"So basically I kick ass, yet again," she said seriously and reached for another pastry.

Elizabeth couldn't help it, she began to laugh. Aiden shook his head smiling and Colton began to flick crumbs at Meryn. Meryn's inborn need to avoid tension and confrontation led her to be slightly silly, but that also meant those around her were usually smiling.

Elizabeth picked up her own pastry and took a bite. She had lucked out, it was a spinach and feta mix. Humming happily she finished that pastry and reached for another. When she had consumed two more she noticed that her mate had yet to eat anything but was instead on his eighth glass of blood. That was more than four times the normal blood requirement and still he drank. Concerned she tapped his leg and nodded to the red tinted empty glass. Gavriel brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles. Ryuu set another two glasses down and took the emptied glasses away. Gavriel kissed her hand one more time before releasing it to pick up his glass.

"So what would I taste like?" Meryn asked. Aiden growled and pulled her closer to him.

Gavriel shook his head. "Meryn, you're the only one in Lycaonia whose blood isn't enticing to me at all."

Aiden stopped growling, a surprised look on his face. "You never told me that."

Gavriel took another long drink and set the glass down. "I'm not sure why, but even when I'm at my most thirsty, she has no appeal whatsoever to me."

Meryn looked at Gavriel, the insecurity in her eyes was there for everyone to see. "Am I not good enough?" she asked quietly. Aiden immediately nuzzled her neck and rubbed his chin over the top of her head making Meryn's head rock from side to side like a bobble head.

"Meryn, that's not it at all. Trust me, I would rather drink from you than Colton," Gavriel said gently.

"Hey! I resent that. I am irresistible to both sexes, thank you very much," Colton preened.

Meryn smiled at Colton then frowned. "I wonder why I don't seem yummy."

Aiden kissed the back of her head. "You're yummy to me," he admitted.

"Besides, if he's going to drink from anyone, it's going to be me. Sorry, Colton." Elizabeth winked at the wolf shifter.

Colton pouted, then laughed. "I guess you can have him," he teased.

"Thanks, he's the mate of my dreams and I'm not giving him up." She leaned into Gavriel when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I've been meaning to ask you, did you dream about me, before we met?" Gavriel asked, looking down at her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Sort of. I would dream about situations and then they would happen, but you weren't there. Only, I felt like someone was watching and was worried about me. Normally being watched over always made me feel like a child, but in the dream I felt genuine affection and also admiration for me."

"That was probably me. I dreamt of you constantly in dangerous situations and I couldn't do anything about it." Gavriel shuddered.

Colton sat back, his normally jovial face somber. "So what you dream about your mate is true," he said softly.

Elizabeth turned to him. "Have you dreamt of your mate?" she asked and the table got quiet.

He nodded. "It started last week. At first I didn't see anyone in particular, just random faces only the place remained the same. Then the same woman started to appear, just her face. Always looking sad, tired and anxious. I know she's in trouble, but I only get a glimpse each night and then the dream is over."

Gavriel was the first to speak. "I don't think the dreams are meant to scare us. I think they are meant to help us understand what our mates are going through and potential threats so that we can better understand them and keep them safe."

Aiden nodded. "My dream about Meryn didn't come exactly true. She wasn't stabbed to death. But I think because I was so cautious about her safety because of the dreams, that I changed the outcome."

Meryn smiled at Colton. "I know for a fact that the reason I accepted Aiden so easily is because I had been dreaming of him. I had dreams where we spoke and had fun and scary ones where I was being stalked. But it was the pain on his face as I was dying in my dreams that helped me to take that huge leap of faith in accepting him." Aiden growled low, his face taking on a haunted look hearing about that particular dream.

Gavriel continued. "Every night was hell watching Beth get hurt, but I know that it wasn't meant to torture me, it was meant to prepare me. I think the dreams are truly meant to help us accept our matings."

"I've dreamt of my mate as well. I think she's one of the cashiers at that grocery store in Madison," Keelan said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Then why haven't you gone to claim her?" Darian asked.

Keelan shook his head. "Because she's away at college about ready to graduate. She'll be back for the holidays. My dreams aren't scary, but I do think Gavriel's right in that they help us get to know our mates better. In my dreams my mate and I joke around and play video games." He smiled widely.

"That doesn't sound very romantic to me," Darian commented.

Keelan shrugged. "She's fun. After she graduates and moves back I'll head to town and meet her. I can't wait."

Colton smiled at Keelan's enthusiasm, but Elizabeth noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was still worried about his own mate.

Ryuu stepped away from the wall and began to pick up empty platters. "I still find it odd that so many matings are happening all at once."