Broderick chuckled. "I know the feeling, but let me tell you. Nothing in the world is better than the sweet hugs and kisses from your daughter."
Bethy blushed. "Oh, Daddy."
Aiden's face softened. "Maybe a little girl wouldn't be so bad."
Meryn rubbed her belly. "She can be a Doctor Who watching, hacker ninja!"
Aiden scowled. "No, she won't. She'll be delicate and demure."
Meryn looked confused. "You have met me, right?"
Gavriel swirled his wine in his glass. "She has got you there, Aiden."
Aiden leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Fine, we'll have a boy."
Meryn shrugged. "Then he'll be a Doctor Who watching, hacker ninja."
"No hacker ninja stuff."
"Too late."
Aiden froze. "What do you mean?"
"I've been putting headphones on my belly and playing lectures about coding and early Doctor Who episodes." She patted her belly. "Meryn two-point-oh likes it."
Aiden's face was priceless.
"I am sure it will be fine, Commander," Grant said trying to cheer Aiden up.
Aiden grunted and dug into his roast. The man seemed to be trying to devour his worries along with his dinner.
"You can't really count on little girls being demure." Micah waved his fork. "Little Bethy practically grew up around the units. She may have learned politics from Prince Magnus, but she learned how to throw a punch from Adriel."
Adriel smiled at the memory. Bethy had been such a tiny little thing.
Gavriel turned to his mate. "Speaking of which, what did he mean when he called you his little valentine?"
Bethy's eyes widened; she scowled at Adriel then looked up at her mate. "Caught that one, did you?"
Gavriel raised an eyebrow. "I do not miss anything when it pertains to you. Story?"
"When I was little, four I think..." She turned to him for confirmation. Adriel nodded and she continued. "...Papa was explaining the history of Valentine's Day and how it was observed. Since Adriel was the one that looked after me the most outside my family, I wanted him to be my Valentine. I drew a heart on a piece of paper and had Tarak escort me to the Unit Level. I walked right up to him in front of all six units and asked him to be my Valentine." She smiled. "He graciously accepted, and not once did he make me feel unwanted or as if I were a bother. He's a true gentleman."
"She was adorable; how could I say no?" Adriel set his glass down.
Declan laughed. "We were all jealous. Every year after that we competed to see if we could be Bethy's valentine; she usually chose one of her fathers, her uncle, or Adriel though."
Bethy giggled. "You all made me feel so special competing that way. You made every suitor that approached me later in life seem dull in comparison."
Caspian leaned back in his chair and gave him a thumbs up. Adriel winked. Of course, her fathers had been ecstatic when she showed little interest in dating while she lived here.
Bethy shook her head at her father's antics. "Adriel would escort me to social functions so I didn't have to go alone. He kept the more ardent suitors at bay."
"You mean like that douchebag, Jourdain?" Meryn asked.
Bethy frowned at Meryn down the length of the table. "What do you know about him?"
Meryn pushed her roast around her plate. "I saw your reaction to him in Lycaonia. I almost had Kendrick convinced to kill him, but you know, 'politics' got in the way. Evidently, he's like an important douchebag here."
Magnus's face darkened. "Did he do anything?"
Bethy reached over and patted his arm. "No, Unky, he didn't; he was just his normal obnoxious self."
"I still want to kill him. He upsets you." Meryn took a huge bite of mashed potatoes.
Declan growled. "Join the club. I've been dying to get my claws into him for decades."
"I will pretend I did not hear any of this; plan away." Magnus said and continued eating his dinner.
"What's his deal anyway? I mean I knew all vampires except Gavriel were douchebags, but he takes the cake." Everyone turned to stare at her. "What?"
Bethy cleared her throat and pointed around the room.
Meryn looked around. "Oh. Unit warriors are excluded since Bishop, Christoff, Drake, Griffin, and Malcolm are my peeps. And y'all are nice, practically normal, so you don't count as vampires."
Declan turned his head, his shoulders shaking; he was laughing so hard.
Magnus winced. "Thank you, I think."
Etain turned to collapse against Declan, both of them laughing uncontrollably.
"Are you quite finished?" Adriel asked.
That set them off further.
Across the table, Micah had his face buried in his hand. "The rumor is true! She called René Evreux a douchebag!"
Meryn huffed. "He deserved it. Jerk."
Magnus turned to his niece. "I see what you mean about being needed in Lycaonia."
Declan, who had just started to regain his composure, lost it again. He simply sat back in his chair and laughed loudly.
Adriel pinched the skin between his eyebrows. "Declan, really."
Declan bumped Adriel's shoulder with his own. "Aren't you glad you're a warrior 'peep'; that makes you normal."
Adriel looked at Meryn. "Do you prefer shifters because you are mated to one?" he asked curiously.