Kendrick just shrugged. "I may or may not have a reputation amongst the warriors for disobeying council dictates in an effort to help warrior witches learn more, which may or may not have resulted in lives being saved."
"So basically, you're a badass?" She crossed her arms over her chest.
He looked up and winked. "Something like that. I don't like being told what to do, and I don't play well with others."
"If you don't play well with others, why did you volunteer to train Basil?"
"Because, despite his frothing at the mouth and self interest, Sterling was right. Basil should have moved up to Alpha. Since I have chosen to stay and act in my brother's stead, I can do the next best thing."
"What is that?"
Kendrick looked up and gave her a heart-stopping, boyish grin. "I can make him my minion. I can't wait to tell Meryn I have one, too," he said smugly.
Anne threw her arms up in the air. "Men!"
Kendrick ignored her outburst. "Put our anime back on."
Grinning, she ran back over to her chair and resumed their show.
CHAPTER FIVE
They had just wrapped up another episode when they heard a loud slam. Kendrick looked over at Anne and saw her startled expression. Anne checked Keelan's IV bag, and they headed downstairs. Kendrick could see the change in her already. When she first met him, she had been closed off, skittish. But after he expressed an interest in something she loved, she had opened up to him like a flower opening to the sun. Feeling self-congratulatory, Kendrick was sure he would be able to get her to admit that she had dreamt of him soon.
They walked down the stairs; he stopped at the bottom and pushed Anne behind him. Aiden McKenzie was two seconds away from losing his temper. Personally, Kendrick didn't mind if he trashed the place as long as Anne wasn't hurt in the process.
Meryn, Beth, Amelia, Jaxon, and Noah appeared from the downstairs hallway, and Rheia, Penny, and an older woman stuck their heads out of the front room.
"Aiden! What on earth is the matter?" Meryn rushed over to her mate.
Aiden growled and snarled, and Meryn's eyes narrowed. She pulled her foot back and kicked his shin. Aiden's growling stopped as he reached down to soothe the pain in his leg.
"Meryn! You have got to stop doing that," he complained, rubbing his shin.
"You were all snarly and spitting at me," Meryn said in an even tone of voice.
Kendrick was impressed. The Unit Commander had been an intimidating sight. Meryn seemed to think nothing of kicking him. It just proved that mates knew best how to handle each other.
Aiden took a deep breath and stood up straight. "I wasn't spitting."
"You were, but that's okay; I love you anyway. Kiss." Meryn lifted her arms.
Kendrick was confused for a moment until he realized that the only way the small woman could reach her mate's lips was if he lifted her to them.
Aiden's face transformed to a gentle smile as he easily lifted his mate and allowed her to kiss his face repeatedly.
"Better?" she asked.
"Much. Thank you, baby." He set her down but kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Kendrick looked around the foyer to see that the other women had responded to their mates' anger as well. Elizabeth was rubbing her cheek over Gavriel's hand lovingly, Rheia and Penny were taking turns kissing either side of Colton's face, and Amelia was drawing hearts on Darian's chest and kissing the center.
"Would you gentlemen like to share what happened?" Kendrick asked.
Aiden's face tightened. "Family meeting in the dining room," he said shortly, and with his arm still around Meryn, they walked down the hallway.
The older woman plucked Penny from Colton's arms. "Ryuu brought Penny's dinner out a few minutes ago. We'll be in the family room watching a movie and later I'll get her up to bed."
Rheia kissed the older woman on the cheek. "Thank you, Mina. I don't know what we'd do without you. You're the best grandmother ever."
Anne pulled on his sleeve. "Does that mean us, too?"
Kendrick was thrilled that she had referred to them as 'us'. Being the two new people to the house apparently made them a team in her mind. Kendrick couldn't be happier.
Meryn stomped back down the hall toward them. "Yes, that means you two. Come on, people."
Anne casually looped her arm through his, and they walked together down the hall. When they entered the dining room, Kendrick sat in the same chair he had the night before, and Anne sat on his other side.
Once everyone was seated, Aiden looked around the table. "Alpha and Gamma Units were called in by the council today for a special hearing. Evidently, certain founding families have taken exception to the way I am running the units. They have called for an inquiry and review of my performance."
Colton growled. "I'd like to meet some of these unhappy founding family members. I'd love to introduce them to our new breed of ferals."
Elizabeth rested her chin on her laced fingers. "They can't do that. There is no governing body that can dictate to the Unit Commander."
Gavriel ground his teeth together. "There has not been, until now."
Kendrick sat forward. "What?"
Aiden turned to him. "A group of founding family members from the Elder Generation has come together to create what they are calling the Committee. It consists of seven men from founding families representing the four pillar cities. I'll give you two guesses as to which city only has one representative."