She understood Hamish had to step back up as the leader to the wolves to keep then in line and loyal to the Order. Gabrielle she wasn't concerned with since she'd always been a driven practitioner. Jack was missing however and Randal had never liked the Order even now. Lilith on the other hand was a complete wild card. Vera couldn't trust her most of all. However Vera felt too exposed without her powers and without Hamish helping her keep the illusion that she still had them. She had to get creative in keeping up her front without the wolf by her side and perhaps being apart from him would regain more confidence from her acolytes.

Sitting behind her desk she thumbed through a book trying to find a solution to her biggest problem. With Alyssa Drake dead Vera could forget about getting her powers back the easy way. Instead she'd have to look for a harder solution. As she ran through another passage of script a loud knock came to the large double doors. The first attempt to gain her attention went ignored since Vera considered this her top priority but at the second knock she finally looked up a little annoyed. Now what? "Come in, I'd imagine I don't need to open the door for you myself. You should be capable of that at least." The last part slowly turned a bit bitter as the door swung open.

She expected to see an acolyte attempting to interrupt her from some silly squabble between a peer or worse, a superior. If she had one more acolyte this year complain about their tutor being too hard on them she would personally tether them to Kepler, if they ever could find her. Once the figure crossed over her threshold however she was caught off guard by a stranger. He was older, a little older than her even with dark hair and honey brown eyes. His caramel skin gave him an exotic allure and his body was quite frankly well built. A taller man, not taller than Hamish but clearly a little less scrawny and more physically built. At first Vera was a little lost as to why this stranger was here but the longer she looked him over it finally clicked.

"Alejandro." Vera spoke up and raised a brow quizzically. "What are you doing at my temple?" She remembered him long ago, maybe not as long ago as she had thought when the American chapter met up with the Brazilian chapter. Alejandro had of course been all Kepler would talk about. The dashing temple magus with a dangerous charm and an even more dangerous accent. Edward had always been so use to being the man in the room all the women wanted until Alejandro had shown up.

"Vera, as beautiful as ever I see. You haven't changed a day since I last saw you." His voice rolled with that sultry accent of his, curling his words like wisps of smoke. Waving his hand up with bravado the doors shut behind him and he strolled closer to her desk. "Due to my most recent move to America and the empty seats on your Gnostic Council I decided to put my hat into the draw and they decided to take me on. I'll be filling in for Kepler my dear, until they can locate her that is." That tone in his voice made her assume he wasn't counting on it either.

Standing up Vera fixed her skirt and cleared her throat before offering him a hand for a traditional handshake but Alejandro wouldn't leave it at just that. Grabbing her fingers gently in his grip he raised the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it before meeting her eyes with a charming smile. "Well then let me welcome you to the Gnostic Council. I'm so happy to see an old friend taking up a seat."

He nodded his head at her, "And I am pleased to see such a rare beauty holding seat of Grand Magus my Grand Magus." Vera raised a brow again, not admitting that she was charmed by him but rather happy someone wasn't spitting those words at her like Kepler did. She never did get the respect she deserved from Kepler. Not that she ever cared what Bitsy's opinion of her was.

"So, you didn't just come here to stop by and say hello to me did you." Vera took her hand back and sat down in her chair again crossing her legs and keeping a stern gaze on him. She knew there was something more to this visit.

"How astute Vera, the council did inquire I check in on , you and your wolves. There were some worrying factors that followed these past several months with the wolves and our Order. I'm not here to point fingers as I know very well you had your reasons for doing what was done but with the threat of Praxus still above us they are curious on how this situation will continue to be handled." After the death of Alyssa and their leader Salvador Vera had been stripped of her unquestioned ability to act as she pleased. She had a leash on her again and despite being Grand Magus everything was looked at under a fine microscope before she was allowed to act.

Folding her hands she placed them on her desk and spoke up with an air of confidence. "We have raided several of their safehouses gaining back out vaults original inventory along with several other artifacts collected by Praxis. Whatever is left of them is scattered to the wind to be weeded out and hunted down. We even have the last of the eruptions under control and with Salvador's death I would say this situation was handled as best as we could have anticipated."

He smiled at her, a little nod as he took a seat in one of the chairs before her desk. "You did take this leader down yourself I hear and she was a werewolf at that. I think those who doubted you Vera are starting to see just how capable you truly are." He waved a hand towards her. "Though I can't help but notice, you seem a little tense, more so than before. You use to be a bit more of a carefree spirit back at the conference. Don't tell me you have become your namesake."

Vera cocked her head to the side, "excuse me?" Her tone got a bit more serious crossing into the fine line of flatter and offense. Right now she was a grenade with a lose pin, his next words better be well placed.

"You should come to dinner with me tonight, catch up on the old times and you can tell me more about your wolves and Praxis. I'd like to be brought up to speed with the rest of the Gnostic Council."

Was he asking her out? She felt her own next words had to be chosen carefully. Even if they were not public about it Vera was still involved with Hamish and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. It was hard enough for him that she wouldn't allow him to show her any affection in public. At the same time if she had the opportunity to get Alejandro on her side she needed to take this opportunity. "I'll see you at 8." She was firm on the time and waved her hand as if trying to order him out of the room.

"I'll pick you up." He continued with a smile making Vera lean back in her chair.

"I'll drive myself." It was one thing meeting for dinner but if he picked her up it was something completely different. Last thing she wanted was for Hamish to see another man picking her up at her house. Not that he would be at her house, uninvited. In fact come to think of it if Hamish was just happening to pass her house at random then they had something else to talk about.

"Well if you insist."

Vera snapped back nodding her head. "I insist. I'll text you where to meet me." She closed the book she had been looking into and turned her chair slightly so she wasn't directly facing him anymore. "Well, I have to get back to…" She motioned to the desk and smiled at him. "Don't forget to close the door behind you please."

He stood up from his chair and smiled at her doing a little elegant foppish salute to her demands. Really? Wow, most people didn't like her being so bossy but one did swallow a lot of gull when one was trying to get into someone else's pants. She supposed that would at least play into her favor.