"I know how they were linked, the two missing couples. They had both posted birth announcements on Facebook within a day of each other." She whispered. Adelaide gasped and grabbed Byron's arm.

"Byron!" He was already moving. He grabbed his jacket and was heading to the door.

"Good work Meryn, call Aiden and let him know. I'm convening an emergency council meeting. We need to send out a public warning to stop birth announcements." He ran through the door. Meryn was frozen in her chair.

"Meryn. Meryn. Call Aiden." Adelaide pushed the desk phone towards her. With a shaky hand, she dialed Aiden's cell.

"Father?" Aiden's voice sounded confused.

"No, it's me. Meryn I mean."

"Why are you on my father's desk phone?"

"He let me use his computer. Listen, I found the link between the two couples, they were both pregnant. They posted a birth announcement on Facebook within a day of each other." She explained. He began cursing a blue streak.

"Your father is calling a council meeting to stop birth announcements."

"I've got to go, I need to update the unit leaders. Meryn, stay with my parents today. Don't go out on your own."

"I won't. I promise. Aiden?" Meryn hesitated.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Be careful, okay? I've kinda gotten used to you."

"I will. I promise. Love you." He whispered.

"Love you too." She hung up the phone and stared at it. When she turned, she saw Adelaide standing near the doorway, staring out, a haunted look on her face. She went to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. Adelaide gave a low cry and hugged Meryn back tightly.

"This is why I've always wanted a daughter." Adelaide pulled back and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. She smiled down at Meryn.

"Aiden would have promised to kill whatever was bothering me and then he would have left to go train to make sure he could. Sometimes you just need a hug." Meryn laid her head on Adelaide's shoulder. She breathed in the older woman's perfume and buried her face in her dress.

"Is this a mom hug?"

Adelaide laughed. "Yes, this is a mom hug you darling girl. How about we take over the kitchen while Marius isn't here to chastise us and make a huge mess making cookies?" Adelaide suggested. Meryn could definitely get used to having a mom.

"Only if I get to introduce you to the joys of eating cookie dough."

"Deal!"

They walked to the kitchen and Adelaide began pulling out ingredients.

"Adelaide, can I ask you something?" Meryn measured out the brown sugar, she poured some into the bowl and ate a teaspoon. A cup in the bowl, a teaspoon for her.

"Of course, dear." Adelaide was measuring the flour and chocolate chips.

"Was it hard living apart from Byron all those years?" Meryn sucked on her teaspoon. Adelaide paused for a moment and kept pouring.

"Yes. Yes, it was very hard. Some nights I would lie awake upstairs and wonder why we were so close but apart. I didn't like it, but, there were nights where Byron had to leave with his unit where they barely made it to the scene in time to save a life. Even the extra time to the barracks would have cost lives. I understood why we had to live that way, but no, I didn't like it."

"Why didn't you move into the barracks with him? From what I can remember the place is like a small mansion, there had to have been room." Meryn snuck another teaspoon of sugar.

Adelaide blinked at her. "It just isn't done."

"Hmm." Meryn poured the brown sugar into the bowl.

"You'll get used to it after a while and you'll have your squire to keep you company." Meryn watched in fascination as Adelaide easily stirred the wooden spoon through the chunky mixture. This was the part that she always had problems with, her scrawny arms could barely move the spoon. She kept forgetting that Adelaide was a shifter too.

"Okay, it's mixed. Do you just eat it?" Adelaide looked down at the bowl.

"Nope. Let's put it in the fridge for a while. Then we should be able to eat it. Chilling the dough makes the cookies better too." Meryn covered the bowl with a towel and placed it in the fridge.

"Let's have some tea while we wait." Adelaide put the kettle on the stove to boil.

Meryn sat down at the table and stacked the sugar cubes on a napkin. Without her laptop she felt exposed. She was working on the third row of her wall when Adelaide came over with two cups of tea. She sat down across from Meryn and sipped her tea.

"What was Aiden like as a kid?" Meryn asked, seizing this opportunity to get to know about her mate more. Adelaide smiled, but it was somewhat sad.

"He was a very serious, conscientious child. He always defended Ben and took time to show him things. He always made sure that I was comfortable before leaving a room. And of course he idolized his father. When he left the house to move into the academy as a trainee I missed him terribly. Byron had already become an Elder when Aiden left for training and Adam and Adair had already declined to inherit after Byron. I think that Aiden saw it as his duty to become a warrior and follow in Byron's footsteps. There are some days where I wonder if this is what Aiden really wanted and if maybe deep down, he resents his brothers for choosing other paths and forcing him to become a warrior." Adelaide twisted her tea cup on its saucer. Meryn thought about it for a moment and shook her head.

"He's too damn stubborn. He may have felt obligated at first, but he wouldn't have stuck with it unless it was something he wanted to do. When Adam and Adair introduced themselves I could see a hint of pride in Aiden's eyes. I don't think he resents them doing what they want with their lives."