"Hey Kari, thanks for all your help here recently."
She looked over at the speaker, surprised. "What do you mean? You are?"
He shook his head "Sorry about that. All of us have been here for so long, we're just used to everyone knowing everyone's name. My name is Dimitri Romanov; I'm the unit leader for the Theta Unit."
"What do you mean, Dimitri? Thank you for what?"
"For helping Prince Magnus for one. Before you got here, there always seemed to be a tightness around his eyes like he was constantly frowning or worried about something. However, since you got here and took over for Cheryl, it is almost like he can relax. He is not afraid he is forgetting something."
Kari laughed. "I am glad that being here has made such a difference. He needs all the help he can get." The men around her nodded.
"So Declan, did you hear about Rachelle?" Beau asked.
Declan nodded. "Sure did. It makes getting cut up worthwhile. I can't imagine a baby being born here."
"Yeah, until it is your turn," Dimitri teased.
Declan turned pale, looked at him and then looked at Kari. She shrugged. To the right, uproarious laughter filled the air. She gave him a questioning look, and they both walked into the media room followed by the other warriors. In front of the television, Nigel and Neil were dancing around, bopping to the music. It looked as though they were playing some sort of dance game.
Goddard's eyes softened. "They can be a handful, but I would not trade them for anything. Their presence here has brought nothing but laughter and joy. You cannot pay for that kind of light. Most of us have forgotten what it is like to be young."
Declan, his arm still around her waist, steered her back toward the door. "Well guys, just wanted to make some introductions so she knows what your ugly faces look like."
The men laughed. "Get out of here. We can only imagine what it is like being newly mated," Goddard teased.
Declan chuckled and waved goodbye. They walked down the dark street that split the two rows of houses.
"You okay?" she asked.
He nodded. "It was just something they said."
Kari left it alone for the moment, but she could tell that whatever it was, bothered him. If he didn't speak up soon, she knew she would bug him about it later. They walked into the house, and he walked her to the kitchen, smiling. He pointed out a machine. It was all black and chrome.
"Now, I will show you how this works, but only on one condition."
She cocked an eyebrow. "What condition?"
"You must never tell Eva or Meryn that it's here. They would never leave."
"What is it?"
Smiling, he flipped a switch she heard a grinding sound and watched as a dark brown liquid began to stream into a small cup.
"It's an espresso machine. The one thing I can't live without."
"You are right; Meryn would never leave. I have heard horror stories already about her and coffee. Magnus is evidently very entertained by them."
Declan took the two shots of espresso, walked over to the refrigerator, and opened the door. There was a small jar with a lid. He opened it and poured it in. He rinsed out the small cup and then set it on the counter.
"What will you do with that?" she asked.
"I'll use it later to make iced coffee."
They walked upstairs and got ready for bed. After the espresso demonstration, he hadn't said a word. She slipped on an old T-shirt and climbed into bed. When he still hadn't said anything by the time he climbed in behind her, she decided to say something.
"Penny for your thoughts," she started. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the curve of his body. "Just a penny?"
"That is all I can afford right now."