Ella I loop my arms around Sinclair’s neck as he carries me through the palace gates, trying to steady myself even as my concerns for his injuries grow irrepressible. “Dominic no, you’ll hurt yourself.” I object, sweeping my eyes over his muscular body. He’s naked as the day he was born, and his ab
To my surprise, Rafe doesn’t respond, except to send a pulse of sullen energy through our bond – a request for my affection instead of Sinclair’s. I add my touch and my voice, thinking I might understand the problem, “Come on angel, you were so excited to feel your Daddy again.” I remind him, “Don’t
Ella “Four broken ribs.” The doctor assesses grimly, “and with all the exercise you’ve done since the initial brakes, they haven’t been able to set or heal. I have an injection I can give you to fuse the bones quickly, but it’s painful, and we still need to set them first.” “What about his other i
A tender purr begins to vibrate in my lap, and I can feel Sinclair’s wolf reaching out to mine. “Don’t be mad at them, baby.” Sinclair murmurs, sliding his hand to my nape and massaging my tense muscles. “I know you don’t like seeing me hurt, but they’re telling me exactly what I need to know – what
Ella After we make our amends, the doctor makes short work of his scans and treatments, even the terrible injections into Sinclair’s bones. Before long, my mate looks a thousand times better than he had when he arrived, and I’m still marveling at the Vanaran’s state of the art medicines. The physic
I giggle half-heartedly, my thoughts finally clicking into place. “I’m not sad,” I correct him. “But I am worried about you, and I want to help you.” “You are helping me.” Sinclair replies, sinking into the steaming water and pulling me into his arms with a low rumble. “How?” I demand, “by letting
Ella We don’t spend very long in the bath. As soon as I’m fed and clean, Sinclair takes me to my nest and lays me out like his own personal feast, and he wastes no time in ravishing me. I’ve never been frightened of Sinclair. Not at his wildest or grouchiest, not even when he’s on the warpath aga
“I know.” I say honestly. “And I know how badly you want to fix all this, how agonizing it’s been for you to see your people suffering. Please just remember that you’re not in this alone, Dominic. You don’t have to have all the answers. Your family, your pack – we all love you and we’re in this toge
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