Between Shadow & Ruin (Fangs & Fae Saga Book 2)

seventy.

"Liz!" Chris said loudly. I blinked at him, confused at how he was here. What time is it? "Liz, honey. Can you hear me? Fuck. Ava. Noah. Why don't you go find Aunt Aria and Uncle Ray?"

"Is Momma going to be okay?" I heard them ask. If she can get her shit together.

"Yeah... just go downstairs. They should be in the living room or maybe the kitchen." Chris came over to me, putting his hands under my arms. "Come on, Liz..." he said. He carried me to the bathroom.

Pathetic. Can't even get yourself to the bathroom.

I sat down on the toilet as he ran the shower. He undressed me and then himself and helped me in.

"Hey, baby..." he said, as he began to lather the soap on my body. I felt exhausted as I started to come down from the panic attack. "Hey... I'm here." His fingers massaged my body as he cleaned my skin. "Liz, can you hear me?" I nodded slowly. "Is the water temperature okay?"

"...Yeah," I said, clearing my throat.

"Hey..." he said with a smile. "There you are..." I took a deep breath and felt tears run down my face.

"Are – are the twins okay?" I said, trying to keep from crying.

"They're fine," he said. "They're worried about you, but they're fine. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"I don't know what – what happened." I was hyperventilating. "One m-minute we were at the – the store and the next... I made them g-go to their r-room because I was – I was having a p-p-panic attack. Chris... I never thought I'd fight f-feeding off m-my own kids, but for a s-second there... Are – are you s-sure they're o-o-o-" Fuck. "O-okay?"

"You didn't hurt them, Liz. They're fine."

"They were cr-crying so loud b-because I wouldn't let th-them get candy at the s-s-store. I... I was so a-angry at them for n-not understanding. I felt s-so embarrassed and alone. They were so loud. The radio was too loud! They're heartbeats were too fucking loud, Chris! Everything was so fucking loud! What is wrong with me!?"

"Nothing. Nothing is 'wrong' with you. I think you're just stressed out and you're pregnant and... I think being in the basement fucked with you too."

"What?"

"Val told me what happened after you met with Anna. I think you're feeling that residual energy from Liam and Kalial. Remember, you're magically inclined for the time being... And oversensitivity to light and sound is normal with a panic attack." I turned away from him as I started to cry again. "Why didn't you call me? I would've come straight home."

Because I'm an idiot.

"I thought I could do it. I've done it pl-plenty of times before..." He wrapped his arms around me from behind, squeezing my shoulders. I tried to breathe, but it felt like breathing in needles.

"I was so scared for you. The twins... I don't know how but they astral projected to me and told me something was wrong with you. I thought you'd lost the baby. I thought you'd gone Ripper. They were so worried about you, and I didn't know what I was going to come home to. Ray and Aria are downstairs with the kids. I asked them to come because I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I got here..."

"I don't know what happened... The – the last thing I really remember was asking them to go their rooms."

"They heard a lot of screaming and crashing. I think the damage was mostly contained to your bedroom."

"So, I didn't hurt them..." I said, turning to face him.

"No. How are you feeling now though? Should I have them get Zane and Val?"