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

nine.

Though we went to bed, I know Val and Zane didn't sleep much. I felt her body feel rigid under my arms. I asked her to turn over to face me. She was trying not to cry and started to hyperventilate. I opened the window and let the fresh air in to calm her. I picked her up from the bed and set her in front of the window to look outside. The moon was bright and there was a slight breeze. I kissed her neck and put my arms around her, resting my hands on her stomach. I could hear Chris and Zane whispering in the distance too.

"We should take you two outside," I said, quiet enough not to disturb Odie, but loud enough for Chris to hear me. I heard the door open as I reached the top of steps with Val. Zane was crying too.

"Should we bring Odie?" Chris asked. Val nodded her head. Odie was stirring in his bed when I went in to grab him. He was going to wake up and remember what happened soon and I was terrified he'd hate me. The five of us went into the backyard around the firepit as Chris cleared a space for Val, Zane, and Odie on the ground.

"Momma? What happened?" Odie asked, quietly as he woke up. "Uncle Ray... Auntie Aria..." he grabbed his neck. I saw the horror in his eyes return and he blasted off a shot of magic behind him, almost hitting me. I picked him up and he freaked out. Begging me to put him down. "No! You're just like them! You and Daddy!" He cried. I cried, worried he wasn't going to want to be around Chris and I anymore.

Chris put his arms around me and the two of us walked to the other end of the yard while Zane and Val sat him down between the two of them as they began to calm him and reconnect.

"Fuck, what are we going to go?" I sat down. "I never thought we'd have to deal with this... Why did they have to start feeding on humans!?" I put my face between my hands.

"The blood lust got to be too much after Aria had killed her brother and Ray didn't want her to go through that alone..."

"Yeah, and then they almost killed Odie. I could fucking kill them right now..."

"How long are we going to leave them down there?" Chris asked.

"As long as it fucking takes. I'm not taking the chance, not with the twins. We've already lost one baby; I can't lose anymore."

"Yeah, but you know it's not plausible to keep them down there forever."

"I know, but right now I'm fucking livid, and I don't want to see their stupid faces. Did Aria say anything to you? Ray off the bat started to apologize and asked me to starve him."

"No... she was pretty straight faced the entire time, she was crying, but she didn't say anything."

"Well... there goes trying to tell Odie what we are. He wouldn't even let me hold him." I cried harder. It felt like my connection to Odie was severed – like nothing I could ever say or do would be enough to bring it back to how it was before he'd been attacked by two people I'd grown to love like siblings.

"Let Zane and Val figure it out." Chris gripped my shoulder, as he sat down behind me and rested his head on my shoulder. His arms wrapped around my waist. I saw Odie sitting on the ground, they'd made him put his hands and feet in the dirt. Val kneeled behind him and Zane in front of him.

"Odie, honey, I know you're scared," I heard Val say. "But I just need you to think about what happened, just for a second. Poppa is right there if you need him, okay?"

"But Mommy –"

"I know, baby. Just for a second." I saw Val's hands light up and fizzle for a second before she placed her fingertips to Odie's temples. He cried out and just as fast as he started, it was over. Val sat down properly, and I could tell that that had taken a lot out of her. Zane put Odie into his lap and whispered softly into his ear.