Expired With Me

Chapter Two

Jonas

"Hey, Jonas, can we talk?" Iris asks as she knocks on my open office door. I look up at my beautiful wife, her wedding ring on full display, and put away the bill I'm working on.

"Anything for you, my love." She smiles, closing the door behind her. After she walks over, I pull her closer to me and place my lips on hers. My eyes are drawn down the hand Iris has placed on her stomach. I look back up at her face, which is waiting expectedly. "You're kidding," I say. Iris shakes her head, biting her lip as she smiles. "You're...?" Iris nods.

"I'm pregnant," she whispers. I kiss her. This was never supposed to happen. Neither of us is supposed to be here, to even have met. We were each supposed to die three years ago, it's been our fates since birth, one that, by a set of miracles, we both somehow managed to break.

"We're going to have a baby," I whisper. Iris nods as my cell phone rudely interrupts, vibrating on the desk. I roll my eyes, remembering that I have a country to run, but kiss her again, only breaking to see who's calling.

"It's the head of security," Iris says, looking at my screen. I nod, letting her stand from my lap, then put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" I say.

"Preeminence Blackwood, we have a problem."

"Rebels?" Iris mouths. I shrug, shaking my head. Rebels haven't attacked since Arrietty died, and even then, it took the help of my traitorous cousin, Erik, to be as successful as it was. With their base crumbled, and some of Colton's best work, the rest of the smaller rebellions went away. Everything has been relatively normal since we got back from France.

"A group of teenagers was found just outside the gate," the voice through the phone continues. "Without Marks." I stand.

"What do you mean without Marks?" I ask.

"Are they armed?" Iris asks.

"Oh, hello, Mrs. Blackwood. No, no weapons. Although one of them threw quite an arm, sir." I rub my temples, a headache coming on. Our head of security should be able to handle a punch from a teenager.

"So, not rebels?" I ask.

"I don't think so, sir."

"I'll summon the Beta just in case. Bring them to a cell. We'll be right down."

"Yes, Preeminence." I put the phone in my pocket, and look at Iris, threading my fingers through hers.

"I guess we'll have to put our conversation on hold for now." I press my lips to hers, then smile at her stomach, still not believing this woman is mine.