"Beth, baby, let me." Gavriel said moving her away from the enemy dead.

One by one they were turned. "You can stop now." She looked up to see Meryn standing next to Byron looking just as shaken as she felt. Suddenly she wanted her own father very much.

Gavriel steered her back to the group of warriors.

"I recognized two more. Can someone take pictures before the bodies are disposed of? I don't trust myself and I don't want someone going unidentified."

"We'll take care of that Commander, why don't you get the ladies inside," Sascha recommended.

Gavriel tensed up beside her. "He said I wouldn't have a choice." He turned to her. "They didn't come after me tonight, they came after you." His words silenced the men.

"This wasn't a random attack, they deliberately tried to turn you," Aiden growled.

"They also said they were coming for my baby. How did they know? We haven't made an announcement." Meryn wiped her tears with her sleeve. Aiden plucked her from his father's arms and held her close.

"How did you keep them out of the house?" Aiden asked.

"Ryuu," both she and Meryn answered together.

They all turned to see the squire sitting on the porch steps; he waved at them.

"Damn good squire you have there, little lady." Abraham complimented.

"I know. He's the best!" Meryn preened.

"They almost won, didn't they?" Elizabeth said turning to her mate.

He shook his head. "Even if the worst came to pass, I would follow you. I would never let you face the unknown alone."

Beth watched as he, Aiden and the rest of the men exchanged looks. She knew what words were left unspoken.

After I slaughtered all those responsible for your death.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!" Adelaide said as they walked into the Shifter Council estate. Everywhere Elizabeth looked the house was tastefully decorated for the holiday. The smell of roast turkey, pumpkin and cinnamon had her sighing blissfully. All of the Alpha Unit members was able to make it except for Colton and the trainees, they had returned to their respective homes for the holidays. Adam, Adair and Ben sat talking with Byron. Adelaide was fussing over Noah and Jaxon in a motherly fashion and both young men were soaking it up. Darian and Keelan were checking out each covered dish excitedly and Aiden was trying to keep Meryn out of the food.

"You never told me how much you loved Thanksgiving," Gavriel said nipping at her neck.

"I love the food! It's all my favorite comfort foods put together in a huge feast, how can you not love that?"

"I was there for the first one remember," he teased. They sat at the dining room table enjoying the chaos around them.

Elizabeth noticed the subtle differences in her mate. To his disgust, none of his clothes fit him anymore. He had to have a tailor come to the estate for new measurements. He had grown two inches, putting him close to Colton's height at six foot six, unheard of for a vampire. Where he had been lean and long before, he now carried more muscle but it was compact unlike Aiden's larger, bulkier frame. To her, he was now walking sin. Every inch of him was sculpted, defined muscle. His hair was longer as were his fangs when he fully extended them.

In private he also admitted that he had to work with Aiden to create a new regiment for training. He was now working out using a routine similar to the larger fae. But the changes weren't just physical. Elizabeth was starting to see what Meryn had meant about her mate being a charming gentleman. He rarely got surly anymore and smiled more often. The only thing left unchanged was his possessive nature, for which she was grateful.

"Meryn, darling, we're eating soon." Adelaide laughed as Meryn ran from dish to dish wanting to try a bite of everything. Aiden had given up keeping her out of the food after she informed him the baby wanted it, he was now telling her to try all his favorite foods.

Darian and Keelan were glued to Marius's side trying to wheedle whole pies from the squire.

Ryuu was nearly back to normal and helping Marius in the kitchen. For a few days after the attack he had been stuck in bed while he had regained his strength. Ultimately it was not only the men begging him to act as a buffer between them and an uncaffeinated Meryn but also the nursing attempts made by Meryn herself that hastened his recovery.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Meryn said suddenly, looking at Gavriel.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Can you please tell Elizabeth that I'm right? Neither she nor Sydney believed me when I told them what you said about that shifter commander going home after the battle where the Dark Prince saved his life." She made a face at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had to turn her head. She knew now that Meryn was right, since she now knew that Gavriel had actually been there.

Gavriel leveled his gaze at Elizabeth, his eyes twinkling. "You should listen to Meryn; she is getting to be an expert regarding paranormal history."

"Wait? What story? That is the first time I heard that ending too," Aiden said.

Meryn beamed up at her mate. "Gavriel said that after the vampires healed the shifter commander, he turned his back on the war and walked all the way back to Lycaonia to see his newborn son."

"Why weren't we ever taught that?" Aiden asked, looking at his father.

Byron shrugged. "It's the first time I've heard it, too. Lots of stories were lost after the Great War; two whole generations were wiped out before it came to an end."