"There you are. We were looking for you," Meryn said walking up. Jaxon wheeled along beside her.
"Meryn, let's go back to the office. It's not safe here." Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steer her back from where they had just come.
Meryn resisted. "What in the hell do you mean it's not safe?" she asked.
"There you are, you bitch!" An angry voice roared.
When Elizabeth looked up the blond man was staggering towards them. Moving quicker than she thought one in a wheelchair could move, Jaxon pushed himself between the oncoming giant and where she stood with Meryn.
Just as the blond man was about to pass him, Jaxon reached out a hand and grabbed his forearm. With his other hand he reached down and set the brake to his chair.
"Out of my way, cripple!" The violently angry man protested as he tried to get his arm free. But try as he might he could not escape Jaxon's strong grasp.
"Looks like this cripple is stronger than the trainee that placed first in trials. I knew you were an asshole Sterling. What I didn't know was that you were this weak," Jaxon taunted.
Elizabeth stared. This was a trainee?
"What in the hell is going on here?" A deep male voice bellowed.
"Aiden! Sic em, boy!" Meryn pointed to the one Jaxon called Sterling.
Aiden strode forward and grabbed the front of Sterling's shirt hauling him a good foot off the ground. "Why did you attack my mate?" Aiden growled low in his throat.
Sterling looked around confused. He pointed to Elizabeth. "She's your mate?" he asked.
From behind Aiden a low hiss was heard. Gavriel walked over and pulled Sterling out of Aiden's grasp. "No whelp, she's mine." Gavriel let him dangle as he shook him repeatedly.
Sterling gulped and looked from Aiden to Gavriel wide eyed. "Sir, I think there has been a huge mistake. I thought she was the house servant and flirted a bit. She took exception and I was about to let her leave when the other servant electrocuted me. When I came out here to find out why I had been attacked, the one in the chair assaulted me."
Aiden turned to them. "Is that true?"
Meryn looked up at Aiden, "I'm sorry all I heard was 'blah, blah, blah, I'm an asshole liar, blah, blah, blah'."
Aiden ignored his mate and looked to Elizabeth.
She took a deep breath and recounted what happened.
"He came into the room set up for Jaxon and Noah just as I was finishing making up the beds. He thought that a servant of this house provided certain benefits. I told him in no uncertain terms that he was mistaken and that I was mated. He still blocked my way from leaving the room when I tried to come and get you. That was when Ryuu showed up. This one," she pointed to the man suspended by her mate. "I'm assuming his name is Sterling, made racially disparaging remarks against Ryuu thinking him just another servant. When he started to get violent Ryuu knocked him unconscious, helped me to leave the room and set out to find you. Sterling woke and came after me. That's when Jaxon stopped him." Elizabeth wrapped up her story and took a deep breath. Gavriel hissed in Sterling's face his fangs extended.
Aiden turned to her mate. "Gavriel, I'm putting you in charge of our newest trainee. He's to run until he passes out, then he's to complete all the drills that the others have done. Make sure you are very through in introducing him to our unit lifestyle."
Gavriel's smile was terrifying. "Come on, whelp, time to break you in." Gavriel simply hauled the struggling man towards the door.
"But I need to change," Sterling protested pointing to his dress shoes and slacks.
"Too bad," Gavriel growled. Ryuu opened the front door for them.
"Thank you, Ryuu. Can I trouble you to make a special menu for this one? Water and gruel for the next week," Gavriel requested as Sterling let loose a string of curses.
Ryuu bowed, smiling. "It would be no trouble at all."
Gavriel nodded. "He's to take all his meals alone in his room."
"I'll see to it personally," Ryuu promised.
Gavriel half carried and half dragged the trainee out the door. Ryuu shut it behind him.
Meryn whistled. "I've never seen Gavriel look so pissed." She looked up at her mate. "I don't want him here. Can we throw him back and get another one?"
Aiden rubbed both hands over his face. "You can't establish a new method of doing things and then change them the second you don't like the results. He scored the highest and he chose to come here. If we start playing favorites now it will hurt our case for your sixth man project."
"Aiden, he's unstable," Elizabeth shuddered.
Aiden looked at her pleadingly. "I'll have a one to one with him and make it crystal clear what is and isn't accepted. I'm sure that he was just hyped up about moving in. He'll settle down after a few days. Until then, Gavriel will watch him like a hawk and dog his steps." Aiden tuned to Ryuu. "If he gets out of line again shock the hell out of him, at this point a little brain damage may do him some good." Sighing, he kissed Meryn on the forehead. "Excuse me ladies, I need to call my brother and ask him why he didn't warn me about that insufferable little prick." Aiden walked past them before stopping next to Jaxon. He laid a hand on his shoulder. "Good work, son. When my mate isn't driving you crazy come find me. I'll show you some exercises that will really work your upper body." Aiden continued on to his office.