Sinclair
A week after our pup started moving, my brother appears on my doorstep, claiming to bring news of the Prince. I’m amazed to discover that I’m not angry to see him for the first time in years. In fact, as strange as it seems, I’m actually thankful for his presence. I’m still not sure whether he’s truly my ally, but my wolf is urging me to trust him, and he’s rarely wrong.
Besides, any intelligence – even false intelligence – is still new information, and I can sniff out a lie better than anyone. “How’s Ella?” He asks, pulling off his coat.
“She’s perfect.” I boast, unable to help myself. I can feel myself beaming, but I can’t seem to turn off my smile muscles. “She’s napping right now, and we’re going back to the doctor tomorrow because her blood pressure is still a bit elevated… but otherwise she’s absolutely wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for a better mother for my pup.”
“I meant… after the attack.” Roger clarifies, looking slightly baffled by my effusiveness.
“Oh,” I pause, laughing softly. “Sorry, it’s easy to get caught up. She’s still a bit shaken, but her nightmares are happening less frequently now.”
“You’re really in love, huh?” Roger inquires, looking surprised.
I scoff, “Did you really doubt that?” I don’t pause to consider this idea. As far as Roger knows we fell in love and chose to start a family together. He shouldn’t have any reason to think this is all a lie, and I don’t like the idea that he might be onto our scheme.
“I mean, you haven’t marked her, I figured you were only with her for political reasons.” He shrugs.
“The politics are just a bonus.” I rumble, and I’m mildly amazed to realize this isn’t a lie. At some point the advantages of faking a relationship with Ella shifted, and after more than two months together, I’m discovering that I enjoy her company far more than I enjoy winning the campaign. Winning the campaign is important and necessary yes, but it’s always been a duty, not a personal ambition that gives me pleasure.
“Anyway, what of the Prince?” I ask, ushering Roger into my office.
“Well if possible, he hates Ella even more than he hates you.” Roger sighs. “I think there’s something about being shown up by a she-wolf infuriates him or emasculates him on some visceral level. He really has it out for her.”
“He’s already tried to kill her twice.” I remark coldly, “I’m not sure how much worse things could get.”
“Dom, he doesn’t just want her dead now.” Roger grimaces. “He wants to make her pay first, to punish her, drag it out and make her death as painful as possible. And he wants to make sure you truly suffer too.”
My wolf rises to the surface, and for a moment I have to step away just to breathe. I count to ten inside my head, resisting the urge to shift and trying to block out the furious howls roaring through my head. “Do you know what he’s planning? Why is he taking so long to act if he hates her so much.”
“Because he’s needed the time to figure out how to get her away from you. That’s part of why things have been quiet this last month – he’s been plotting.” Roger shares, seeming truly disturbed to be delivering this news.
Goddess Damn it! I think desperately. This is all my fault, I put her in this danger!
We have to kill him. My wolf snarls, Forget the politics. She and the pup won’t be safe as long as he lives.
We can’t just kill him. His father is the King. He’s bound to take revenge for his son’s murder and unlike the Prince, he has an entire army at his back. Besides, even if he doesn’t – I won’t be considered a suitable candidate anymore and the Alpha council might call off the election. Then the man who paralyzed Dad will be rewarded with a throne he stole!
But it’s Ella. My wolf insists. And it’s the pup. We have to protect them.
“Plotting what?” I growl, my clenched fists shaking with rage as my claws extend and retract.
“He’s going to try and lure her out on her own so he can take her. Right now your guards are keeping his spies at a distance, but he’s planning a campaign event for the Lunas. He thinks if he can guarantee a women-only event then you won’t be around to protect her.” Roger shares, watching me nervously, as if afraid I might explode at a moment’s notice.
“When is it going to happen?” I demand, trying to recall if I’ve seen any sort of invitation matching this description.
“In a couple of weeks.” Roger explains, “He’s planning another rogue attack for the same day, just to be sure you can’t get to her.”
I hear faint movement on the other side of my office door, and I hold up a finger to pause Roger. He glances in the direction of the soft footsteps tiptoeing towards my door. Ella’s scent comes fluttering through the wooden panel, and then a small shadow appears beneath the door jam. My lip quirks with exasperation and amusement. It would seem my little troublemaker is up from her nap, and she’s taken it into her beautiful head to eavesdrop.
I move my finger to my lips, exchanging a knowing glance with Roger. I raise my voice slightly, just in case Ella’s human hearing needs the volume. “I don’t know, if I sell my baby after the campaign is over there’s not much the council can do about it.”
A soft, feminine gasp meets my ears and Roger smothers a laugh, covering it with a cough. “They can always call for another election, don’t forget that’s how we ended up in this situation in the first place.”
“Maybe, but by then I’ll have the army at my disposal.” I counter, rising to my feet and moving as silently as I can across the floor.
“They won’t stand a chance against me.”
I abruptly swing the door open, startling Ella and throwing her off balance. Clearly she was leaning her weight into the door in order to hear better. I catch her slender wrists before she can tumble to the floor, though I’m currently of the opinion that her bottom could do with a bit of soreness.
“Well well, what have we here?” I rumble ominously. “It looks like one very naughty little spy.”
Ella’s wide eyes flash with emotion as she works through her predicament – processing her shock, fear, confusion and then outrage once she realizes our previous words were solely for her benefit. “You rat!” She exclaims finally, “that wasn’t funny!”
“Oh I beg to differ.” I reply, scooping her up into my arms. “I think you got exactly what you deserved.”
I return to my chair, settling the defiant bundle in my lap. Ella huffs, glaring at me with all the ferocity and indignance she possesses. “Well from the sounds of it I should have been part of this conversation in the first place. You left me out again, Dominic!”
“You were asleep.” I state pointedly. “And you need your rest. I had every intention of filling you in once you woke. If you’d knocked I would have gladly invited you in.”
Ella deflates slightly, looking suddenly unsure of herself. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” I confirm, closing my hand over her nape to let her feel my solid strength. “You need to know these things as much as I do.”
“But… you were so determined not to worry me.” She argues, her voice very small now.
“That was before – before you helped me understand how it made you feel not to know what was happening in your own life.” I remind her, “And before I appreciated how much being informed would encourage you to be cautious.”
“Oh.” Ella murmurs, blushing deeply. “I’m sorry, I thought…”
“I know what you thought.” I answer, “But you don’t need to worry about that right now.” Just when she starts to relax, I lower my mouth to her ear, “We’ll deal with your bad behavior later.”
Ella shivers against me, her sweet scent growing warm and liquid. Roger rolls his eyes, “You two aren’t very subtle, you know that.”
“We’re not trying to be.” I smirk, loving the way she’s squirming anxiously against me. “Now, if you would please help my mischievous mate get up to speed, I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”
“Yes please,” Ella offers shyly, “I’m sorry I eavesdropped on your conversation.”
Roger shakes his head. “You two are really a pair, you know that?”
“We know.” I beam, pausing to kiss the soft spot behind Ella’s ear.
“Alright, well the bottom line is that you need to be very careful.” Roger sighs, “and you’re going to get an invitation for a women’s event in a couple of weeks. Whatever you do, you have to make an excuse not to attend. Accept the invitation, but pull out at the last second so that they don’t know you’re onto them. In the meantime, I can give you details about the rogue attack so you can stop it before it happens. But the Prince can’t find out I’m helping you or we’ll lose the inside track.”
“What is he planning on doing with me?” Ella inquires, cuddling closer to me for comfort.
Roger and I exchange a meaningful glance, and I imperceptibly shake my head. “You don’t need to worry about that.” Roger replies, “All you need to know is that you don’t want to fall into his hands– at any cost. Trust me when I tell you that if it comes to it and you have a choice between dying and being captured… choose death.”
