Aggie was the first one off the couch. She was talking very loudly and very fast. It was a good thing the ones assembled in the room were telepaths because they kept up with the running monologue in her brain. Deuce and Landen looked at each other in a mixture of shock and amusement.
Not many women were comfortable enough to yell at them. They were either too nervous around them or too scared. Aggie seemed not to really care who they were because she was letting them have it.
Anna looked at Paycen. The man was ignoring the commotion going on and was absentmindedly rubbing the ears of his dog. Serge looked absolutely content as he sat at his master's feet. His tongue lolled from his mouth as if he was grinning at the attention he was getting.
His eyes searched the room. She heard Paycen mutter Shawn's name so the dog had to have been looking for her daughter. A few seconds later Abby appeared in the hall doorway. She whistled and Serge bounded for her. They disappeared around the corner.
Paycen looked up at her then. His eyes were green with hints of silver. She remembered the brightness of the silver when he burst through her bedroom door with the big dopey dog. He had been so angry she thought he was going to be mean when he turned his gaze to her. Then she had spoken to him and something had clicked. He had calmed down enough to hold her.
She had feared the man behind him was going to get up but Serge was sitting in the doorway growling. If he had tried, he would have met with a furry bundle on anger.
Now she was finding out the reason she was attracted to him was because she was his mate. She wondered why he hadn't said anything. She understood why he wanted to protect her and her family, but he still could have said anything. Then another thought hit. What if he was keeping it quiet so she didn't panic? She figured he had read her thoughts about dating a co-worker and had thought it best to leave that little tidbit out.
Or maybe he was just being cautious because he didn't know how she would react if he told her. From the looks of things he had been right, except it wasn't her that was causing a ruckus.
Her mind flitted to the scene of him holding Shawn. She had to respect her daughter's choice because Shawn was a good judge of character. She also had an even more up close and personal view of the Silvers and Golds. She was learning with a child's mind so it made it easier for her to integrate into their world. She was learning their ways and how they reacted to certain situations. That's why she was so at ease with Paycen and the others.
Aggie was still ranting when Anna put her hand on her wrist. Her mother looked at her then opened her mouth to spout something, but Anna shook her head. She could listen to her mother rant later. Right now she needed to ask a question. She could only do that when her mother was sitting down and being quiet.
Finally the older woman sat down and looked at her daughter. Anna turned her attention to Keldin because he would answer her honestly.
"I had been talking to Arin late one night while we were working a murder case. It was right after I learned about your existence. He said something about finding the one who completed your soul, your other half. Is that what you're talking about right now?" she asked.
Keldin nodded. "Yes, it is. Every person born to us has a predestined mate. Trust me it sucks. My mate tried to have my significant other killed when I didn't bond with her. We shared a different bond and I thought it was all right, but she didn't agree. Her husband hadn't known anything about it."
Anna tilted her head. "Was her husband one of you?"
"Yes, but she was like Keldin," Deuce said gently. He flicked his eyes to his Leader for permission. When the auburn haired man nodded, he continued. "Keldin and Bethany are gay. That's why they aren't bonded to their mates."
"I have bound Skander to me, but it will never be as tight knitted as everyone else's."
"What does a bond do?"
Keldin looked at Alex. "You're better equipped to answer this one than I am. You've been married to your wife for thirteen years."
It was then that Anna noticed the looks of the man. He favored Mikey Lowen. Except where the King's hair was a darker blond, this man's was a brighter blond, almost white. It was cut close to his head but long enough that he could run gel through it. He had a pair of bright blue eyes that could only be inherited from someone with strong ties to Europe. She was proven correct when he opened his mouth to speak.
"The bond is very tight and very strong. Your mate will know your every thought, feeling, and need. He will supply you with everything you want as well as everything you need. He will adopt your kids as his kids and he will cherish you all the days you are together," he said. She noted that when he spoke he sucked down his R's. He had to come from a German speaking nation.
Aggie waved her hands. "He will read her every thought?" Alex nodded. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"
"How do you think he found her tonight?" Cougar asked. "We knew they were going to attack your family but we didn't know when or how. When she turned to fight to protect you and that little girl, she unconsciously called out to Paycen. His brain had already started knitting their minds together by being in constant contact with her. It made it easier for her to reach him. If he hadn't been able to read her mind, you'd all be dead."
Anna stared at Paycen again. He had vacated his spot on the love seat and was now standing next to the window across the room. His body posture was lazy but she had worked for a while in law enforcement that she knew the signs. He was anything but lazy. His face was hard lines and his hands were jammed into his jean pockets. She looked closely and realized that he was thrumming with energy. She remembered it from earlier in the night and pieced together that he was getting ready to lash out. She looked back at Alex.
"My mother, though a little fanatical, is right. Having my mind read is a little invasive. I'm not sure I like it," she said.
Landen sat on the couch arm and tucked his rifle under his arm. She noticed he didn't go very far without it. "My grandparents were bonded for seventy years. Granted they were part of our world, but they shared a deep bond that I have never seen until I agreed to be part of this team. I never knew my father and my mother never spoke about him, but I watched my grandparents. They had many silent conversations. When my grandfather made my grandmother mad, he would never overstep her privacy because it was a pact they made when they bonded."
He smiled briefly at the fond memory and Anna saw how much he loved his grandparents. His smile faded and his eyes focused on her again.
"Paycen will always have your best interest at heart. He will be fanatical. He will be bossy. He will be like talking to a brick wall at times, but he will never go over the lines you set," he said.
Deuce smacked his teammate in the shoulder. When he turned around, he wiped at his eye. "Man, I never knew that about you. It was very touching."
Landen elbowed him in the side. "Shut up."
"No, really. It was beautiful."
Anna focused on Emery, the man who knew Paycen best. He met her eyes and raised an eyebrow for her to ask her question. "Will he force the bond on me?"
Every man in the room said, "No."
Emery laughed. "No matter how we act with each other we are always gentlemen. We will never force the bond on our mates. It's not how we work or how we were raised."
"More importantly," Aggie said, "Shawn will be taken care of?"
Keldin nodded. "Yes, she will. And if you don't mind my asking, what happened to her father?"
Anna closed down immediately and Paycen prepared to move. He was about to speak up when there was another pop. A hand grabbed Keldin's buzz cut and ruffled it gently. He looked up and a slight smile graced his face. It was the first time he had smiled since this whole thing had started.
The hand belonged to a beautiful woman. She was tall and dark blond. Her eyes were warm as she surveyed the room around her. Beside her was Mikey and they looked almost identical. The only differences between them were their genders, their height and the symbols engraved on their sternums.
She slipped her arm around Keldin's neck and pressed her hip into his. Keldin wrapped his hand around her wrist and kissed her thumb. Everyone else bowed for a few seconds and came to attention. When she waved her hand, they settled.
"You must be Anna Martin," she said. "I'm Aiden Miller, Queen of the Silver Court."
"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" Emery asked.
"Six of my people have been either been killed or injured. I'm not going to sit back and watch as you handle it."
Aggie nudged Anna. She met her mother's smile. That kind of scared her. "I like this woman. She's young and takes charge. Maybe you could work for her."
Anna had a surge of genius. She jumped up and walked over to the other woman. Everyone tensed and she slowed down. She forgot she was talking to the queen of these people. They would be very cautious of who they let near her. Luckily, Aiden said something and they all fell back into relaxed positions.
"Ask me what you want," she said.
"We were talking about mates and bonds. You're a woman. How do the bonds work for the women?" Anna asked.
"Aiden's not a normal woman," Mikey said as he sat beside Keldin. Alex shifted until he was standing with his body angled towards the man. "She's the Queen. She carries all the Silvers on her shoulders. She sets the precedent for everyone. What I'm sure these guys have been telling you they have learned from their parents, grandparents, friends, and Aiden. If you need anyone at your back, it's her."
"The bonds are very intimate and very strong. You will rely on Paycen for the rest of your life. Your lifespan will be added to, meaning you will live longer than most humans. If you choose, you will also have a job within the Court. Also your daughter will be taken care of. She will interact with our kids," Aiden said.
Anna frowned at one thing she said. "How do you know I was meant for Paycen?"
Aiden closed her eyes momentarily. When she opened them they were swirling silver and opalescent. Anna had the sudden urge to cover her body because she felt as if she was being looked straight through. After a minute or two, Keldin ran his hand up her arm and she closed her eyes again. This time when she opened them they were back to their normal honey brown color.
"His skin is glowing as is yours. It's the tell tale sign that you two were meant to be." She kissed the top of Keldin's head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the SDPD and see if I can talk to Arin."
"He's in a coma," Anna said.
"Aiden can still talk to him. We have no idea how so we don't ask," Emery said. "Do you need anything to go with you?"
"Mikey's going. We'll be fine," Aiden replied.
"Sir," Alex said, "I don't think it's a good idea if you go without an escort."
"There are over two thousand officers working in the ten stations. I think we'll be fine," Mikey replied gently.
Alex didn't seem reassured but he didn't argue. The Royals said their goodbyes then walked into the kitchen. There was the pop that said they were gone. Everyone else started to discuss rounds. With everything hashed out, they dispersed to do other things. Anna looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing one in the morning and she had to be at work at seven. She could get by on five hours of sleep if she needed to. But she really needed to talk to Paycen.
He read her mind once again and waved her away. He was going to give himself time to recuperate before he talked to her. She guessed he was going to give her time to figure out what she wanted to do. In all honesty she didn't want to talk about it tonight. She wanted to sleep.
Taking the silent agreement, she excused herself and went to the bedroom Abby was guarding. Serge was sprawled out beside Shawn and snoring. The little girl was curled up against him, small hand clutching a handful of white fur. She walked over to the bed and nudged the dog. He woke with a growl but when he noticed it was her, his tongue lolled out and he scooted to the foot of the bed where he flopped out once again. Anna crawled in beside her daughter and listened to her breathe. She saw Abby smile and clothes the door on the way out.