My Warrior (Bewitched and Bewildered #12) - Alanea Alder Page 0,92

sons, so there is that."

Her dad and Doran walked by, both grinning. Her dad held up a wad of cash. "This is going toward your birthday present."

Chapter Sixteen

Brie chuckled, then stood. She reached down and pulled her mate to his feet. The crowd dispersed, and they, once again, were heading upstairs so she could freshen up.

When they walked into their bedroom, Brie noticed that Leo had placed her gown across the bed with new underthings. That reminded her to look for the things her father and brought for her.

She went to the dresser and started opening drawers. Her things were perfectly folded and put away in the third drawer down. She shook her head. Squires were amazing.

She pulled off the sweaty silk and walked to the bathroom. She turned at Ari's low growls. "We don't have time. Your mother will hold dinner for us, and you know it."

Ari's eyes dimmed a bit, but his hair remained long. She pointed to his head. "I love it. Why didn't it grow when you became your lion-man?"

He brought his hand up and ran it over his hair. "Third form was a knee jerk reaction out of anger." He pointed to his head. "This was a primal, soul level response from my lion." He sighed. "I'll have to have it cut."

"Do you have to?"

"No, but I've always worn it short. Why?"

"Gives me more to grab later," she explained, stepping so just her body was getting wet under the shower head. She quickly soaped up and rinsed off, carefully keeping her curls dry.

"I'm feeling the long hair," Ari mused out-loud.

She laughed and dried off. He handed Brie her clothes and they walked downstairs. As she predicted, the squires had pulled out small hors d'oeuvres to serve along with celebratory drinks. When she walked in, cheers and glasses went up. The men stood until she sat down.

"Have a good time, baby girl?" her father asked.

She smiled wide. "It was so much fun! I've never been able to face someone that allowed me to go all out before."

"I made eighty bucks betting on you!" Meryn exclaimed. "That's a lot of chicken tenders."

Brie turned to Ari. "Who bet against me?"

Ari chuckled wickedly. "Nearly all the guys. They respect the hell out of you, but none of them thought you'd hold your own against Aunt Elysa."

"Why?"

"Because that woman has been putting us all on our asses for decades. She's one of the changes I made as unit leader. I asked her to help with drills. Each warrior probably as a low key form of PTSD when it comes to that woman," he explained.

"Dude, she's hot," Brie said, then noticed Leo had refilled her wine glass. She lifted it and took a healthy drink.

"Brie!" Ari shuddered. "That's my aunt!"

"Well, she's not mine, not by blood anyway. Most of those women caused me to question my sexuality. They were so powerfully sexy."

"Ditto," Meryn agreed.

Aiden looked down at his mate in shock. "Really?"

Meryn glanced up. "Did you see their arms? I bet that's where Rex gets it from."

"Like I said: just like her mother." Her dad winked at her.

"What do you mean?" Ari asked.

"When I met Brianna, she was dating a woman, and I was dating a man. We saw one another from across the room and pretty much abandoned our dates. The first thing she said to me was, 'I'm going to have your baby,' and she did."

"Mom and Dad were best friends first and foremost," she added.

Her dad smiled wistfully, and Doran wrapped his arm around him. "She was like a soul mate, but not like a fated mate. I think we were meant to be together."

Meryn snorted. "Yeah, so you could make Brie," she said flippantly. Everyone around them paused at her words.

Ari pulled her close. "I don't care how or why, she's here and she's mine."

"Ryuu, can I have more meat, please?" Meryn asked.

Ryuu moved to add more slices to her plate from the platter. "Thank the gods Leo cooked so much. Meryn, I think you've eaten a cows' worth."

Meryn pouted, then looked up at Leo. "Am I eating too much?"

Leo practically tripped over himself to take the platter from Ryuu. He generously loaded up her plate. "Of course not. Here, take some more. Oh, and some onions."

Ryuu eyed his charge who was smiling up at the other squire shamelessly. He shook his head, smiling. "Simply adorable."

Brie got the feeling he was referring to her manipulation and not the smile.

"She's totally playing you, Leo," Declan pointed out, trying