Sinclair
“This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done!” Ella exclaims, shifting restlessly beside me. We’re just arrived at the festival, and though she’s only wearing a silk robe, she looks stunning. She’s also nearly beside herself with anxiety, and getting increasingly feisty the closer we get to the big event.
“Poor darling, you’re shaking.” I croon, pulling Ella into my arms and rubbing her back. She’s all sharp edges, stiff and grumbling unhappily into my chest, but snuggling into my warmth despite her grumpy mood.
“Of course I’m shaking, it’s freezing. I’m wearing next to nothing and it’s winter!!” She exclaims, gesturing to the snow falling around us. “How are we even supposed to do this ridiculous ritual without getting hypothermia!”
“First because wolves run much hotter than humans.” I answer, catching her hands and tucking them between our bodies so they’ll get warm too. “Second, because the stone circle is surrounded by thermal pools and the base is heated from below by hot springs. I promise you’ll be plenty warm. And if you’re not then there’s always body heat.”
I’m waggling my eyebrows suggestively, but Ella doesn’t laugh. She pouts, peeking up at me, “I thought you were going to respect my wishes.”
“I’m doing my best.” I share, “but it isn’t easy. Especially when you’re so beautifully responsive.”
This much is true, I might have an easier time respecting Ella’s boundaries if she didn’t react so openly and passionately to my advances. But the reality is that she’s obviously affected by me, and it’s hard not to feel encouraged when she melts into my arms like hot honey.
“That’s just my hormones.” Ella insists. “You have to listen to what I say, not what I do.”
“Ah, so ‘actions speak louder than words’ doesn’t count in your book.” I tease.
“That’s right.” Ella answers stiffly, “My body isn’t my own right now, it’s the baby’s. That means you have to take my word over my reactions.”
“Alright.” I agree. “But I hope you’ll give me a little slack when I slip up.”
“I thought being an Alpha was about always being in control.” Ella argues.
“Maybe,” I concede, chafing her chilled limbs with my warm hands. “But my wolf is in charge when it comes to mating, and he’s not nearly as patient as I am.”
“But there’s no mating here!” Ella objects, “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m human!” Her whispered words are barely audible even to my own ears, but I still glance around to ensure we can’t be overheard.
“I haven’t forgotten.” I answer. I wish I could. It seems if I’m not thinking about romancing Ella, I’m thinking about how vulnerable she is living among shifters. Even now, I’m painfully aware of how fragile she is in comparison, surrounded on all sides by vicious predators. The poor thing is still shivering and I’m worried she might have been right, without a wolf’s resilience to the elements, it might be too cold for her to participate. Though in truth, I think it’s only partly due to the weather. I suspect she’s trembling with apprehension as much as she is with cold.
Guilt washes over me, and for a moment I wonder if I’m doing a terrible thing putting Ella through all this. Not only these events that throw her so far out of her comfort zone and into a world she doesn’t yet understand, or even asking her to suffer through the cold and discomfort, but asking her to tell so many lies. Asking her to perform an elaborate fraud, to go against her own honest nature to deceive and trick people. I don’t believe it’s possible to corrupt Ella, or her life would have already done it, but it feels very hard to forgive myself for forcing her into this situation. In hindsight I can clearly see that’s what I did – it might have been her idea, but she’d felt like she had no other choice, fore I told her I would take her child away.
I know all the justifications for our scheme – avoiding a civil war, preventing a despot from taking the throne, saving countless lives. And there’s no way of justifying ending all this just to save one human some distress – yet I want to. I want to go back in time and tell Ella I will keep her and the baby a secret so that they’ll never be in danger from my enemies, and never have to adopt this facade. I want to call off our arrangement so that she want shiver anymore. Now not only do I think my wolf is broken, I think I’m losing my mind as well.
“What?” Ella presses me sullenly, “Why are you looking at me that way?”
“I was thinking that when this is done we can go home and curl up in front of a warm fire, and then I’ll rub your feet and feed you hot chocolate.” I answer.
“Why can’t we just go home now? We’ve made an appearance and kissed for the cameras! We should just say I’m ill and make our apologies.” Her tone goes from exasperated and sharp, to sounding so small I might believe it belonged to a child. “I don’t want to do this.”
“I know, baby.” I murmur, tucking her head to my chest and stroking her long, silky hair. “I promise we’ll leave as soon as we’re able.”
“But Dominic–” Ella is raising her voice now, and trying to pull away from me. I know she’s only lashing out because she’s feeling so much emotional turmoil. I’m sure the pregnancy hormones aren’t helping, but it’s clear she needs me to help ground her, to calm her down because she can’t calm herself.
I tighten my hands on her, beginning to purr even as I rumble. “This is an important ritual.” I explain, in a tone that makes her visibly squirm. “I know you’re cold and afraid Ella. Honestly, I would spare you this if I could – but missing this isn’t like missing the feast. It would be seen as disrespect to the Goddess.”
Ella is struggling internally, her body responding to my purrs and my dominance, but her mind no doubt consumed with battling thoughts of duty and unhappiness.Her eyes begin to shine, and I fear she might start crying.
No, I hate it when she cries. My wolf complains, not that he needs to remind me. He whines like a pup any time Ella sheds so much as a single tear, even for silly reasons like eating all of her snack. I increase my purrs, and Ella glares at me. “That isn’t fair, I don’t want to be comforted right now.”
“Maybe you don’t want it, but you need it.” I answer sternly, and Ella takes up a mutinous muttering.
“Ella, I’m going to take care of you. It will be over before you know it. I won’t make us stay a minute longer than we have to.”
She’s still glaring, but her plump lower lip is also trembling. “Fine.” She snaps, her voice thick with emotion. “But for the record, I don’t like you very much right now.”
“I know.” I smile, kissing her upturned mouth. I’m not the least bit surprised when she nips me, quickly sinking her little teeth into my lip and releasing them again just when I begin to feel the sting. My wolf growls deep in my chest, loving her fire but not about to let her get away with this. Ella trembles again, but in a very different way this time. Her demeanor is exactly that of a chastised she-wolf, reassured and excited by her mate’s strength.
“Behave.” I instruct, not bothering to soften my tone. The light in her eyes is impish now, rather than sad or frightened, and I’m pleased to see her cheeks flushed with color. “It’s about to begin.”
I lead Ella through the moonlit forest, following paths so familiar to me, yet completely new to Ella. Before long we’re crossing the bridges straddling steaming thermal pools, and crossing into the sacred space of the stone circle.
I pull my robe off, then reach for the belt at her waist. “Just look at me.” I advise, “Keep those gorgeous eyes on mine, and just pretend we’re all alone.”
Ella nods nervously, and I carefully uncinch her robe, pulling the garment from her body and baring her for all to see. I don’t take my eyes off her either, even as I’m handed the necessary oils by an attendant. I drip the slick liquid onto my fingers, then paint it onto Ella’s body. I deposit the sweet smelling substance on her neck, her temples, them use a different bottle for her wrists and palms – then finally I take the third oil, and trace the letters of my name over her heart.
I wish I could look down and watch the oil dribble down between her luscious breasts, to appreciate the beauty of her form, but she needs the eye contact more than I need to satisfy my lustful urges. “You’re doing so well, sweetheart.” I praise, handing her the bottles so that she can anoint my skin. Following my example, she applies the oils without taking her eyes away from mine, going up on her tiptoes to reach my temples.
When it’s done, we stretch out on the heated stone slab beneath our feet, and I pull Ella close, using my big body to block her from view from as many people as I can. Still she doesn’t take her eyes from mine, and I continue praising her, genuinely proud of how brave she’s being.
We lie together under the moon until her eyes grow heavy, and I know it’s time to leave.
When I wake the next morning, I’m unsurprised to be greeted with more headlines about us, though these are a far cry from the last breaking news in which we featured. Every last article is a veritable celebration of our mating, eagerly reporting that we’re so in love that we couldn’t take our eyes off one another.
I’m thrilled, but I know we’re facing a far greater challenge tonight – the wild hunt has finally arrived.
