My Warrior (Bewitched and Bewildered #12) - Alanea Alder Page 0,52
seem to eat it quick enough with his spoon, but he finally finished his bowl. "Leo, could I have some more please?"
"Me too!" his mate added, holding up her own empty bowl.
"Of course!" Leo quickly served them again.
After the second bowl, he found himself still craving the incredible soup.
"Just a bit more," Brie asked.
"Ditto."
Leo looked at the two of them. "Is it really that good?"
He exchanged looks with his mate, and they both nodded. "I don't know what it is, but it's hitting the spot."
Rex and both of his parents were looking at them strangely. His mother looked down at her half-eaten bowl. "It's okay, but not a favorite." Both his brother and father nodded their agreement.
"I bet it's the cilantro," Brie said, watching Leo carefully, as he ladled out their third bowl.
Everyone stared. "Why do you think that, baby?" Ari asked.
"It's a controversial herb in the human world. Scientists have discovered a portion of the population taste soap when eating cilantro, everyone else tastes yumminess."
Catherine snapped her fingers. "That's it exactly. I thought there might have been residual soap on the bowl."
Ari smiled at his mate. "So, our house will be Team Cilantro?"
"Absolutely."
Leo simply stared at them. "There's science in existence now that links your DNA to what you taste?"
Brie swallowed her latest bite. "Some. Then again, most cooking is a mixture of chemistry, alchemy, and witchcraft to me."
"We're so perfect for one another," Ari said, tackling his soup.
"If neither of you can cook, how will you eat?" Rex asked.
Ari looked at Brie, and they both shrugged before looking at Leo. "Leo," they said in unison.
"Of course I'll feed you two! They're the babies of the family until Kari has her little one. Plus, they are dealing with those gruesome murders, why should they have to worry about cooking?"
Brie turned to Ari. "Can we marry him?"
"As he practically raised me, no, that would be weird. But I agree with the sentiment a thousand percent."
"Will you be getting your own squire like Kari and Declan when you establish your home?" Rex asked.
Brie lowered her spoon. "Ari, where do we live?"
His lion purred at her question. She was already referring to them as a unit, which meant they were one step closer to being a true mated pair. Then her question sunk in. "Shit. I have no idea."
"Brie, darling, don't you want your own space outside the unit estate? When I mated with Jedrek, I couldn't wait to leave my parents estate so that I could finally set up my kitchen the way I wanted," his mother asked.
Brie gave a one shoulder shrug. "I'm not really domestic. I live with my dad, so he's the one that cooks and does laundry." She smiled. "I kinda liked waking up at the warrior villa. The guys are great."
Leo looked crestfallen. "I was looking forward to cooking for you."
Brie turned to Ari. "What if we made your quarters at the warrior villa our work space. It's where we'll keep our guns, gear, and investigation notes. But on the weekends we leave all that behind and come here. You could maintain your connection with House Lionhart, and we get to eat Leo's food every weekend."
Her words seemed to resonate within him. He knew that she had just laid out exactly what would work best for them. "If Mother and Father don't mind us invading every weekend," he looked over at his parents.
"Of course, we don't mind!" His mother practically screeched before sniffling a little. "I thought we'd lose you for sure once you mated." She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "We not only get to keep seeing you, but it was your mate that suggested it."
Brie smiled at her. "You're family now." She paused. "We also need to work in some time to spend with my dad and my new dad."
Rex's mouth dropped. "I completely forgot you're Doran's daughter now, making you the queen's niece."
"I don't begrudge my dad finding a mate, but I do not want to be there for their honeymoon phase. Trust me. My dad has little to no filter; the less I hear the better," she shuddered at the thought of too much information.
"My poor mate," Ari laughed. He thought back to the way her dad came up with the prank to tell everyone he was neutered. "It might be best to give them some space," he agreed.
"Mother was the serious one of the two," she said, finishing her soup.