle. "He did what?" he asked, his voice sounding odd and strained.
"He put his light in my heart, that way, he can find me later," she explained. She looked around confused when the men seemed to slump forward in relief. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing, baby." Caiden scooped her up and sat down with her on his lap. "I can't do this. She can never mate." He let out a long breath and cuddled her close. Kyran and Tristan sat back down in their chairs and rested their heads on the table.
Kendrick's smile was wicked as he stood. "Makes me eternally grateful I have a brother."
Behind her, she felt Caiden laugh. "As if you're any less protective of Keelan than we are of Amelia?"
At the mention of his brother's name, she saw Kendrick's eyes soften for a second before becoming hard again. "True," he agreed.
Amelia knew that nearly everyone in Storm Keep was frightened of the antisocial archivist, but since he was her brother's best friend, Caiden had made him her Athair; she had grown up around him. He might seem mean and prickly, but he had always been kind to her.
"Go get dressed, baby. For some reason, I can't wait to do drills today. Beating up on the Omicron Unit sounds very therapeutic," Caiden remarked, setting her on her feet.
Kyran stood. "Sounds like a good idea. We'll get the units started on basic drills while you drop Amelia off at school." He and Tristan kissed the top of her head and walked out the back door.
Kendrick sighed. "Try not to break too many bones. I have reached my limit of good deeds for the year. I don't feel like listening to the water temple beg for my help in healing any muscle-bound warriors who don't have the good sense to duck." Kendrick turned to the door.
"I'll keep that in mind," Caiden said, pushing her toward the hallway.
Humming, she skipped down the hall to her bedroom. She had met her mate, and he was a gentle, golden prince! She couldn't wait to grow up!
CHAPTER ONE
Darian watched his opponent carefully. In his mind, he identified the order of bones to break that would cause the most pain. They were standing in a damp, abandoned warehouse inside a caged fighting ring. The overhead fluorescent light bathed everything in an unforgiving, harsh light and cast stark shadows. To him, the world had faded to varying shades of gray so that even the blood running from his prey looked black.
It no longer shocked him to think of his opponents as prey. In his mind, the man before him was of no significance. Darian knew that his own soul was so damned that even these fights, which at one time held the rage at bay, could no longer help him control his murderous thoughts. It was another reason why he had been spending so much time away from Lycaonia and the Alpha estate. When he did finally lose control, he didn't want to be anywhere near his family.
"Come on, pretty boy, is that all you got?" the barrel-chested man taunted. Darian sighed. The tiny human disregarded his height and only saw his face. He was making the same mistake so many others had in the past. They saw a handsome face and long blond hair, and assumed he couldn't fight.