Seb smiled and kissed her back, "I love you too... tonight scared the shit out of me. I won't be lying when I say I'll be glad to have you as just my wife... Our child needs it's mother and having someone else take over gives me an excuse to keep you out of the line of fire. I know you can take care of us, of yourself... but I don't want you to have to..."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed along her face and neck, resting his hand on her belly. "There is no one else in this world or the next that I'd want to have my child... I never even thought I wanted kids but with you it's different... I want everything..."

~*~

It didn't take long for Anna to get an audience with the Queen, being an Elite had it's advantages and so did having a member of one of the royal families with you. As she explained the happenings, leaving out her personal feelings over Gunner and focusing on the Strigoi threat, Vasilissa Dragomir looked increasingly concerned. "Such a large group of Strigoi poses a risk to us all... I thank you Guardian Ross for bringing this to our attention. The Strigoi Abigail has proven twice now that she'll go to any means necessary to have her son at her side... and now that she has him I fear what that means for us all. I will call together the Elites and dispatch them to take care of this nest. Is there anything else?"

Jace surprised her by speaking up, "I want to go with them... If Guardian Marks is a strigoi it would be a tragic waste of his talent to simply end him. With the help of the Elites, perhaps I could bring him back."

The Queen frowned, as a Spirit user herself she knew what bringing another back from the brink could do to a person, "Are you sure this is what you want? Guardian Marks knew the risks when he took his title, but you are correct... losing him would be a tragic loss."

She sighed, "Very well, Jason Szlesky, you may go with Guardian Ross and the other Elites... but you do this understanding the risk."

He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, "I do."