"It is not obscure!" Meryn protested.
Adriel returned the walkie-talkie to his belt.
Kari eyed the spread of food her mate had picked out for her. It looked as though he grabbed three of everything. "Though, knowing my brother, he might just pop up down here."
"How?" Gavriel asked.
"I have no idea. He is like that." She picked up one of the four sandwiches on her plate. "How is the fair coming along?"
Adriel nodded. "Quite nicely, actually. The vendors have really outdone themselves. Not only are we getting some of the city's favorites, but they have tried new recipes. They cannot wait to share them."
She looked over at Magnus. He was still beaming.
"Two babies plus my two nieces or nephews from Meryn and Bethy." He was practically vibrating in his chair.
Kari could tell he was truly excited about the prospect of new life. Any doubts she had about moving to Noctem Falls were eliminated. This man needed all the support he could get. Kari was halfway through her sandwich when the door chimed. A moment later, a familiar face appeared and a handsome smile greeted her.
"Law!" she exclaimed.
She jumped up out of her chair and raced over to him. He swung her up into his arms and twirled around. Behind her, she heard a few choking sounds.
He looked down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over.
"Yes, I am fine. Meryn saved me." She pointed to Meryn who was sitting on Aiden's lap.
"So she's the smart one who identified the problem."
"Yes."
"What problem is this?" Adriel asked looking confused.
"Meryn, go ahead; this was your idea," Kari prompted.
Meryn twisted her fingers, "Well it's just that I've noticed some things. Like Magnus gives an order and the warriors automatically look to Aiden to see if he agrees. If Aiden gives orders, some of the vampires look at Magnus to see if he agrees. And with Declan being hurt, I was afraid that if something happened to either of you, they would hesitate. We might end up losing you both."
Magnus, Adriel, and Aiden exchanged looks. From the rueful expressions, Kari could tell that none of them had noticed the problem.
Meryn scrunched up her nose. "Amelia's brother's name is Law. Is that you?" she asked.
"Yes, that's me." Law confirmed. "How do you know Amelia?" he asked.
"Amelia is my big sister cousin. Our mothers were sisters. That makes him my..." she paused. "My big sister cousin brother?" she asked the room. She turned her head. "Ryuu, how does family work again?"
Kari watched in amusement as Law's face froze. He blinked and then picked up his phone. He held it sideways, and it chirped like a walkie-talkie.
"Tom, send team seven down to Noctem Falls on the double; I need them here yesterday."
"Yes sir!"
Law clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt.
"Why add another team?" Adriel asked.
"I have two sisters here where the local populace is either attacking unit warriors or turning feral. One of them has a stalker. The other one is human. And both are pregnant. We're surrounded by men who can't even identify a major chain of command issue. Of course, I'm bringing in another team," Law answered sarcastically.
Gavriel scowled. "You know, he reminds me of someone."
Law turned and looked at Gavriel. His eyes widened, and he inclined his head. "Looks as though I'm not the only one keeping secrets."