Declan eyed her mate, and then slowly began to smile. "Was that a joke? Was that you cracking a joke?"
"The world may never know." Adriel turned and offered her his arm. "My lady."
She rested her hand on his forearm and let him escort her to the door.
"I can't wait to see what dinner is like," Eva murmured.
"It was a joke. I'm sure it was a joke," Declan told Etain as he tucked in his shirt.
Adriel inclined his head. "After you."
*****
Adriel noticed a few new faces at dinner. Demetrio, Stefan, and Adora Bolivar had been added to the guest list. Sebastian glided from person to person, filling glasses and smiling; he was totally in his element. Everyone was standing around talking in the antechamber while waiting for dinner to be ready.
Eva was pulled from his side and into the arms of a handsome wolf shifter. Adriel had to remember at the last moment that killing this pup at dinner would be something of a political faux pas.
"Stefan, let Eva go. Her mate looks like he's two seconds away from strangling you, and I don't blame him one bit," the older wolf said to his son.
"That can't be her mate; he's a vampire. I bet her mate is the wolf they came in with," Stefan said, pointing to Grant who shook his head.
Stefan frowned. "The lion then." Declan also shook his head.
Adriel pulled Eva to his side. "She is my mate. I am Adriel Aristaios, the unit leader here in Noctem Falls. I believe we met earlier to discuss your people's settlement."
Stefan growled low. "That was before I knew you had mated to my Eva."
Adriel felt his fangs extend. "Your Eva?"
Eva stepped between the two of them. "Stefan, you better be nice to my mate, or I won't be in your fantasy football league anymore."
Stefan snapped his mouth shut. "You don't know what they're capable of."
Gavriel left his conversation with Aiden to stand beside him. "They, who, exactly?"
Adriel was surprised at the show of support.
Stefan snarled. "They murdered my cousin!"
Demetrio sighed. "It is true that Angel was killed by vampires, but son, that was nearly four hundred years before you were born."
Stefan's eyes never left his. "I heard the stories from my uncles; they kill shifters. I bet the problem with the ferals is their doing."
Adora slapped her mate's arm. "Those would be your brothers he's referring to."
Magnus walked over to stand between the two of them. "Son, it is true that seven hundred years ago many shifters were killed by vampires." Magnus lay a supporting hand on Adriel's shoulder and squeezed. "But it is also true that shifters hunted down and killed innocent vampires as well, including Adriel's parents."
Adriel heard a soft gasp, and then Eva was suddenly at his side. Gavriel took a step back to allow his mate to stand next to him in a show of support.
Some of the fire seemed to drain out of Stefan. "I'm sorry about your parents." Stefan's eyes filled with sympathy.
Adriel did not know what to make of the young wolf. One second he was snarling and barring his canines, the next he was sincerely sorry for his loss.
Eva laid her head on his shoulder. "Stefan is very young for an Alpha. He is sometimes rash and impetuous, but he is never insincere, fake, or a liar. Our people love him for those reasons."
Stefan rolled his eyes. "I'm not that young."
Gavriel and his prince chuckled. Adriel could not help but smile. "Pup, I am probably older than your parents, and Prince Magnus is at least three times older than I am."
Stefan frowned. "I can't be the youngest one here."
Bethy walked over to stand by her mate. "You're older than I am."
"Me too!" Adriel heard a voice call out.
Meryn's head popped up next to Bethy.
Stefan smiled; he started to speak then stopped. He sniffed the air and walked over to Meryn, frowning. He sniffed her hair then her neck.
"He's doing a sniffing thing! I've already been through this; it's how I got stuck with Aiden!" Meryn yelled.
Aiden stalked forward, his eyes jet-black. "Why are you sniffing my mate?"
Stefan looked up at Aiden. "She smells familiar." He leaned in again, sniffing around her ear."
"He's doing it again." Meryn waved her hand in front of Stefan's face. "Shoo. Shoo."
Stefan looked at his parents, perplexed. "I never forget a scent. I know hers from somewhere." His head snapped back to Meryn. "Mate? How can you be mated? You're just a baby!"
Beside him, Eva snickered and leaned in to whisper. "I thought the same thing when I saw her."
"I'm fully grown! Really people! I'm not that short! Y'all are just huge." She stomped her foot.
Stefan looked down. "You're pregnant." He glared at Aiden. "Dirty old man."
Aiden's eyes bulged. "What?" he demanded in a strangled voice.
Meryn started giggling. "Dirty old man! Wait until I tell Colton!"
Demetrio turned to them, his face red. "Now that my son has managed to put both feet in his mouth and offend everyone here, we'll take our leave."
The prince waved off his concerns. "No worries. Being around these young people has made me realize how dull and dry my day-to-day life had become. We need more Stefans and Meryns in this world."