The baby kicks softly, as if he agrees. “Quick, come here!” I exclaim, waving Cora over. She does, and I pull her palm to my belly. The baby is still now, so I murmur encouragement at my tummy. “Come on Rafe, say hello to your Aunt Cora.” At the sound of his name, the pup complies, and Cora and I b
Ella I haven’t been sick for a few days now, but when I see Roger standing on the other side of the door I immediately turn to one of the ornamental vases in the hallway and empty my stomach. Cora rushes forward to help me, glancing uncertainly at Roger as she pulls my hair back from my face. I kn
“Does that mean…” I can hardly wrap my brain around this. “We’ve been assuming this was an accident all along, and I could even understand someone erasing them after the fact to cover their mistake… but if someone turned the cameras off before the switch then it must have been on purpose.” “But why
Sinclair When I arrive at the home of Ella’s former employer, it takes all my strength to push my wolf down deep. The last thing I need is to actually murder a human, no matter how badly I might want to. She deserves it. My wolf mutters mutinously, think about how easy it would be. Then she’d neve
“Do not lie to me.” I growl, letting some of my wolf’s ferocity bleed into my voice. The woman reels back, shivering for reasons she doesn’t understand. She may have the dull intuition of a human, but even humans know when they’re in the presence of a lethal predator intent on destroying them. “Ple
Sinclair It’s dark out by the time I get home, and I follow my nose upstairs to Ella’s room. She’s just stepping out of the shower when I walk in, her dripping body wrapped in a fluffy towel. Her rose gold hair is still dry, piled on top of her head and held secure with a pair of chop sticks. She
“Well I’m glad you didn’t.” Ella replies firmly. “We don’t need to be inviting more trouble to our doorstep.” “Oh I agree.” I muse, laughter obvious in my voice as I move my hand to her belly. “My hands are plenty full with you and this little one.” “Our baby is not trouble.” Ella objects, narrowi
Sinclair When I reach Roger’s house, he’s not the least bit surprised to find me darkening his doorway. “I was wondering when you were gonna show up.” He quips, opening the door wide to welcome me inside. “Am I that predictable?” I grouse, stepping over the threshold. “No- I still wasn’t sure whe
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