Ella “Parenting classes? Already?” I ask in surprise. “I’m only a few weeks along.” “Yes, but we only have five months to prepare, and you don’t know anything about shifter children.” Sinclair replies easily. I’m sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray in my lap, while Sinclair sits in a bedsi
He shrugs, the very picture of humility. “In my line of work you have to kiss a lot of babies.” I roll my eyes – I highly doubt many politicians go as far as diapering the babies they kiss. In fact I expect most of them probably pawn off the less pleasant duties of parenthood onto their wives – if
Sinclair I can hear Ella’s heart racing at a mile a minute, and the baby is starting to become stressed in accordance to his mother. I’m worried too, Ella is small even for a human, and I’m big even for a werewolf, but I don’t believe the Goddess would have chosen her to carry my heir if she couldn
I follow Ella’s intoxicating fragrance out the door and down the stairs, my wolf gradually calming as we near the kitchen and I piece together the puzzle in my mind. She must have woken with a craving and decided to sneak a late night snack. I pause to listen at the door just in case, the familiar
Sinclair Her lower lip quivers dangerously, tears sliding down her cheeks. Eventually the truth spills from her lips. “I ate all my bacon!” My heart eases immediately. My wolf hates the sounds of Ella’s tears, but I’m relieved to know this is just a mood swing. Chuckling, I pull her into my arms
“Naturally I’m investigating the rogue attack.” I tell him as we head out into the snow, my bodyguards framing us on either side. “But I wanted to see if you picked up on any particular details which might help us track down or identify the culprits.” He adopts a thoughtful expression, “You mean l
Ella “Are you ready?” Sinclair asks, standing behind me in the mirror. I have to stop myself from staring at him. He’s dressed down from his standard suit, but somehow he looks even more gorgeous and intimidating than usual. In sleek black slacks and a simple white dress shirt, rolled up to his el
Again I feel as though Sinclair is reading my mind, “Will you be upset if I tell you how stunning you look?” I peek up at him from beneath my lashes, “I don’t know, why don’t you try and find out.” Sinclair grins, moving his lips to my ear and sending a shiver down my spine before he’s even said
He shakes his head at me as tears fill his own eyes and he leans forward, pulling me against him while somehow miraculously managing not to crush our children between us as he holds me tight in his arms. “So, I guess it wouldn’t matter,” he murmurs against my hair as I sniff back my tears and nod.
“Even more than the kids!?” I gasp, my mouth falling open a bit. “I mean, the kids,” he says, shrugging as if they’re not much, which makes me laugh. But then he goes a little rigid as he realizes something, raising his eyes to glare at me a bit. “Wait, are you saying you like the kids more than m
Ella “Nope,” Sinclair says, heaving himself out of bed and grabbing his phone off the bedside table as he does. “I can’t live like this, Ella – I’m calling Roger, I’ve got to know –“ “Dominic!” I say, laughing and grabbing for him, trying to catch the edge of his pajamas and failing because I’v
She laughs and I look first at Sinclair, who shrugs, and then back at my sister. “Come on,” Roger says, nodding at the crowds of people waiting to congratulate us and at the small table of refreshments. “Let’s decide this over some champagne.” Sinclair nods at me and I sigh, moving with my famil
The last image, though, lingers. Ariel, with Rafe and Jesse on either side – as they always are – and her two mates behind her. All standing together on a battlefield with Ariel at the center, magic welling between her hands and passing to her brother, to her cousin. Their faces are serious as t
Cora The images of Ariel’s future come in quick flashes, and somehow I get the impression that the Goddess is eager to share these glimpses of her life. The ones that come first are what I sort of expected, especially after seeing some images of Rafe’s childhood and hearing about the ones that
“We are not,” Cora scoffs, gently taking Ariel into her arms as Sinclair and I laugh. Roger grins, leaning forward to kiss me on the cheek before passing Jesse to me. “You know I’m kidding, right, Ells?” he whispers. I smile at my brother-in-law and gently pat his cheek. “When in doubt, Roger,”
Ella Three weeks later – Ariel was born under a waning quarter moon, not a new moon like her brother and her cousin – I stand anxiously in the woods, my little girl held tight in my arms. “I’m sensing some anxiety,” Cora says, grinning at me with a little too much glee as she comes up to my sid
“Oh my god,” I say, the words spilling out of my mouth. “Oh my god,” I sit up straight, staring at Henry, my eyes flicking to his legs – because honestly, I don’t even notice his chair anymore, or think of him at all as someone whose abilities are hindered. Or of me as someone who is able to do an