Sinclair
“Dominic?” My beta, Hugo, stands behind me, watching me with a worried expression. “We need you in the war room.”
“I want to be here when she wakes up.” I insist, keeping my gaze locked on Ella. She’s asleep in my bed, her small body curled beneath the covers. Her arms are bandaged from shoulder to fingertip, and bruises dot her fair skin in too many places to count.
Guilt ties my insides into knots just looking at them – some of those bruises were my doing, the results of my efforts to restrain her. Ella had remained unconscious as I carried her out of the forest, but when she woke, she fought me as hard as ever. The doctor was forced to give her a strong dose of a sleeping draft in order to treat her wounds, though he promised the potion would help break her shock.
“I understand, but we’re still cleaning up the scene and we need to make sure no one finds out about this.” Hugo sighs. It was thanks to Ella’s quick thinking and endurance that the attack happened so deep in the forest, far deeper than other couples would be running on the hunt.
I was able to evacuate her on the opposite side of the park, free from the prying eyes of the pack or the media, and my men had immediately rushed in to clean up the bodies before they could be discovered. “Until we can prove the prince was behind it, rogue attacks will just make you look weak.”
“I am weak.” I state hoarsely, wallowing in more than a small amount of self-pity and loathing. “It’s my fault. I didn’t see them coming. I knew the Prince was plotting against us and I still didn’t see them coming.”
“That isn’t fair Dom.” Hugo growls, his voice very stern. “You can only prepare for so much and none of us can foresee the future.
I’m sure Ella doesn’t blame you.”
“Well she should.” I bite back, emotion clogging my throat. “You know, she was so traumatized she couldn’t even recognize me?
That our baby was beside itself after weathering all her fear?”
“I know.” Hugo confirms grimly. “But she’s heavily sedated. It will be some time before she wakes, and if you want to make her safe, then the best thing you can do for her is to come to the war room and deal with the fallout. Help us strategize against the Prince. We’ll place extra guards at her door.”
“Not at her door.” I correct, seeing the sense of his words even though I hate hearing logic at the moment. “I want them posted in here with her. And I’ll come to the war room, but there’s something I have to do first.”
“Dominic –”
“If anyone has an inside track on the Prince’s plans, it’s my brother.” I interrupt, scrubbing a hand over my face. “We need intel if we’re going to effectively strategize – and he has it.”
“Alright.” Hugo agrees. “Just try not to lose your temper. Murdering your brother isn’t the kind of PR we need right now.”
I huff a humorless laugh, “Spoil sport.”
_________________________
The sun is rising over the mountains as I pull into Roger’s driveway, taking measured breaths and conducting silent counting exercises to try and stay calm. In my current mood it wouldn’t take much provocation for me to kill anyone who crosses my path, and Roger is more infuriating than most.
I slide from the car and stride up the garden path, urging my wolf to settle. No violence. Violence is bad. Just think how disappointed Ella would be. I know it’s ironic that I’m urging myself not to resort to violence after the slaughter I committed last night, but that was different. I didn’t have a choice then – I do now.
The door swings open soon after I knock, and Roger’s surprised face appears. He looks so genuinely shocked to see me, I actually contemplate whether he might not have been involved in the attack. Then again, my brother has always been a good actor.
“Dominic, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He drawls, making it clear that my visit is anything but pleasurable.
I push past him, knocking into his shoulder and forcing him back from the doorway as I go. “Were you involved?” I demand, my voice little more than a growl, “Did you know what he was planning?”
Roger blinks, “what are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Roger.” I scowl, “I know you’ve been working with the Prince.”
He offers me a humorless laugh. “You’re being paranoid, Dom.“
“Bull,” I snap, “You expect me to believe you just happened to turn up in the same back alley where Ella was being attacked in the middle of the night by coincidence? Or that the Prince mysteriously discovered I haven’t claimed Ella when you’re the only person who has that information?”
“I think you’re forgetting all your staff – your guards, your doctors, Hugo and Aileen.” Roger counters smoothly.
“My people are loyal – you are the only person who knew who also has a vendetta against me.” I combat.
“That you know of.” He intones ominously.
“Ella was almost killed last night.” I thunder, “I understand you hating me, but how could you be so cruel to an innocent she-wolf!”
“Wait,” Roger protests, visibly paling. “Back up, what happened last night?”
“Stop pretending you don’t know!” The words burst from my chest in a vicious snarl, and I just barely hold onto my temper. Use your words Dominic! “I suppose you ran in to protect her the first time to try and earn her trust, but when that didn’t work you decided to just sacrifice her to the rogues.”
“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!” Roger shouts back, losing his own temper. “On my life, Dominic, I had no idea there had been a second attack!”
“Why should I believe you?” I grumble, clenching and unclenching my fists.
Roger raises his hands, his mouth a thin line. To my surprise, he seems genuinely shaken, and I wonder if I underestimated his interest in Ella. “Look, I admit I knew about the first attack in advance. The Prince planned on killing her outright, but I thought saving her might get me some leverage with her. I… I thought if she trusted me I could convince her to leave you.”
“What, so you could have her for yourself?” I bite, fighting the urge to reel back. I’ve never known Roger to admit any of his misdeeds. He must truly like Ella.
“No.” Roger rolls his eyes, “Just so you would lose the campaign. And yes, I told the Prince she hadn’t been claimed, but I swear on my life, I was never going to let him hurt her. I didn’t know about last night.”
“Do you really despise me so much?” I grind out, “That you would rather a tyrant take over the realm just to spite me? Do you have no concept of the damage he’ll do if he wins? The atrocities he’ll inflict?”
Roger’s face closes off, and I wonder if he truly was so blinded by his resentment of me that he never considered the consequences of his schemes. “I just wanted to hurt you Dom. I admit I was being selfish.”
“Well I’ve got news for you,” I declare ferociously. “I plan on winning this campaign, and you can be with me or against me. But you need to decide, because if you continue to make yourself my enemy, I’m going to treat you as complicit to the Prince’s crimes.” Pacing I let my wolf flash in my eyes. “Further, if anything happens to Ella I will hold you personally responsible – and I’m not talking exile, brother.”
“Is she okay?” He gulps.
“Physically, she’ll heal.” I respond, trying to keep the emotional from my voice. “I’m not so sure if she’ll be okay mentally.”
He flinches, and I wonder if he really does care for her. “Are you going to tell her what I did?”
“I should.” I answer gruffly, “But she’s been through enough already.” I start to turn away, before changing my mind and whirling back to face him, “You know she actually defended you to me? She feels for you, even though you’ve done nothing but try to hurt and manipulate her.”
Roger’s face draws tight, and I see a glimmer of something akin to shame on his features. “I didn’t know.”
“That’s how good she is. She’d be your ally if you let her.” I explain, “And instead you chose to terrorize her.”
“I’m sorry.” Roger professes, ashen-faced. “I know she’s good. I saw that in her from the beginning. I think that’s part of why I was so angry when you found her. You don’t deserve someone so pure.”
“It’s not my fault I was born stronger, Roger!” I state simply, disgusted at how broken our relationship has become over things that are not my fault. “Or that Mom sacrificed herself for me.”
He clears his throat, looking down at the ground. “It felt better, to blame you…” He confesses slowly, “Than to believe it was all for nothing.”
I’m both grief stricken and amazed to hear him speak this way. We’ve never connected like this before, and I know Ella is the reason we are now. “Well if you want to make it up to us, you can go back to the Prince and find out what he’s planning next.”
Roger raises his chin, looking thoughtful. “You want me to be a double agent?”
“It’s not about what I want. It’s about whether you want to let a madman take over the Kingdom. It’s about whether you want Ella and your nephew to live or die.”
“Alright.” He nods. “I’ll do it.
