Chapter Three
When they arrived at the Nu estate she insisted on walking in. She pressed her hands to her cheeks. He must never know of all the scandalous things she was thinking of on the way over. After all, she was a witch, not a nun.
Hunter opened the door for her and they walked in. He immediately led her into a bright, light filled kitchen where multiple people were talking at once.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Guys, I’d like to introduce my mate, Kiera Sorrel.”
She laughed nervously and gave a little wave. “Hello.”
“So, what’s wrong with the kids?” a small woman asked from the counter high bar area.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
The woman blinked. “Hunter said they avoided him like the plague, so I was wondering if they were okay.”
“So, you just assumed something was wrong with them and not Hunter?” Kiera asked.
The woman grinned. “Have you met Hunter?”
Kiera really didn’t have anything to say to that. She eyed her mate. “I see your point.”
Hunter was frowning. “What?”
“My name is Meryn McKenzie. That one is mine, his name is Aiden. He’s also a bear, so I know exactly how amazing they are.”
Both Hunter, and Aiden who was sitting next to Meryn, straightened.
Meryn continued. “Absolute marshmallows, but vampires have better muscle definition and the long legs of the fae give them better asses.”
“Meryn!” the man growled.
“What? This is all scientific.”
“How so?” Aiden demanded.
“No one has ever done an amanatomical study comparing the different physiques of paranormals before.”
“You mean anatomical?” Aiden asked.
“That’s what I said.”
“How are your comparisons useful?” Meryn’s mate demanded.
Smirking, Meryn handed him her tablet. He began reading, then kept swiping. “Is this real or did you make stuff up to keep your database?”
“I am o-ffended!” Meryn protested.
The handsome Japanese man behind Meryn cleared his throat. “She worked with both Rheia and Serenity for those numbers.”
“Thank you, Ryuu,” Meryn said, glaring up at her mate.
Aiden dropped a kiss on his mate’s forehead. “Aedan, Konstantine, meet me out back for new drills.”
Both men, whom she assumed were Aedan and Konstantine, groaned and stood.
“Pretty purple one on the left is Konstantine and the tall golden one on the right is Aedan.” Meryn pointed around the room.
“My squire Ryuu Sei. My brothers Pip Maverick, Nigel and Neil Morninglory, Hunter’s unit leader, Caiden Ironwood and his mate Genevieve Taylor.
” She looked around. “Zev left to get more groceries, so I think that’s everyone who’s here right now.
Kendrick and his mate Anne have been bouncing between here and his fairytale cottage in the city. ”
Aiden was still looking at the iPad when he walked out, Aedan and Konstantine behind him.
Caiden set a plate of glazed meatballs in front of Meryn. “What on earth did you show him?”
“I had Rheia and Serenity help me measure bone and muscle density based on paranormal type. I think it affects how strong they are or something. Then I pasted a bunch of sport science stuff in there for him,” she explained.
“Will it help?” Caiden asked.
“Aiden is smart. I bet he saw something in there I missed that they can actually use. Lucky for me,” Meryn said, spearing a meatball.
Kiera watched the entire interaction fascinated. “You have a database of warrior stats?”
Meryn grinned. “And rankings.”
“Like, how they placed with the units?”
Meryn shook her head. “No, how they placed with our judges.”
Kiera thought it over. “Oh. Oh! Are there pictures?”
“Oh yeah, we even have categories. Shirtless, uniform, fatigues and formal wear.”
Kiera cut her eyes to her mate.
He just winked and nodded toward Meryn. “You can look all you want, then you’ll see you got the best one.”
She stood on tip toe and frowned. “Get down here,” she ordered.
He leaned down looking surprised. She pecked him on the lips then went to sit next to Meryn.
Meryn held out her hand. “Welcome to the judges panel.”
Kiera shook it, smiling. “Thank you, for having me.”
“I wasn’t sure if we’d get any judges in Storm Keep. So far, Genevieve doesn’t care.”
The woman puttering behind Caiden laughed. “Meryn, I sleep next to perfection each night, I don’t need to judge anyone else.”
Kiera watched in fascination as one of the most famous witches in the city’s mouth dropped open and was left speechless.
Genevieve put down her measuring cup and with her index finger she closed her mate’s mouth. “Later,” she said, then kept pulling out ingredients.
Kiera felt the air begin to vibrate as Caiden’s eyes turned to quicksilver. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
“You an air witch too?” Meryn asked.
“Too? Are you a witch?”
“Not yet. I’m waiting to find Caiden’s mom so I can learn. I’m kinda hoping for fire magic so I can blow stuff up.”
“So, you are a witch, but don’t have your elemental power yet?”
“Technically I’m half- human and half-fae, but I also have premonition and empathy, so Kendrick thinks I may have an elemental power brewing,” Meryn explained.
Kiera nodded. “That makes sense. Usually, you get a higher power well after you get your elemental one and for you to have two, that’s impressive.”
“It is my hope you discover you have an affinity for water magic,” her squire admitted.
Meryn bopped her head. “That would be cool too.” She then looked at her. “What’dja end up with.”
Kiera shook her head. “I don’t have one.”
“Huh?”
She looked down at her hands. “I tested very low in magic. It’s why I had to get work amongst humans. I can’t even do a lot of basic magic.”
“Dude, that sucks.”
“Yeah.”
Caiden approached them from the other side of the counter and stared. “But, you felt my magic?”
She nodded. “I can always feel magic.”
“Interesting.” He picked up his phone and dialed. “When you get a second, head back. I have a puzzle for you.”
“It better be good,” an irate voice replied.
“You won’t know until you get here.” Caiden hung up the phone. “Always such a grump.”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll deconstruct you or something?” Meryn asked.
Caiden snorted. “He’d miss me.”
“I’m not so sure,” a deep voice said from the back door.
Meryn pointed. “Kendrick Ashwood and his mate Anne. Anne is a stellar nurse and Kendrick is like Superman.”
Kendrick’s eyebrows almost disappeared behind his shaggy bangs. “That has to be one of the nicer things you’ve said about me.”
“I know.”
Caiden pointed at Kiera. “You thought Kincaid was fun. This is Kiera Sorrel, Hunter’s mate.”
Hunter walked around the counter to stand behind her. “My mate isn’t a puzzle.”
Kendrick waved his hand at Hunter. “We mean that in a good way. Now.” He turned his gaze to her and frowned. “Isn’t she supposed to be a witch?”
Kiera groaned. “This is so embarrassing.”
Caiden brought up his hand, and it began to glow yellow.
Immediately Kiera felt the air vibrate and she rubbed her arms again. It felt like he caused every hair on her arm to stand on end.
Kendrick smiled in surprise. “Well now.” He brought up his own hand, and it began to glow red.
This time she felt the heat in her stomach. She rubbed her abdomen. She didn’t mind being around fire witches in the winter, but it was terrible in the summer.
“Ryuu?” Kendrick asked.
Ryuu inclined his head and with a gesture began to glow blue.
She sighed in relief as a cool wave went down her spine.
Kendrick turned to the twins. “Boys, if you would please, but not very strong.”
She recognized Nigel and Neil from when they lived in Storm Keep. They brought their hands up and when the green glow began, she smiled as she felt a tickle behind her ear.
“This is fascinating,” Kendrick said, staring at her.
“Why?” Hunter asked.
Kendrick pressed his lips together. “I’m not quite sure yet. Kiera, was it? Can I run tests on you?”
Anne cuffed him upside the head. “You can’t just ask someone to run tests on them.”
“Why not?” both Kendrick and Meryn asked at the same time.
Kiera raised her hand. “It’s okay Anne. I’ve been tested so many times by the Academy, I don’t mind anymore. I think my uncle didn’t want to admit there was a dud in the family.”
“Oh, my dear, you are most definitely not a dud,” Kendrick said, shaking his head. “I don’t quite know what you are, but you’re not a dud.” He looked at Hunter. “Will she be staying here?”
Hunter began to nod slowly, then stopped. “Maybe she should stay at my parents’ house.”
Kendrick rolled his eyes. “Gods above save me from well-meaning overprotective bears.”
“Hun, you kinda sound like a mad scientist right now,” Anne chided.
“Kiera knows I won’t hurt her.” He turned to her. “Right?”
Growing up in Storm Keep, she heard Kendrick’s name many times. Most of the rumors she heard revolved around how protective he was of his younger brother, how much he hated the Witches’ Council and people looking for handouts. He was never rumored to be cruel or hurtful.
She pretended to think it over. “Considering I’m neither on the Witches’ Council or a ‘muppet’ looking for a handout, I should be safe.”
Meryn laughed. “I love when he calls them muppets.”
Kendrick actually blushed, causing Anne and the twins to laugh.
Nigel wiped his eyes. “She has you pegged for sure.”
Kendrick cleared his throat. “While you are here, I’d simply like to test your reactions to different magics.”
“That’s it?” she asked.
“For now.”
She shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
Hunter turned her to face him. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “If I can understand my own abilities better, it may help Nicol and Keran when they grow up, especially if they end up like me.”
Kendrick frowned like he was thinking. “Nicol and Keran, the children who hate Hunter?”
Hunter groaned. “They didn’t hate me. They were just scared because they thought I was stalking them.”
Everyone stared at her mate. Had she not known the actual story of what happened, she would probably have the same expression the others had.
“Stalked?” Anne asked.
Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “Kinda, but I needed to make sure they were okay.”
She rubbed his arm. “They know now, hun.”