Chapter 463

Ella “Ella,” my mate growls as my tears start to subside a little bit. And I look up at him with a sniff, into

his face that is terribly dark with his anger. His whole body is shaking – not trembling like mine was, but

honestly shaking as if he’s trying very, very hard to hold himself back.

“You need to tell me, right now,” Sinclair continues, his voice thick with the effort of not bursting from

the room and hunting down the Prince, ” what the hell just happened. I need to know whether or not I

need to go murder someone.” A dark little laugh bursts from me at this – at the casual way my

gorgeous mate threatens murder – and his growl intensifies because he is perfectly serious.

Hastily I shake my head no as I look up at him.

“No, Dominic,” I say, doing my best to pull myself together and stand up straight.

“It’s not like that – it’s…” and I sigh, my eyes going wide. “I mean, it’s a lot – but he didn’t do anything

really bad.” To my surprise, Dominic snarls, his head whipping towards the door.

“Dominic, I just said that – ” “You said not really bad,” he snaps, implying that he did something bad.” I

reach a hand up now and place it on his cheek, something about Sinclair losing his temper allowing me

to fortify myself, to pull myself together for both of us. “I’m going to need you to contain all of this,” I say

quietly, making him look at me. “Because you are not going to like what I have to say. But you have to

hear it.” “Please, Ella,” he murmurs, dropping his arms from their tight place around me and taking my

face in his hands. ” You’re killing me. Please, please tell me what is going on.” “Not until you promise

not to murder anyone,” I say, dead serious.

And he sighs, but then he nods, agreeing to my terms.

And then I take my mate’s hand and I lead him over to the bed. I take a moment just the briefest one

peer into my baby’s crib, my heart filling with joy at the sight of my sweet, darling baby boy. I send him

a very tiny pulse of happiness and joy down the bond, hoping it gives him sweet dreams, and then I

turn to my bed, and I pull back the covers, and I kick off my shoes and climb in fully dressed. to “What

the hell?” Sinclair asks. “Ella, you’re -” “Just get into bed,” I sigh, reaching for him. “Come on bed is…

it’s where we are just us, where we have all our best talks.” Sinclair sighs but, seeing that I’m serious,

he does as I say, crawling over me to get to his side of the bed and then slipping himself under the

covers. I immediately curl up next to him, tucking my head beneath his chin as he wraps his arms

around me.

“All right, trouble,” he murmurs, again kissing the top of my head, and I smile at the nickname, because

it lets me know that he’s in a better emotional place to hear news that I know is going to wreck him.

“Tell me everything.” And I do as my mate says.

I start at the beginning and I don’t hold anything back.

I tell him all about how much Calvin and I were instantly drawn to each other from the moment I saw

him, about the pulses of energy between us whenever we touched. I tell him about the genuine

friendship I feel for the man and our instant connection – how it feels, immediately, like talking to an old

friend. And then I tell him about what happened tonight – the glow between us, the spark within me that

I’m pretty sure he felt within himself, the very literal energy that passes between our bodies when we’re

close.

Sinclair goes tenser and tenser as I speak, but he doesn’t interrupt. I wind my arms closer around him

not only because I’m grateful for him, but also because I think he needs it, needs to feel my body close

so that he doesn’t race out of the room and hunt this man down.

But he breaks when I finally tell him Calvin’s last words.

“And he said…Dominic, he says he thinks that I’m his mate.” The snarl that rips from Sinclair when I

say the words even I draw back in fear as he pulls himself from my arms and throws himself out of bed,

his chest heaving, his eyes on the door. His whole body is trembling again, harder now, and he very

obviously holds himself back from shifting into his wolf and tearing through the palace – looking for this

man Rafe starts to cry in his crib at the sound and I think the insane emotions that are pulsing from

Sinclair at this moment, but I can’t even look over at my baby, my eyes only on my mate.

“Dominic!” I cry, reaching for him, ” don’t -” “What the hell am I supposed to do, Ella,” he growls, and I

see his body start to shift as he loses control, his shoulders hunching, his nails elongating to

razor sharp claws. “Just let this man live after he’s tried to take you from me!?” “He didn’t -” “He did!”

Sinclair barks, and then he loses it, letting out a roar as he transforms fully into his wolf and sprints for

the door. He bashes the handle with his paw, breaking it and ripping the door nearly off its hinges as he

wrenches it open And then I’m alone, my jaw hanging open, sitting in bed in my black gown as my baby

screams in the crib next to me.

It takes me…a long moment to pull myself together as I stare at the open door to the bright hallway, as

I consider.

Well, that my mate is probably out there hunting a Prince, adding more fuel to the fire of war.

But then I turn my head towards my child, who still screams with fear and shock and sadness, and I

know that there’s absolutely nothing I can do.

And so I slowly stand up, and move to my child, and gather him into my arms and shush him lightly as I

move to the door, pushing it shut as best I can with my foot as I concentrate on my baby.

My heart feels like it’s been torn to shreds, honestly. I’m livid, I realize, because I need Sinclair with me

tonight I need to talk this through with him, and as much as I realize that he’s upset I can’t believe that

he just did that just burst from the room in a murderous rampage.

But as I look down at my child, and I stare at his poor crying face, I force myself to slow my breathing

and start to feel…centered.

Because as much as Calvin may think he’s found his mate, and Sinclair might be rightly flipping out

because he thinks someone tried to take me from him… Me?

I’m steady.

I made my choice long ago, and as I look down at my little Rafe – who looks so much like his father

that it breaks my heart – I have no doubts at all.

I pass calm and feelings of safety down my bond to my baby and he settles a little in my arms, though

he still fusses, unnerved by the noise and the surge of emotions that woke him. So, I continue to

bounce him a little, shushing and murmuring comforting nonsense. As I keep my attention to my baby, I

move towards the window and turn to my wolf inside me.

Well? I say to her, a little pissed off. You’ve been awfully quiet throughout all of this.

She whines a little, guilty, torn, and turns in a confused circle.

Is he our mate? I ask, a little tremulous, considering that she’s perhaps been quiet because I’ve been

pushing her away, not wanting to know.

She sits back on her haunches, lifting her nose to the sky and letting out a confused howl. I don’t know,

she says, hanging her head and then laying down with her snout between her paws. He is …he is

something to us. But Dominic is our mate. This other one…he is important, but I don’t know what he is.

I sigh in frustration, passing it to my wolf who again whines, feeling guilty that she can’t help me parse

it, that she doesn’t know.

And then I turn my face up to the sky, my eyes immediately finding the moon hanging exactly where I

knew it would be.

“Well, mom?” I ask, shaking my head at her. “Are you happy now?” But of course she doesn’t reply,

even though I continue to stare at her for a very, very long time.

I don’t know how much time has passed before Rafe falls back asleep and I turn away from the

window, heading back to my bed. I take Rafe with me, because I’m exhausted and far from sleep and I

want his company. I curl up in my bed with my little baby, staring down at his beautiful sleeping face.

Don’t do anything you’ll regret, I say to Sinclair down our bond, hoping he’s close enough to hear it.

And honestly hoping that my advice is not too late.