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

forty-five.

The next morning, I got out of bed and grabbed a cup of coffee. Chris came up behind me and put his hands on my hips and kissed the back of my neck. I giggled lightly as I poured another cup of coffee and handed it to him. We both sipped in silence until my phone started to ring. He grabbed it off the table and looked at the screen, he grimaced.

"You never called her back, huh?" he asked, handing me the phone.

"Who?" I looked at the screen. "Fuck." I answered the phone call and put the phone up to my ear. "...Hey, Anna," I said, slowly.

"Liz," she said sternly. "I've been trying to call you for the last week! Why haven't I been able to reach you? In case you forgot, you're the Magister of America, but I can take that from you if it's proven to be too much!"

"I'm sorry. There's just been a lot going on."

"I don't care how much shit is going on, Liz. I hate to pull this card on you, but as the Imperator, I need to call a mandatory meeting with you to discuss some important shit but if you're planning on not showing up, you might as well give up your position now."

"I'll be there. But just me?"

"Just you. What I have to tell you will affect your vampires and I don't want to spread mass panic throughout the world. So where can you meet me?"

"Is my office not good enough?"

"Can you get someone to spell it, so we're not heard?"

"I can ask Zane – silence spells are sort of his specialty."

"Good. Meet me there in two hours. I'm just leaving the airport now." I hung up the phone and looked at Chris, worried.

"What the fuck was that about?"

"I feel like she's going to rip me a new one for not really 'being there' as a Magister. And I have no idea what the hell she needs to talk to me about. Fuck, Chris... I really fucked this up, didn't I?"

"Well... let's get you some blood and head home so you can change into work appropriate clothing. Zane should be heading to lunch in a few minutes too." I nodded. Chris poured some of Val's blood into a shot glass and I drank it slowly. Aria and Ray said goodbye, and I thanked them for everything they did for me and told them I would see them later – I wanted them there when I told the kids and Val and Zane about the baby's heart beating. Chris drove us home.

I showered quickly and put on a button-up and slacks and laid my jacket across the bed. I exhaled angrily as I realized the buttons were pulling across my chest more than usual. I tried to ignore it as I pulled my heeled boots out of the closet when Zane knocked on the doorway.

"You almost ready?" he asked. I missed the sound of his voice – it wasn't deep, but it was soothing. I instinctively held my breath before reminding myself that I was past the Ripper lust, and it was okay to breathe. I slowly took a breath and could smell his blood from across the room. He smiled as I looked at him. His sandy brown hair was tied in a low bun with a small strand hanging down by his face and his button-up had the top two buttons open. He kept his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he leaned against the door frame. "Everything okay, hon?" I exhaled and nodded, smiling back at him.

"Yeah." I fought the urge to run over to him and hug him as I sat on the chest at the foot of our bed and put my boots on. He put on a vest over his button-up, and we headed downstairs.

"Wait, you're not going to just leave your hair in that ponytail, are you? Val would be upset if she saw you..."

"I'm not good at doing my hair... so, yeah. It's not that bad. Your hair is in a ponytail!"