"I love you too, Kari; you are my heart now." His arms tightened.
She looked over to the nightstand at the alarm clock. "It is almost time for dinner."
"We do have a bathroom to break-in," he wagged his eyebrows at her.
"No way, Declan. I heard shower sex sucks."
"There are many ways to do many things. If you're lucky, I'll show you a few of them." He hopped out of bed and strutted toward the bathroom. He turned and winked at her. With an exaggerated swagger, he marched into the bathroom.
I am mated to an absolute idiot, she said to herself.
And I would not change a single thing about him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
By the time the Kari and Declan joined the others for dinner, the meal had already been served. Everyone was smiles as they sat down.
Meryn whistled. "Nice bite marks, Declan." He grinned and gave her two thumbs up.
"Congratulations on your mating," Magnus said.
"Thank you." Kari blushed.
She'd never admit it of course, but there was something a little bit embarrassing about everyone knowing you had just had sex and claimed your mate.
She looked around the table "Where is Avery?"
Sebastian cleared his throat. "Young master Avery went with young masters Nigel and Neil to their quarters on the Unit Level." He looked over at Magnus, who nodded. "Young master Avery has been offered a room here on Level One in the guest quarters for as long as he may need it. Consider it a mating present. So you have the privacy that each mated couple needs."
Kari fought back a wave of disappointment. For all intents and purposes, this was a celebratory meal for her mating. She wished her brother could have been there, but it warmed her heart to know that he had made friends. It was a bit sad watching him drift a little bit farther away.
"We can see him later," Declan said, bumping her shoulder.
She looked up, "You are right. Of course, you are right."
"Yeah, it's not like you'll disappear or anything." Meryn said, glaring at Eva in an accusatory manner.
Eva rolled her eyes, "I've been helping on Level Six. They know me. Things have been going much smoother with Adriel and me present among the refugees. Stefan has been coordinating with us to make sure that everyone's needs have been taken care of."
"Whatever. I guess I'm just nobody," Meryn complained loudly. Eva just shook her head.
Bethy looked at Kari, "Is it true what I've heard? Warrick has been disowned?"
Kari nodded as Declan turned to the prince. "Andre said he had met with his father and that his father gave him instructions to disown Warrick for mating a shifter and a man."
Magnus frowned. "Homosexuality has never been an issue in Noctem Falls before."
Declan thought about it a moment before he replied. "I think it was a combination of being gay and mating a shifter that pushed them over the edge. "
"Not that I am not grateful, but why was Avery given a room here on Level One? Surely, that is a little too grand for him?" Kari asked.
Rex cleared his throat. "Since he is my little brother now, I'd like him on the same level as the Council estate so that I don't have to have a tunnel escort to visit him."
Kari blinked of course she was now related to the elder. "Have the twins been escorting Avery around?"
Meryn shook her head, "No, they made him a stone like I have."
"A stone? No way!" Declan protested. "I've been begging for one since I found out what they had done."
"What stone?" Kari repeated.
Meryn fished around in her pocket and held up a small stone. "It's a pumice stone they put a spell in. I can control it with a few words, and it allows me to float up and down the transport tunnel; Avery has one now."
Meryn looked at Declan who was still pouting. "I will see if I can ask them to move you up on the list."
He turned to her, looking incredulous. "There's a list?" Meryn began to giggle.
"Speaking of trouble," Aiden began, "Is Sascha talking to Noah?"
"Yes, the big baby. Honestly, you'd think spending the night in a county jail was the worst thing he'd ever experienced."
"I'm glad that's over." Aiden exhaled.
"I wouldn't say it's over," Meryn hedged.
"What?" Aiden responded apprehensively.
"Colton made copies of his mug shot and had Jaxon Photoshop them onto a Babe movie poster. They made it look like a dating app profile picture." Meryn smirked.
Bethy pulled out small legal pad and looked around the table. "So we'll add finding Aiden a new second in command to the list of things to do. How was everyone else's day?"
Magnus and Adriel, and Kari reached down in their satchels or under the table to pull out their own pads. They flipped the pages and looked around to see who would begin.