Aiden turned to Ryuu. "What is she down to?" he demanded.

"She's just now getting under two hundred a day, but we've only been measuring coffee. I'll have to restrict other forms as well such as teas and chocolate."

Meryn turned to Aiden. "Don't make me get stabby! I need caffeine! I need chocolate!" Aiden paled.

Ryuu gently tapped her on the nose. "What you need is to go to your appointment with Adam later. His last report said you're still anemic, so you'll be getting more spinach and kale at dinner."

Meryn glared at Ryuu. "I love you, Ryuu, don't make me hurt you."

Ryuu smiled. "Trust me, denka. You won't even know you're eating something healthy."

"Meryn? Baby? What do you mean stabby?" Aiden asked turning Meryn to face him.

Meryn shrugged. "You took my gun, so I 'found' a knife."

Aiden frowned. "Where is it?"

Meryn shook her head. "Not telling."

"Meryn!"

"No! We have all kinds of fucking crazy shit happening around here, I want to be able to defend myself. Just because I accidentally shot you, isn't a good enough excuse to take my only source of defense!" Meryn shouted back.

Rheia looked over to make sure Penny wasn't getting upset at all the yelling, but she should have known better. Penny and Colton both wore identical looks of fascination as they slowly ate their tangerines and watched the drama that was unfolding at the table.

"Accident? Accident! How can you call that an accident when you said, 'Don't piss me off or I'll shoot you.' Then you shot me!" Aiden demanded.

Meryn's lower lip stuck out in a defiant manner. "I was kidding! I really wasn't going to shoot you. But while we're on the subject, I don't know why you're making such a big deal, you healed in like a day." She sniffed dramatically. "I think you like upsetting me."

Aiden's mood changed dramatically. He reached for his mate's hand and brought it to his lips. "I'm not trying to upset you baby, I'm just worried about you that's all. I don't ever want you in a position where you would have to stab someone... me especially."

"I'd feel better if I kept my knife. Please?" she asked.

Aiden sighed. "If it makes you feel better, then okay."

Rheia had to turn her head. Aiden was a bigger marshmallow than Radek. Maybe it was a trait for all bear-shifters to be softies when it came to the women in their lives. She pushed down a wave of homesickness that was threatening to overwhelm her.

Colton leaned in so he and Penny were close. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Rheia looked at them as they looked at her. She looked at Penny then Colton. "You both have the same color eyes," she said.

Colton turned Penny in his lap so he could see her face. They stared at each other. He turned back to Rheia. "She does! She has my eyes. Just like her..." Frowning, he turned to Penny. "What do you want to call me? You know that I am your mother's mate, which makes me your father. But you're old enough to decide what you'd like to call me."

Penny nodded.

"How about Daddy?" She shook her head.

"Dad?" She shook her head again.

"Father?" Again her shook her head sending her ringlets flying about her face.

Rheia noticed the dejected look on Colton's face. A big part of her wasn't emotionally ready to share her daughter, but another rapidly growing part was already falling for Colton's roguish ways. It seemed to her that he should always be smiling.

She turned to Penny. "How about Papa?"

Penny paused. She thought about it then nodded.

Immediately Colton's face brightened. "I'm your Papa!" He tickled her and Penny's face broke out into the first smile Rheia had ever seen.

"Oh!" She covered her mouth with both hands and watched as Penny smiled and thrashed around in Colton's arms, she had never looked happier.

Colton noticed her distress and stopped. "What?"

Rheia shook her head and pulled Penny into her lap for a cuddle. "This is the first time I've ever seen her smile." When Rheia pulled Penny back, she was almost afraid to look, afraid the smile would be gone. But it wasn't, it was still there, Penny was beaming up at her.

"You're so beautiful when you smile, dumpling," she said kissing her daughter's forehead.

Penny leaned in and kissed her cheek before wiggling to get down. Once on her feet she ran from the dining room. Rheia went to get up, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Ryuu bowed. "I'll watch over her so you can eat your lunch." He placed a towel on the buffet table and followed the little girl.

"Sounds like good advice to me," Colton said, placing three small finger sandwiches on her plate.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day Rheia?" Beth asked.

Rheia shrugged. "I don't know. Less than twenty four hours ago, I was in my own home and my biggest concern was helping Penny to speak again. Now, I'm far from home, I don't have my brothers or a job. But Penny's never looked happier. It's like she's a different child."

"Can you tell us what happened to her?" Colton asked wrapping an arm around her chair.

Rheia drew in a ragged breath. "There's not much to tell. About a year ago, Radek was sent to check on a house because a concerned neighbor reported the couple that lived there hadn't been seen in a few days. When he got there he could tell the door had been kicked in, but then shut again so that no one could see from the road. He said he found Penny's father in the hallway. Radek could tell he had been trying to defend the door to the master bedroom; the poor man had been ripped to pieces. He said as horrible as the hallway was, the scene in the master bedroom was a hundred times worse, blood and chucks of flesh were everywhere. He was about to turn and leave the room for fresh air when he heard a tiny noise. He found Penny wedged, pinned really, between the bed and the wall, she was three at the time. He said the blankets had been thrown over her and that if he hadn't heard the sound he never would have known she was there. The smell of the blood completely masked her scent."