My Champion

by Alanea Alder

  His sincere praise had her smiling. "Thank you, Magnus."

  Magnus lowered his hands and smiled. "It is the least I could do for someone who is going to help me run the city."

  Kari gave him an evil grin and wagged her finger back and forth. "Oh, I am not going to be running the city." He looked at her, puzzled. "I will be running you." She patted his cheek when he groaned. "Buck up, I have not killed anyone...yet." She winked at him.

  He threw his head back and laughed. He straightened and offered her his arm. She accepted, and they left the office together and headed to Level Six.

  Kari could've picked Rex Lionhart out of a thousand people; he looked that much like his brother.

  Rex walked right up to them and greeted Magnus. "Prince Magnus," he said shortly.

  Magnus nodded "Elder Lionhart," he replied just as brusquely.

  Rex growled low in his throat, his impatience belying him. "I don't have time for niceties; I'm here to see my brother."

  Magnus inclined his head, a small grin on his lips. "Of course, but allow me to be the one to introduce you to your new sister." He stepped back and motioned to Kari. "Rex Lionhart, I would like you to meet Kari Delaney, Declan's mate." Rex's head snapped to her so quickly she thought he'd hurt himself. A wide, warm smile changed his face completely, and without hesitation, he pulled her into a huge hug, squeezing her so tightly she thought her spine might snap. He swung her around, laughing before he lowered her to the floor. "A mate? My brother? By the gods! It's about time. I can't wait to get to know you better, but if you're like me, I bet you're just dying to see him too."

  Kari nodded. "Yes. Yes, actually, I am."

  Rex bowed regally and offered her his arm. "Well then pretty lady, if you would escort me to Level One to where my brother is, maybe we could both see him."

  "I guess I am just chopped liver now," Magnus mused.

  Rex's expression became puzzled. "You normally don't speak like this. You're usually so formal I fight the urge to stick you with a pin. What has changed you?"

  Magnus glanced around and then indicated the transport tunnel. "I have much to tell you, maybe later, once we are in my office."

  Rex nodded his understanding, and the three of them made their way down the tunnel and back to Level One. Kari was so nervous she didn't know what to do. She hadn't even thought about in-laws, and here she was standing next to a new brother. Magnus knocked on the door, and they walked in.

  The doctor sat in a chair beside the bed making notes on a form on the clipboard in his lap.

  Declan opened his eyes and smiled. "My mate. You're just as beautiful as I remember. For a moment I feared I had dreamt you." He jerked his thumb to the healer. "The doctor assured me that you were real, but I wanted to see for myself."

  Kari blushed. "It is nice to be able to speak with you when you are not drugged."

  Declan winced and rubbed his stomach. "I'm getting better," he joked.

  Kari rolled her eyes. "You would be a Monty Python fan."

  He shrugged. "Blame Colton Albright; he introduced me to the movies. Why don't you come over here and sit next to me," he suggested, patting the bed.

  Kari walked over to him, and instead of sitting on the side of the bed, she sat in the chair on the other side of the bed opposite the doctor. Declan practically turned onto his side to face her. His whole face was lit up with a smile that hadn't diminished since they'd walked through the door.

  "I can't believe the gods have given me such an angel."

  A throat cleared.

  "And gods, the smell!" he continued, taking a deep breath.

  The throat cleared again.

  "So tell me all about yourself," Declan asked, ignoring Rex.

  Rex stepped to the foot of the bed. "Nice of you to welcome your brother," he criticized.

  Declan gave his brother a sidelong glance. "Hello Rex, how are you?" he asked dutifully. When Declan turned his attention back to Kari, Rex put his hand under the sheet. Seconds later, Declan yowled loudly.

  The doctor dropped his clipboard, and he stood, fuming. "What are you doing to my patient?" he demanded.

  Rex brushed off his fingers on his suit, and in the light, small golden hairs drifted toward the floor. "Just getting his attention," he informed the agitated healer.

  Declan pulled his leg up and began rubbing it. "You ripped out my leg hairs."

  Rex gave his brother the evil eye. "Not all of them; quit being such a baby."

  Kari covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. Even if their looks didn't announce to everyone that they were siblings, their actions definitely would. "Is that all you have to say to your brother who came here to see how you were doing?" Rex asked.

  Declan lowered his leg. "I'm fine."

  Rex crossed his arms. "I heard you almost died. Did you call Father? Mother?"

  Declan shook his head. "I was kinda unconscious, then in surgery, then unconscious again. I am just now waking up, so no, I haven't called Father yet."

  At the mention of surgery, Rex's eyes softened. "Are you really okay?"

  Declan nodded, ducking his head. "Yeah, Bubber."

  "Okay." Rex smiled at the term Bubber.

  Kari turned her mate. "Bubber?"

  Declan grinned evilly. "I couldn't say brother when I was a child."

  "That is so cute!" she gushed.

  Though he pretended to be indifferent, Rex wore a smile. She could tell that he liked the affectionate term.

  "Try not to agitate my patient. He needs to lie still for the next couple of hours," the doctor huffed, picking up his clipboard before sitting back down.

  Rex ignored the doctor. "You know an Elder seat may be opening up in Storm Keep," Rex began.

  "No," Declan said, shortly.

  Rex scowled. "You haven't even let me finish."

  "I don't need to. I know I don't want to become an Elder; I've never wanted to become an Elder. I hate politics, yet somehow I always seem to find myself in the middle of these situations."

  "Maybe if you became an Elder, you wouldn't be getting cut up mediating disputes between two factions that should know better," Rex said, biting off each word.

  Declan crossed his arms. "I like what I do here. I help people. That's all I've ever wanted to do."

  "I just want to keep you safe, little brother," Rex admitted.

  Declan nodded. "I know, but keeping me safe and running my life are two separate things."

  "I don't want to run your life, Declan. Just ensure that you're happy."

  Declan looked over at her and winked. "Something tells me I'm going to be real happy," he leered at her.

  She raised an eyebrow. "We will see," she said, noncommittally.

  Rex chuckled. "Sounds like you got yourself a smart woman there, Declan." He stopped and tapped his chin. "You know what, as a mating gift to both of you, I'll call Father and let him know what happened. I'll run interference for as long as I'm here."

  Declan's his face became a mask of disbelief. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

  Rex flicked Declan's big toe causing him to flinch again. "Of course. I have a feeling that I'm going to be here for a few more days." He raised an eyebrow at Magnus. "Someone still needs to explain to me how this entire debacle happened."

  "I suppose that is my cue to invite you back to my office for an explanation," Magnus said.

  Rex inclined his head. "That would be most welcome."

  Kari didn't know what to do. She should be there with them to help document anything that was said or any agreements made, but she was loath to leave Declan's side.

  "Kari?" Magnus called her name softly.

  When she looked up at him, he winked at her. "You do not have to start for a few days. Take some time to get to know your mate."

  "We will, however, expect you both at dinner," Rex threw out over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.

  Magnus met her eyes, and he rolled his slowly. "Yes, of course you are both welcome to dinner." He wav
ed and walked out behind Rex.

  The door closed, and Kari looked over at her mate. "So?"

  "Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck.

  "Well, this couldn't get anymore painfully awkward," the doctor said, standing.

  Kari and Declan smirked at each other.

  "Well, if my services are no longer needed..." The doctor stood.

  "Just a moment, Doctor, if you have a moment. I was wondering if there is a treatment for homesickness?" she asked.

  He blinked. "You mean actual homesickness?"

  She nodded. "Meryn, the Unit Commander's mate had something of a meltdown earlier, and I am concerned for her, as she is with child."

  The doctor's eyebrows snapped together, a frown overtaking his face. "Any kind of heightened emotion can raise blood sugar and blood pressure; neither are good for a woman when she carries. We must do everything possible to make sure that she stays healthy for the baby." He chewed on his lower lip for moment. "I'll swing by and make sure she's okay. At the very least, I could possibly give her low dose sedative. I have a feeling that she is being affected in the same way that the shifter children are."

  "Shifter children?" both Kari and Declan asked at the same time.

  The doctor nodded. "Like Elder Lionhart, I'll be staying here few days as well. As Declan was recovering, I had a few concerned wolf-shifter parents find their way down here to me to ask if I could look in on their children. Some of the shifter children are lethargic, despondent, and weepy. I have a feeling that they, like your Meryn, are just missing home."

  "It could be from being underground for the shifter children," Declan volunteered.

  The doctor snapped his fingers "Of course. I had forgotten all about that."

  Kari looked from one to the other. "What am I missing?" she asked.

  Declan winced as he adjusted his pillow before answering. "Most shifters and fae have a hard time at Noctem Falls. The lack of daylight, plants, sun, and wind affects them greatly."

  The doctor tucked his clipboard under one arm. "The fae and shifters are very much creatures of the earth. I'll make recommendations to the parents to find a way to get the children to the surface for an hour so."

  Declan nodded at the idea. "Find the unit leader Adriel Aristaios; he can make arrangements with the other fae and shifter unit warriors for topside time with the children." He turned to Kari. "Even we unit warriors need to take turns doing topside patrol. Being underground for so long can take a toll on us, I can't imagine what it's doing to the babies."

  "I had no idea," she said.

  "Thank you for your suggestion, Declan. I'll check in on you tomorrow." He grinned. "I know you're a new mating, but no funny business until I clear you for extracurricular activity. There are no food restrictions, so enjoy yourself at dinner." He wagged a finger at her. "And no feeding from him until I give the okay."

  She looked down at her hands, blushing. Declan chuckled. When she heard the door close, she peeked up at him. "I meet the man of my dreams, cannot feed, cannot have sex, and our first date will be a horribly awkward, politically charged dinner with your brother and my new boss." She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "Lovely."

  "Man of your dreams, huh?" her mate said, sounding smug. There was a brief silence. "Wait...boss?"

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Kari kept her hands in her lap. "When I was freaking out about your injury, Avery suggested I help organize Magnus' office to center myself."

  "Who's Avery?"

  "My younger brother."

  Declan scratched his head. "The little guy with blond hair and blue eyes? Kinda adorable?"

  Kari laughed. "That is him, and please, do not let him hear you say that; he would be devastated."

  Declan grinned. "You were upset?"

  Kari poked him in the arm. "I saw your intestines, Declan. How would you have felt, had it been me?"

  As her words registered, she watched as his eyes melted to a tawny gold color. When his lips pulled back, his canines were peeking out. She raised an eyebrow. He grunted and took even breaths.

  "Anyway, yes, I was perturbed by your injury, so I started dismantling Magnus' office."

  "Magnus, huh?" Declan asked, referring to her use of the prince's first name. She shrugged. "He gave me permission to use his name; he likes me." Feeling playful, she stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his out at her in retaliation. They both laughed. Declan brought his arms up, with only a slight wince and rested them behind his head. "Do you rip apart the offices of rulers for a living," he asked flippantly.

  "Actually, yes I do," she confessed.

  "Seriously?"

  "Yes. When I was younger, I took work as a secretary at first and then as a personal assistant. The one thing I hated the most was, just as I was learning the system, I would have to change jobs. So I started a company that not only trained personal assistants, but also the men and women who would employ them. They would both be trained in the same methods; that way there was never any miscommunication or differing expectations. More than half the time, bosses had no idea what to ask of their assistants. To them, personal assistants, secretaries, and gophers were the same thing."

  "That is brilliant! I'm surprised no on has ever thought of doing things that way before," Declan shook his head in disbelief.

  "Needless to say, we were very successful. I started by training my core team of personal assistants in varying methods of organization, deportment, business, economics, communication, language, business law, and foreign policy."

  "Is that all?" Declan joked.

  She winked. "They became the ones who would go in first and train company presidents and CEOs. While they were busy drumming up business, I took on a group of candidates that were taught mostly the same things, except I added on items like, event planning, fundraisers, charity work, and so on. They were groomed to blend into any professional environment. By the time the CEOs were ready, we had personal assistants waiting for them. The core group then branched out and took on new contracts while a few stayed in our home office to take over training."

  "Gods, the prince needs someone like you desperately."

  "I know," she shuddered. "You should see his Post-it Note stack."

  He dropped his arms and reached over to take her hand. "My poor little general."

  She smiled at his endearment. "Am I supposed to call you Simba too?

  He grimaced. "I did that to cheer Meryn up. She's been kinda down lately. Did she really have a meltdown?"

  "Yes, poor thing."

  "She got to you already?" he asked, understanding her sympathy.

  "She gets Avery. He lights up around her and is pulled into conversations."

  "Why would it be important that she gets him?" Declan asked.

  "Because Avery is special. He has a genius level IQ, but the naiveté of a child. I have had to protect him ever since I found him ten years ago."

  "Protect him from what?" Declan growled.

  "When I first met Avery, he was being pressured, against the wall of an alley in Chicago, into taking a job as a prostitute." Declan began to growl even louder. Kari smiled. "Needless to say he has been with me ever since."

  "So you take care of him?"

  "Yes and no. He has a photographic memory. There is a reason why I kept him on as my personal assistant. He is a whiz with numbers; he does all my book keeping and payroll. Plus he is like a walking talking Rolodex and Google. He takes care of me just as much as I take care of him.

  Declan whistled low. "That's impressive."

  Kari smiled. "Yes he is. So, you are second-in-command here?"

  "Yes, I help Adriel run the units here in Noctem Falls."

  "Magnus told me about your brothers. It must be nice to have such a large family," she commented wistfully.

  "It has its moments. Rex is the oldest, then me, then Ari. My father is the elder at Éire Danu, and Ari stayed behind with him to serve as second in command to Brennus, the queen's consort. I came out here to Noct
em Falls. At the time, Rex was up for promotion to work with the queen, but after I transferred, he put out feelers and became the Elder here instead. I think he just wanted to spy on me."

  Kari rolled her eyes. "Or it could be that he is your big brother, and he cares about you."

  Declan shrugged. "Could be."

  Kari eyed her mate. "You have a very typical middle child syndrome. That is why you are a natural mediator."

  Declan thought about it. "I can see that. It makes a lot of sense when you put it that way."

  "Do you have any friends here in the city?" she asked.

  "A few. I hang out mostly with the warriors from the Eta Unit and some of the warriors from the other units. Before Aiden, Meryn, Gavriel, and Bethy came to the city, our job consisted of a simple patrol and then we would be free to pursue our own hobbies. Since they've arrived, it's a bit different. There's been more camaraderie, looking out for each other, and talking amongst the warriors. In Eta, we were always kind of tight; we just never knew how to talk to Adriel.

  "I knew he was a good guy because I work with him the most, but it's almost like he kept up this mask because he felt like he had to, and I can see why. Politics in the city dictate, if you are a vampire of any rank, you can't rub elbows with the plebes. That was the way Adriel was raised. The Founding Families believe because he is the Unit Leader, he should keep a distance from his men.

  "I knew he never wanted that, but it wasn't until Eva arrived that his shell began to crack. I swear to the gods, yesterday, he made a joke," Declan said excitedly.

  Kari smiled. "Is it really that big a deal that he cracked a joke?"

  Declan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, he tries so hard to keep his emotions to himself that, every time he slips up by smiling, laughing, or getting angry it's kinda like he's letting us see him. I think the guys have come together more in the past week than they have in the past decade."