My Champion(52)

"Really?"

"Of course, it is your home too."

They stepped into the tunnel and landed on the Unit Level. When they reached his house, he opened the panel on the back of the mailbox and punched in a code. "Give me your hand." He placed it on the biometric sensor and added her profile. "Now you can get in anytime you want."

They walked in. At first, she was a bit confused. The only thing she had seen of his house the night before was the foyer. She looked around, expecting something medieval given that it was a castle, but it wasn't like that at all. It looked warm and kind of rustic, almost like a cabin instead of the castle. Declan had decorated using log furniture, thick rugs, and dark colors.

"You could show me the bedroom," she suggested.

"Yeah?" he asked, his face brightening. "Does that mean I don't have to sleep on the couch and you won't deny our mating?"

She frowned. "You probably were not going to end up on the couch anyway; you were acting too adorable to stay mad at. But where on earth did you get the idea I would deny our mating?"

"You said 'no claiming'."

"Oh, Declan, I just meant that we would not be having sex because I was mad at you at the time. There is no way we can claim each other without sex."

"So bedroom?" asked his, eyes darkening to a dark honey color.

"Yes, but I am letting you know right now. I am not sleeping in that bed with you if you slept with any other woman there."

He shook his head quickly. "No, no one."

"I find that hard to believe, you did say you have been here a long time."

He shrugged. "It's the bro code."

"The what?"

"It's the pact all of us made. If a fellow unit warrior finds his mate, the first thing the unit does is to arrange for a new mattress. So I knew I didn't have to worry about it and could concentrate on you."

"Who did that for you?" she asked.

"Grant."

"So in the midst of everything happening, he arranged for a mattress to be delivered to the city estate and had set it up for you?"

"I'll do the same for him someday."

"He has access to your house?"

"All the guys from the Eta Unit do. Now, you and Avery."

"I seem to be getting access all over the place."

Declan looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Magnus gave me access to Level One, including the infirmary, the gardens, the communications hub, the lab, his quarters, the guest quarters, and the Council quarters."

Declan whistled. "Look at my mate being all important."

"He is probably going to add you to all that as well considering that your brother will be staying here a little bit longer, and you have accepted an advisory role."

"He's only here for the trial," Declan countered.

"Whatever you say." Kari knew better than argue. Declan was too stubborn when it came to his older brother.

She looked over at the bed; it was huge. She walked closer and looked at the frame. "Did you do this?"

Declan nodded. "It took me about a decade."

"Declan, this is all hand carved."

He shrugged blushing. "It was something to do."

She walked over to the bed, taking in every detail. "How big was the tree that this came from?" she asked. She couldn't find any fittings. The pieces were not joined together; there were no screws, nails, or glue. The entire bed frame was one solid piece. "Declan, this is beautiful," she whispered. This kind of attention to detail and loving care spoke volumes about his character.

"Thanks, it's a hobby."

She shook her head and stood. "No, Declan, this is art. It is so beautiful, I am afraid to touch it."

"I wanted something special for my mate."

"And yet you brought other women here?"

He shrugged. "I never had sex with them in the bed," he stopped and looked up at the ceiling as if counting. "No not in the bed. Against the bed, one under the bed, one on the nightstand, in the closet, on the bathroom floor, in front of the fireplace..."

"Okay, I get the picture. If this is a custom made bed, where did Grant get the mattress?"

"After the bed was made I had a few extra made and put in storage. Every ten to fifteen years I replace them."

"How old is this one?"

His face became serious. "A couple months old."

"Good timing," she joked, but then stopped. The look on his face bordered on tragic. "What is it?"

"Did you dream before you came here?"

Kari looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I had dreams before you got here. I could almost see a woman's face. She's screaming for me behind a locked door. I watch her burn to death through a small window."