"Baby, I'm a lion-shifter. I'm close friends with witches that can do shit like make it snow and create tornadoes. I'm not going anywhere."
She calmed down but still clung to him. "I can't lose you, Ari. I just can't."
"You won't," he reiterated.
She looked over at their bed and sighed. "We don't have time."
"Normally, I'd see that as a challenge, but as we just admitted our love for one another, the next time we're in that bed, we're going to spend all night making love, and I'm reclaiming you. I don't want to be rushed."
Brie gave him the stink eye. "I didn't hear you admit shit. I'm the one dangling out here in vulnerability land."
Ari stared. She was right. He cupped her face. "Brie Wilson, I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. I loved you even more when you shot me. Every day that love grows. From now until the day we pass from this world, I will be yours and you will be mine."
She rubbed her cheek against his hand. "You would say something about me shooting you in your love confession."
He kissed her nose and let his hands drop. "Of course."
They heard a doorbell chime. "That's probably Cam with your stuff." He grabbed the last of his own gear, and they headed downstairs where Bastien was greeting Cam.
Cam eyed his mate. "I heard y'all were having a party. Feel like letting this poor, bored Vanguard join in?" He held out an impressively large duffel to Brie. She stepped forward took it, then headed off to one side of the foyer to rummage through it like a kid in a candy bowl.
Bastien pointed to Cam's attire. The man had come completely decked out in black gear, an automatic weapon slung across his back. "And if we said no?"
Cam shrugged. "I already bribed Meryn with an Apple watch to get the locations of both sites. I could just meet you there."
"Damn," Bastien muttered.
On the floor, Brie just chuckled. "Oh, they remembered. Awesome." She started attaching, buckling, clipping, and even velcroing items to her body. When she stood, she looked like his own personal wet dream. "Damn, baby," he breathed, taking her in.
"Ari, you're doing that growl thing again," Priest said, nudging him.
"I don't even care anymore," Ari said.
His saucy mate winked at him and looked down at her watch. "It's almost time to go. Is everyone ready?"
The men that had crowded the foyer with the doorbell's chime all chorused, 'yes'.
"Is Darian here?"
"I'm here. Just arrived though. I've been arguing with my brother for him to stay at the palace with our mother, but he's being stubborn," Darian complained.
"Don't be like that, Dari. It's been ages since I've had a mission with Gamma; let me have some fun," Oron pointed out.
Brie tapped her watch then looked at Darian. "You know where we're going?"
He nodded. "I went out there a bit earlier to get my bearings for the portal and to scope the place out. Menace did a good job picking a rendezvous point."
"Why do you call her Menace. I mean it suits her, but isn't that kinda mean?"
"She's the one that started these call signs, she's stuck with it," Sascha growled.
"What's yours?" Brie asked.
Sascha turned pink. "Gamma Kitten One," he muttered lowly.
"I'm Foxy Boy," Quinn added.
"I'm Adonis," Ben said smirking at his unit leader.