The men stopped eating and looked at her.

Aiden frowned. "That can't be right. Meryn and I took that to the council almost a month ago."

"Aiden, if my uncle had known that so many shifters had disappeared around Lycaonia I would still be sitting in Noctem Falls." She raised an eyebrow at him. He sat back frowning.

Gavriel turned to her. "What did he say he was going to do?"

"He was going to call Elder Evreux as soon as he got off the phone with me. I imagine it was a one sided conversation," she grinned at the thought.

Colton looked at Aiden. "Can we not even trust our own Elders anymore? What in the hell is going on?"

Aiden shook his head. "I'm sure this is just another gaffe of Evreux's. He probably didn't think it was important to mention since it was shifters being taken and not vampires."

Darian nodded. "I bet you're right, that sounds like him."

Aiden looked at them all. "For now, let's not mention it outside of this room."

The men nodded. Elizabeth noticed that she wasn't the only one who wasn't nodding. Meryn and Ryuu hadn't either.

Aiden stood and clapped his hands together. "Okay people, those rooms won't clean themselves. Let's get started."

Groaning the men stood and began to head upstairs.

Meryn met her eyes. "It's just Evreux being a jerk."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sure it is."

They looked at each other. Elizabeth could see it in her eyes. Meryn didn't believe it either.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Elizabeth shared glances with Meryn as they watched the men walk back and forth carrying boxes to the attic. Even at his weakest Gavriel was toting weights she would never even attempt. Aiden and Colton were competing as to who could carry the most and Keelan was using spells to float the more awkward sized pieces up the stairs.

Darian had to stop going to the attic as he kept hitting his head on the rafters, so he was carrying boxes from their respective rooms to the base of the attic steps for the others to carry up. Elizabeth and Meryn's eyes followed their mates as they walked by again, bicep muscles bulging.

"Yum," Meryn murmured. Aiden looked at her suddenly and stumbled. Gavriel got caught up in Aiden's legs and he too went down. Both men sat up looking disgusted with themselves.

Ryuu picked up the boxes that Aiden and Gavriel had been carrying effortlessly. Gracefully he stood and without saying a word headed towards the attic.

"Seriously. Damn." Meryn stared.

"You can say that again." Elizabeth nodded.

"Seriously. Damn." Meryn repeated.

Aiden growled and Gavriel hissed low, both men got to their feet and walked over to the women.

"That was your fault," Aiden mumbled rubbing his chin on Meryn's head.

"You don't want me to be sexually attracted to you?" she asked.

Aiden kept his chin on her head and chomped his teeth causing Meryn's head to bounce around. She tried to get away but his quick hands reached out and tickled her ribs. Laughing she begged for mercy.

Her mate had a much more direct approach. He pulled her into his arms and dipped her back. The second he captured her lips she was lost. He teased her until her entire body was vibrating. When he righted them his grin was satisfied and thoroughly wicked. Damn the man, he knew exactly what he did to her.

"Sneaky vampire," she murmured into his chest.

"I have to make sure I keep your attention." He kissed her temple.

"Oh you have it."

"Are you guys done playing? We have more boxes to carry," Colton called out.

Aiden kissed Meryn before stepping away. "Coming!" he yelled back.

Elizabeth looked at her mate. "Where are all your things?"

"I maintain a home in the city where my things are stored. I like it better here though. Be right back," Gavriel whispered and walked towards their suite.

She shook her head. Her mate had a whole other house and it didn't occur to him that she would want to see it. She stopped. What kind of space did he have there for a closet? Smiling, she continued to count the sheet sets in the linen closet with Meryn. After a few minutes they noticed the men had been gone a while.

Meryn looked at her. "Where'd they go?"

Elizabeth shrugged and was about to answer when she saw Gavriel walking down the hallway with something large in his hands that was draped with a sheet. The men walked behind him smiling mischievously.

Meryn frowned. "Okay guys, what are you up to?"

Darian stepped forward as spokesman. "We decided to go ahead and do this now, before the trainees got here so they wouldn't expect to be spoiled."

Before either of them could ask what he meant, he carefully lifted the sheet.

She heard Meryn gasp and couldn't blame her. Gavriel was holding a very detailed miniature dollhouse. Inside each room were chairs, tables and other furnishings.

"It's for Felix. Gavriel got the idea after you moved in. Poor Felix always has to eat from a saucer. Nothing in the house fits him, poor little guy didn't even have a chair to sit in, so we made one. Well, Aiden did. He was in charge of furniture." Darian jerked his thumb to his commander.

Aiden blushed and frowned. "No one should have to sleep in a damn shoebox," he mumbled.

Elizabeth noticed that the faint twinkling she normally saw around Meryn was growing brighter and brighter.

Darian continued. "I called a friend that lives in Éire Danu and told her how heroic our Felix had been, braving the cold to come get us when Meryn was attacked. The sprites couldn't do enough for him. They sent sheets, blankets and practically a whole new wardrobe. Of course our local sprites didn't want to be outdone. Elder Vi'Ailean has told me that they felt terrible that Felix had to move because he wasn't fitting in. They'll be sending over seedlings in the spring for our own greenhouse that we're building so that he has access to plants year round."