My Brother's Keeper

Kendrick wiped off his nose. "Touché."

Amelia turned to her parents. "I'd like to visit with you as much as possible while you're here."

Lily hugged Amelia. "Of course, Meryn, too. When she's ready."

Meryn played with her danish. "It's not like I don't want to talk to you. I just don't know what to say. The only thing that comes to mind is, 'Your mother was a hateful bitch, and I'm glad she's dead,' but that doesn't seem like something you say over tea."

Lily covered her mouth with her napkin her eyes dancing with laughter. "Oh Meryn! You could most definitely say that over tea, at least with your uncle and me. Remember darling, we knew her, too. I had to practically drag Marshall away from her house. He wanted to turn her into a toad, but I stopped him since she was still raising Violet."

Meryn thought for a second. "No, not a toad, a slug. That would have been better."

Marshall winked at Meryn, causing her to blush. "I agree one hundred percent. We could have taken turns with the salt shaker."

Meryn laughed then stared down at her plate. "Perhaps later, after my appointment, we could visit together. Maybe talk about my mother."

Lily's smile was wobbly as she blinked back tears. "I'd like nothing more."

Aiden grumbled under his breath. "The more I hear about this woman, the more I support the idea of moving her grave to Lycaonia."

Meryn laid her head contentedly on her mate's shoulder. "I don't think so. I wouldn't want her fouling the place up. Maybe somewhere nearby."

Anne couldn't imagine what this woman could have done, but by the support the idea to move this woman's grave was getting from around the table, she was glad she had never met her.

The doorbell rang signaling an end to breakfast.

Anne stood with Kendrick. "You have fun today training your minion. Try not to blow anything up while I'm gone."

Kendrick sighed. "You're taking the fun out of my morning." He rubbed noses with her. "Have fun counting bandages and taking everyone's temperature."

"You know us nurses, we love to take temperatures," she teased.

"Love you."

"Love you, too. And seriously, no blowing anything up or destroying the house."

"I'll do my best." Kendrick said magnanimously and swaggered to the door to greet Basil.

CHAPTER TWELVE

They ended up taking Anne's CRV to the clinic since it hadn't been assigned a parking spot yet and was still out front. Meryn argued with Ryuu that she didn't need a babysitter, and she didn't want him in the room when someone was looking up her hoo-ha. Ryuu managed to look annoyed and worried about his charge at the same time as he helped her put on her coat.

Once in the car and on their way, Meryn exhaled. "Freedom!"

Rheia laughed. "Have you had a moment alone since you moved in?"

Meryn shook her head. "Nope. I could kiss the one who cast the spell to put up the perimeter. Maybe now I can go to the city on my own and visit Sydney and Justice."

Anne glanced to her right where Meryn sat. "I've heard their names before, who are they?"

"Sydney and Justice run the coffee shop in the city called The Jitterbug. They're both sinfully gorgeous and so lovey-dovey it should be illegal."

Amelia's ears perked up. "I think I watched an anime that had two men that ran a coffee shop in it. I'd love to meet Sydney and Justice, they sound fun."

"They are awesome peeps. Too bad I can't sample any of their newest creations," Meryn sighed and rubbed her belly. She looked down. "You better be worth it, kiddo."

Rheia cracked up in the backseat. "She will be."

Anne smiled. "You're having a girl?"

Meryn shrugged. "I don't know. I told Rheia not to tell me. So she keeps changing up the pronouns to confuse Aiden."

"What about you Rheia, do you want to know?" Anne asked.

"I wouldn't mind one way or the other. It might make it easier to decorate," Rheia replied.

"So. You got claimed huh?" Meryn asked out of the blue.

"Meryn!" Rheia gasped, sounding mortified.

"What? She said she didn't mind telling me," Meryn pointed out.

Anne couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Yes."

"And?" Meryn fished.

"And... it was magical, for lack of a better word."

"My claiming was hot, but I don't think I would use the word magical. I got bit though." Meryn pulled down the collar of her coat to reveal two shiny pink scars.

Rheia sighed. "I got bit too."

Anne frowned. "I didn't get bit. Was I supposed to get bitten?"

Meryn tapped the door. "I don't think so, maybe it's a shifter thing."

Anne followed the road. "Maybe."

After another couple minutes of silence, "Do you think I could use my sonic screwdriver as a wand?" Meryn asked.

Anne could practically feel Rheia staring at Meryn. She looked in the rearview mirror.

Yup. The I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-you stare.

"What's a sonic screwdriver?" Anne asked, breaking the silence.

"It's something the Doctor uses in that show I was telling you about. Keelan made me a magical version of one. Since Kendrick says I have some magic in me, I was wondering if I could use it as a wand to, you know, cast spells."