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. “It’s okay baby, we can get more bacon.”
————
The next morning I wake up bright and early, though not intentionally. Instead I was jarred from sleep when Ella wriggled out of my arms to race for the bathroom. This is quickly becoming our morning ritual, and I’m far less concerned with my little human’s unhealthy snacking than I was a week ago, as I’m simply pleased she’s able to keep some food down.
When Ella is finally done being sick, I coax her back to bed and wrap her up in my arms. My wolf is urging me to scent mark her again, but I want to give her a few minutes to regain her strength before I begin rubbing my body all over hers. Of our daily rituals, marking Ella has quickly become my favorite. It’s a unique sort of ecstasy and torment: satisfying my wolf and claiming the mother of my pup, then denying both of our lusts when they inevitably spark.
I know exactly how powerfully the intimate contact affects the little human, and the scent of her arousal is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. It’s not as if I’m not equally turned on, but I also don’t have wild pregnancy hormones rushes through my body
– I wonder how much longer Ella will be able to hold out before she asks for more. More importantly, I wonder if I will have the strength to deny her when that time comes.
“You know the only good thing about this crazy six month pregnancy?” Ella asks.
“You get to be done with morning sickness faster?” I guess.
“Mhmm.” She hums, pressing her nose to my chest and breathing deeply.
I reach down to the hem of her night dress and deftly slip my hand inside, resting it on the soft, warm skin of her belly. I feel a steady heartbeat and waves of contentment through the mental link, “Well I know you’re miserable, but if it helps the baby is happy as can be.”
“Of course he is.” She murmurs sleepily. “He’s always happy when you’re around.”
“And what about you?” I ask, “Are you happy when I’m around?” I’m not sure why I press her this way. I know that at least some of the baby’s emotions are feeding directly off of Ella’s, which means she’s probably content at a minimum around me. Still, I want to know.
“That depends.” The cheeky creature replies, “on whether or not you’re being all high handed and bossing me around.”
I shake my head, shifting my hands to tickle her sides. Ella giggle and squeals, trying to wriggle away from me, but I hold her tight. Soon we’re writhing around on the bed, Ella begging me for mercy as I continue tickling her, and me showing no mercy whatsoever. Before long the came turns to the intimate dance of scent marking, and as our bodies rub sensuously together I realize an unavoidable truth.
If Ella loses control and asks me to go further, there’s no way in hell I’ll be able to deny her now.
__________________
A little while later I head downstairs to go to work, but I stop dead in my tracks when I see my brother waiting in the foyer. “What are you doing here?” I question coldly.
Roger arches a brow. “It’s amazing how alike you and your little mate already sound. That’s precisely the way she greeted me the other day.”
A rush of pride flows through me. “That’s because she’s a very clever she-wolf.”
“Or because you’ve turned her against me.” Roger suggests.
“I don’t need to manipulate Ella for her to see through you, Roger.” I remark, descending the last few steps in front of me. “And you didn’t answer my question.”
“I wanted to check on Ella.” He answers easily. “I was worried after the other night.”
“She’s fine.” I reply simply, not feeling he deserves any more information than this. I know he saved Ella, but I still find the circumstances which allowed him to do so incredibly suspicious. I’ve already had a team of investigators out looking for the rogues since the night of the attack, and I was planning on assigning another team to look into my brother’s potential involvement today. And now that he’s turned up like this it’s going to be my top priority.
“Can I see her?” Roger requests, having the decency to look uncertain of the question.
My wolf growls in my chest, and I have to forcibly restrain the impulse to lash out at my brother. “Ella was sick this morning, and besides, I need to speak with you myself. Walk me to work?” I suggest.
Roger frowns but agrees. “Is she alright?”
Something about his interest in my little human’s wellbeing makes my hackles raise. It all sounds completely innocent and, indeed, compassionate, but I wouldn’t put anything past Roger. He’s the king of manipulation and gaslighting, and though I don’t think he wants to harm Ella, I don’t think his preoccupation with her is innocent either.
“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 like distinguishing features or tattoos?”
“Sure, or anything they might have said – really any hints about their identities or who hired them.” I clarify.
“The only piece I overheard was them discussing having “fun” with her before they finished the job.” He reports.
I emit a violent snarl, and Roger flinches before he can stop himself. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pleased to have startled him this way. “Sorry,” I lie. “You know how it is.”
“Actually I don’t – you stole my mate, remember.” Roger snaps back.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “That isn’t what I meant and you know it.” I answer. “Only that wolves take the front seat when it comes to the ones we care about most.”
“Whatever.” He grumbles. “I can tell you that three of them were gray and the leader was red once they transformed. Definitely not locals. Their accents sounded like they came from somewhere in the east, but that doesn’t mean the person who hired them is also foreign.”
I nod in agreement. “And remind me, how did you find her that night?”
“I told you, I didn’t know Ella was their target. I simply smelled rogues and took up the hunt.” Roger supplies.
“That was incredibly lucky.” I tell him. “If it wasn’t for you who knows what might have happened.”
“I was happy to help.” Roger answers easily, either not picking up on – or not acknowledging – the inherent suspicion in my remark. “Ella is family now, and your pup will be the future of this pack. I’m actually glad you suggested we walk together. I wanted to see Ella, but I also wanted to talk to you. I think it’s high time we put the past behind us.”
“Because of Ella and the pup?” I state, not believing my ears.
“In part.” He confirms. “It was one thing to be at odds when Lydia and the pack was still between us, but it’s been five years since Dad got hurt, and almost two since Lydia left.” He reminds me – as if I could forget. “At a certain point it just seems petty to hold onto old grudges, especially when the future is so bright for our family. I want to be in my niece or nephew’s life, and soon you’ll be King. We should be united if you’re going to rule. The attack made me realize that loud and clear.”
“You know Roger, the bad blood between us has never been on my end. I’ve never held a grudge against you, so I don’t know why you’re bringing this to me as if our conflict is mutual. If you want to stop working against our family then stop.”
Roger’s skin flushes. “How typical of you not to take any responsibility for what happened.” He gripes. “I come to you with an olive branch and you foist all the blame on me.”
I stop in my tracks, turning toward him. “Do you have any idea how many years I spent in therapy to stop blaming myself for Mom’s death?” I demand. “I was a child – I didn’t do anything wrong and she did what any good mother would – which is protect her pup. I know you’ve never seen it that way but I’m done letting you make me feel guilty for taking her from you. I lost her too, you know!”
“If you hadn’t –” He begins, worked up into a true lather now. So much for putting the past behind us – he can’t be that resolved to mend bridges if that little push back sets him off.
“No, Roger!” I snap. “I’m done with this. If you want to move on, then move on and the family will welcome you back – even and especially Ella because she doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body. But if you can’t stop blaming a pup for things out of his control then you better believe I’ll never let you set a foot near mine.”
Without another word Roger turns on his heel and storms away. On one hand I’m proud of myself for finally standing up for the child I once was, and on the other I have to wonder if I just made a terrible mistake. Roger has always had a volatile personality, and he’s dangerous even at the best of times. I hope I didn’t just put Ella in even more danger than she was already in.
