Meri knew well that Caleb would not be an equal. He hadn't been even in their family, though she protected him as much as she fought with him and imagined that would continue. He was family, and so he was loved even if his status was not as high as hers. Hierarchy was a normal state of affairs and one they both would accept.
Her eyes moved to meet his for a second and she smiled broadly, her body shifting closer to him. The smell of him, her mate, was more than enough to bring a hint of fire to her eyes and a flush to her cheeks and chest that she knew would not have been replicated with any other. She knew he was hers and she was his, and she knew that they would claim each other more and more fully with each time they were together.
"Good. We'll need padding." She stood and nipped his neck lightly before continuing. "Protective bumpers." Another soft bite on his chest. "Soft furniture," she continued, bending now to lick playfully at his stomach.