The Puppetmaster cleared his throat, and I had a feeling that he shifted in his seat. "So, how much do you want so that we can meet?" he asked, changing the subject, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question. "I believe it is time for us to get down to business..."

"Mmmmm, it depends," I said and shrugged. "When do you want to meet and where?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I know that you will want to meet today, and I have a feeling that you want to meet within an hour or so, but that doesn't give me a lot of information or a lot of time."

"Time for what exactly?" he asked. "So that you can change into the Viper because you are someone else such as... Miss DeLamont?"

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, not even fazed about the accusations that he was throwing my way. "Oh, Love, I am not Alexandra, but it does take me a good while to get ready for... a date like this."

I pouted and batted my eyelashes together while I tucked my head closer to my chest. "Don't you want to see me all dolled up?" I asked, innocently, earning a scoffed laugh from the other male as well as him rolling his eyes, even though I couldn't see it.

"Come as you are, Miss Viper," he growled out, and I had a feeling that he bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes in warning, even though I couldn't see that either and it didn't faze me like he thought it would. "I do not know why you girls get so dressed up to go somewhere even when it is not a date."

"Hmph." I smirked. "Oh, it's because we like to appear more beautiful than we are," I purred, "and I am one of them." I bit back a small sigh and tsked, shaking my head. "And, it doesn't help that I do not know where you want me to go."

The Puppetmaster growled in annoyance, and I had a feeling that he gritted his teeth together, and I couldn't help but smirk because I loved getting underneath this man's skin. "Fine," he said coldly, the growl still evident in his voice. "I will send you where I want you to meet us, Miss Viper, and you will send me the details of this... pay... "agreement.""

"Hmph." I bit back a small smirk and dipped my head closer to my chest while I did some more paperwork before I leaned back in my seat. "Oh, Love, it is not a pay agreement. It is a promise that I am paid what I am owed." I leaned back further in my seat and cleared my throat while I shifted in my seat.

I looked at my nails and cleared my throat again before I rubbed my fingernails across my chest. "I am worth every single cent that I am due. You have my word on that, my good Sir."

The Puppetmaster bit back an annoyed sigh but growled, and I had a feeling that he slowly nodded. "We shall see, Miss Viper," he said coldly. "We shall see. I will see you in three hours. Do not be late."

And with that, he hung the phone without saying another word.

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I pulled my phone away from my ears and looked at it. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that, my good Sir," I said while I smirked and narrowed my eyes. "We will not be late."

And with that, I sent Salem a text to get ready before I left the safety of my office to get ready as both the Viper and then myself because I had this inkling that they were going to try and capture me for some reason.

Oh, Goddess, please let this go without a hitch, I silently prayed while I grabbed my phones tighter in my hands. I don't want to end up hurt or worse...

...dead.

***

"Grams?" I asked about thirty minutes later with my jean jacket over my shoulder and my truck keys in my hands, ready to leave to meet up with the Puppetmaster or to be myself if need be. "Where are you?"

"Kitchen," my grandmother called from the kitchen before banging some dishes around, for some reason. "Come over here, and drink a cup of tea with the Alpha and I."

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I bit back a small sigh and shook my head. "I can't," I said and grabbed my keys tighter, hating the fact that Levi was still there. "I have a meeting that I need to attend and can not be late."

"And who are you meeting, Dear?" my grandmother asked, and I could hear her voice change to turn slightly darker with a twinge of protectiveness filling it.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and walked into the kitchen with my jacket still slung on my shoulder. "A messenger to the king," I said and flicked my keys in my hand. I glanced at Levi when he stiffened and shifted in his seat before I looked at her again. "Apparently, the king has been sticking his nose in stuff that he doesn't need to be sticking his nose into."

"Hmph." My grandmother pressed her lips into a thinner line while she looked at me and then looked at Levi, who had gone still with his face becoming pale. "And is this meeting important?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she looked at me again.

I bit back a small scoff and rolled my eyes while I scowled. "It's the king, Grams. Any meeting with him is important and there is a time and a place to ignore him and unfortunately this is not one of those times."

My grandmother chuckled and slowly nodded. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat and moved her hands across her jeans. "Do you have time for me to put your tea in a thermos so that you can take it with you?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she gave me a pointed look.

I bit back an annoyed sigh before I moved a hand across my face and then shook my head, clearing my throat. "Do I have a choice in saying no?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"No," she said and shook her head. "Go ahead and take a seat by the Alpha. I will be quick." She started to do what she told me she would do, and I bit back another annoyed sigh while I leaned my head back and closed my eyes a little.

"Gr-"

"Now," she said, interrupting me. She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she looked at me. "Do not complain and do what you are told to do, Alexandra May. Is that understood?"

I bit back another annoyed sigh before I slowly nodded and pursed my lips in annoyance. "Yes, Ma'am," I grumbled and did what I was told to do because I knew that she wasn't going to change her mind.

Levi pressed his lips into a thin line while he narrowed his eyes and stared at me. "Who were you talking to on the phone before this, Alexandra?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you were just going to take a shower and then come here."

"That was the plan," I said sarcastically before I cleared my throat and sat down beside him with an annoyed sigh. "Unfortunately plans change, and this is one of those times."

"And who were you talking to?" Levi asked again and raised an eyebrow in question.

"The messenger," I said while I shrugged and grimaced. "We were arguing about me seeing them in person, and unfortunately, I lost."

"Which is a huge surprise in itself," my grandmother said with a chuckle in her voice. She finished pouring me a thermos of tea before she walked over to the table. "You are very good at arguing unless they wore you down until you finally agreed to do it just so that they would shut up."

I pressed my lips into a thinner line and slowly blinked while I stared at her.

My grandmother chuckled and slowly nodded. "I take that as a yes," she said, biting back another chuckle. She walked over to me and placed a quick kiss to my forehead, and I closed my eyes and enjoyed her warmth. "As always, be careful and do not get killed. Is that understood?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded while I pressed my lips into a thin line. "Yes, Ma'am," I said. "I will be careful and try not to get killed." I grabbed the thermos that held my tea and stood.

"And for the love of Goddess, do not kill anyone today, please?"

I bit back a small smirk and dipped my head closer to my chest. "That, I can not promise, Grams," I said. I walked over to her and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, which was something unlike me before I made my way to the front door with her watching after me. "I do not know when I will be back, so don't wait for me." I called over my shoulder.

"I will always wait for you, Alexandra Dear," my grandmother said. "It doesn't matter the time of day. I will always stay up and wait for you to make sure that you are safe."

I grabbed the thermos tighter in my hand and set my jaw, my heart aching when she said that because I knew what she said was true.

She would be up no matter what when I was outside of the house even if it meant staying up for a whole day if needed...

And I prayed that it would never come to that, even though I had this small feeling in my gut that said something would happen otherwise and would happen...

...soon.