My Commander (Bewitched and Bewildered #1) (19 page)

"Maybe I can compete after all?" He closed the door behind him and stalked over to her. Meryn felt her heart begin to race. He plucked her laptop from her hands and placed it on the table beside her. With a move made possible by his shifter speed and strength he pulled her from her chair and dipped her backward scorching her with a passionate kiss. As the kiss deepened they stood up straight. Meryn stepped into his body and felt the hard line of his erection against her stomach. She reached between their bodies and squeezed his bulge causing him to moan deep in his throat.

"You can't do this to me Meryn. You're still on your cycle and my mother would kick my ass if I took you in her drawing room." His breathing became more ragged as she kept caressing him. Meryn let her hand fall away and Aiden's forehead dropped to her shoulder. She grinned evilly as she turned her lips to his ear.

"My cycle ended today." His breathing stopped. He jerked back and his eyes were completely black. Just as his hands tightened on her arms to pull her closer, his mother opened the door.

"Pizza is here. Come get it while it's hot." She walked away, leaving the door open.

"Yay! Pizza!" Meryn grabbed her laptop and turned back to Aiden with an innocent expression.

"Not hungry?" His growl had her giggling as she sprinted from the room. His answering laughter and pinching fingers chased her all the way to the dining room.

When they got there he kissed her quickly and then his attention was on the stacks of pizza laid out on the large dining room table. Watching him grab a whole box her heart felt light. She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, that she had missed him terribly today. Unlike Adelaide, she refused to be left behind while he lived at the barracks. With a new item on her 'To Do' list Meryn grabbed a plate and sat next to Aiden as the rest of the unit members joined them for dinner.

CHAPTER TEN

"What did the council decide?" Aiden asked as everyone got settled.

"Meryn, never, ever, feel bad for calling René a douche bag. That man almost exceeded the limits of my patience today. He had the gall to imply that these couples deserved whatever happened to them since they chose to live outside Lycaonia." Byron growled under his breath.

"Will they stop the birth announcements?" Adelaide asked.

"We will be sending out a general public announcement tomorrow. We have to keep it vague to avoid mass panic, but I'm afraid most will ignore it. It's a part of our culture to celebrate our children and I know new parents-to-be will want to let the world know." Byron bit into a slice of pizza.

"Oh, that reminds me," Meryn turned to Aiden, "before I lost my mind with your laptop this morning, I came across a report filed by the county sheriff. They located a female body approximately five miles outside of Madison today. They won't be releasing that information anytime soon though." Meryn folded her slice in half and took a bite. Everyone stared at her.

"And how did you 'come across' it?" Aiden asked.
 

"You own a laptop still running Windows 95, I will not waste a perfectly good explanation on you, but rest assured it was completely illegal."
 

"Meryn!"

"What?"

"Won't you get caught?"
 

"No way! If the federal government can't track me, there's no way these small time Sheriffs can." His face blanched.

"Federal government?"

"Yup, NSA is my bitch. They stopped trying to catch me years ago. They know that I don't cause trouble, don't sell secrets or steal. In the end they realized it was easier just to let me do what I want."

"So you just felt like hacking into the Sheriff's email?" Darian asked.

"Uh, yeah. They don't realize they are dealing with paranormals and don't know to report stuff to you, so I set up a tiny little program that forwards all of the Sheriffs email to my inbox."
 

Aiden's eyes narrowed. "What exactly can you do with that overpriced frisbee?"

"Take over the world." She took another bite of her pizza.

"No, seriously." He prodded.
 

She looked up at him and blinked. "No, seriously."
 

"Okay, I'm not thinking about this right now. Any other news?"
 

Meryn picked up the laptop from the floor and opened it up on her lap. She scanned her email before turning to Aiden.

"Did you want like a Cliff Notes version? It's kinda gory." She motioned to Adelaide.

"If those young women lived through it, I at least, owe it to them to listen. If I can help in any way I will." Adelaide insisted.
 

"Okay. A second body was found outside of Waynesburg, but because that is a different county they haven't put two and two together that it's the missing person from Madison. Both bodies had been completely mutilated. The coroners are still trying to determine if they have all of the pieces. Oh." Meryn paused to read.

"What?"

"They are having a hard time identifying the bodies because and I quote 'It looks like something ate their faces off'. I wonder if they have pictures?" Meryn was about to check when Aiden closed her laptop.
 

"Excuse me." Adelaide put a trembling hand to her mouth and left the room, Byron and Marius on her heels.

"Sorry." Meryn felt like she really put her foot in it this time.

"It's okay. I think it's the fact that she knew that the women had been pregnant that got to her. We've discussed worse at the dinner table before." Aiden rubbed Meryn's back.

Adelaide and Byron returned a few minutes later.

"I am so sorry." Meryn apologized.

"It's okay, dear. I hope no one minds if I skip the rest of dinner and go right to dessert. Cookies sound perfect right now." Adelaide pushed her pizza aside.

"Sounds perfect to me too!"

"First batch is out. Get them while they are hot. I have also taken the liberty of scooping out just the cookie dough." Marius set a plate in the middle of the table. On one side steaming fresh cookies, on the other dough balls. After Adelaide and Meryn got theirs, everyone else dug in. Meryn was just about to ask how their training went when the lights went out.

In the dark Meryn heard a half dozen chairs scraping the floor as the men stood.

"Gavriel, take Colton and Keelan and check the back. Father, you, Darian and I will check the front. Marius can you keep the staff calm?" Aiden immediately took charge.

"Of course, sir."

A hand appeared on her shoulder and she gasped.

"Just me." Aiden kissed her and moved away quickly.

"Meryn feel around the table and make your way to me." Adelaide's voice sounded calm and sure. Meryn never would have guessed she had just chucked her dinner. She did as Adelaide advised and felt her way around the table until she grasped two warm hands.

"Now follow me. Byron has a panic room in his office. Hurry dear." Adelaide easily navigated the hallway in the dark. They were just passing the front door when Meryn heard the sound of a canine whimper. She froze.
 

"Come on Meryn." Adelaide gently tugged on her hand, but when a high pitched yelp was cut short Meryn turned towards the door.

"That was Colton!" She tried to pull her hand free.

"No Meryn! We have to stay inside." Adelaide began to pull her back towards the office.

"No! Please! We have to see if he's okay." Meryn tried to break free but couldn't. Then, as suddenly as the lights had gone out they were back. Meryn took advantage of Adelaide's momentary distraction and tugged free. She ran and flung the door open. She had only taken two steps outside when everything began to move in slow motion. She couldn't seem to catch her breath. She realized that she was having a hard time breathing because she was screaming. Pictures flashed in her mind in bits and pieces. The door opening and then blood. So much blood. Arms wrapped around her from behind. A familiar perfume engulfed her as she was pulled back inside the house. The steady stream of screams from her own throat and the image that would forever be etched in her mind.

A gutted wolf, hanging by his intestines on the front porch.
 

And then as if someone pressed a resume button the world was no longer moving in slow motion.

"No! God, no! Colton!" Her own screams echoed in the foyer. Men's angry shouts and pounding feet.

"Breathe Meryn, just breathe." Adelaide's voice repeated in her ear. Meryn could feel Aiden's mother's hot tears on her neck. Meryn no longer screamed words, just long, anguished wails. Between one heartbeat and the next her world went black.

*****

Meryn struggled to wake up. When she tried to open her eyes, she realized that they were practically glued shut from sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she turned over. She was in her room.

"Aiden?" She felt movement behind her.

"I'm here." He pulled her close.

The events from the previous evening slammed into her and she began to sob.

"Sweetheart, it's okay."

"How can you say that? He was your best friend!"

"Colton is fine. Mother said you called out his name. Meryn it was just a dog, some poor dog that this psycho used to scare us." He rubbed her arms.

"Colton's okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. When we die, even if we're shifted, we revert back to human form. He was very touched at your concern, though." Relief flooded her. She felt exhausted all over again.

"That poor dog. I heard it Aiden, it was alive when he brought it here. I heard it crying on the porch." That was all it took for a new flood of tears to overtake her.

"I swear to you I will find this guy, he will pay for all he has done."

"Why would he hurt an innocent little dog?" Meryn blubbered. She could easily discuss hacked up bodies at dinner and she didn't care. She never really liked people, but animals? Animals had been her only friends growing up. She couldn't stand the fact that she had stood there and listened to this dog be murdered.

"Because he is a sick fuck and he's toying with us." Aiden pulled her in tight to his body and draped a heavy leg over hers.

"Get some sleep sweetheart, things won't seem so bad in the morning." Meryn just nodded. She closed her eyes, and enjoyed being wrapped in Aiden's arms.

*****

Meryn was on a mission. She was determined to find this asshole dog killer and bring him to justice. As soon as she woke up, she slipped from the bed and jumped into the shower. She managed to get dressed before Aiden woke up. He grinned at her tee-shirt selection for the day. She-Ra princess of power brandished a sword on her chest, making her feel like taking on the world.

"Be downstairs." She said.

"Get back here woman." Aiden pointed to the empty side of the bed. She put her laptop down and walked back over to the bed. Before she could blink his arm snaked out from under the covers and pulled her back on the bed. Laughing, she turned and faced him. His slow kisses ignited a fire in her blood. He took his time and kissed his way down the side of her neck.

"We could always stay in bed today." He whispered before his hand began to climb up her shirt.

"Have I told you lately that I think you're a genius?" She panted. He chuckled. His fingers had just slid inside her bra when a loud banging jerked them apart. Aiden snarled at the door. Meryn rolled onto her back trying to catch her breath.

"What!" He yelled.

"Third couple was just reported missing, this time from inside Lycaonia." Gavriel reported urgently. And just like that, their ardor cooled. Aiden jumped up and began pulling on his uniform.

"Who?"

"Eleanor Canter." Meryn frowned. She knew that name. How did she know that name? The conversation from the sewing circle popped into her head.

"Oh no. Her mother will be worried sick. I met her at the sewing circle Aiden. She was actually nice." Aiden's eyes met hers. She knew he was trying not to show it, but in the end they were both too much alike, they both believed that Eleanor was already dead.

"I'm leaving Colton here. Call me if you need anything." Aiden leaned forward and rested their foreheads together.

"I wish I could stay. I want to show you how I feel." He whispered lowly.

"I know. But we have time, Eleanor may not." She clutched the front of his shirt.

"I love you so much Meryn. I need to claim you soon." She leaned back.

"Tonight." She promised.

"Tonight." He kissed her gently as if savoring the feel of her lips.

"Come on Superman, your unit needs you." Meryn picked up her laptop and took his hand. Aiden opened the door.

"He is more like Yogi Bear than Superman." Gavriel informed her without cracking a smile.

"And you're more like ..." Aiden began.

"Don't. Don't say it. Any comparisons made to certain sparkly vampires will be met with a slow death." Gavriel threatened. Aiden chuckled. Meryn rolled her eyes. They walked downstairs and said goodbye in the foyer.

"Until tonight." Aiden pledged.

"Until tonight." They left and Meryn made her way to the dining room alone. When she walked in Adelaide and Byron were on their way out.

"Where are you two going?" She asked.

"Byron has another council meeting to discuss the new disappearance. I am heading to the Canter's to see if there is anything I can do. Then I'm off to the Council Manor to help set up for tomorrow's ball, though given everything that has happened, I'm not sure if people will feel like celebrating." She wiped her eyes. Byron kissed her hair.

"It's because of what is happening that we need to celebrate." Byron looked to Meryn.

"Will you be okay by yourself today?"

"Like Aiden would leave her alone?" Colton said from behind Meryn. He walked up behind her and gave her a brotherly hug.

"I'll leave her in your hands." Byron's voice was pleasant but even Meryn could hear the unspoken, commanded order, 'Protect her or face me.'

"Yes, sir."

"Maybe I should stay with Meryn?" Adelaide wrung her hands. Meryn shook her head.

"No, Aileen will need you more than me. Tell her I am thinking about her and when we find Eleanor I'll help with the nursery." Meryn promised.