Sinclair
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, studying Ella.
Her golden eyes sparkle up at me. “Yes Dominic, for the thousandth time.” She sasses, “I’m sure.”
I chuckle, dropping a kiss to her hair. “Imp.”
We’re in the back of a limousine as it rolls slowly down the street, lined on all sides by clambering pack members eager to catch a glimpse of the shifter elite on their way to the King’s palace. Ella is tucked safely against my side, wearing an off the shoulder gown of deepest green.
Layer upon layer of sheer fabric winds around her body in graceful tendrils, leaving small flashes of her fair skin bared and outlining her feminine figure in the most tantalizing design, before cascading to the ground in a waterfall of chiffon. Amber gemstones glitter in her skirts, perfectly matching the delicate jewels of her necklace and earrings. Her hair has been piled up on top of her head, save for a few wisps left free, and her small feet are confined in a pair of sky high heels. Her mask is resting in her lap, waiting for the moment we’ll exit the car and don the intricate disguises required for the ball. Every time I look at her my lungs stop pumping, and I have to remind myself to breathe, struggling to remember how it’s done.
“I know you don’t like being told how beautiful you are, but sometimes it’s hard for me to keep it to myself.” I sigh, leaning down to nuzzle her neck and bask in her sweet scent.
Ella tilts her head to the side, giving me more room to work as I brush my nose and lips over her skin. “It’s not that I mind compliments,” Her breath hitches when I pause to nibble the place where her neck meets her shoulder. “I just don’t like being made to feel like that’s all I am.”
“Well you don’t have to worry there, because as lovely as you are, your beauty is my least favorite thing about you.” I remark, completely serious.
“Sure it is.” She giggles, the sound filling my body with pure sunshine.
“I mean it.” I reply honestly, “Of course, it’s not like that means much because I like all of you. Talking about my least favorite part is like talking about my least favorite dessert – at the end of the day it’s still dessert.”
She doesn’t answer, and when I finally stop exploring the silky curve of her throat, I find a guarded expression on her face, as if she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Would you like to know my favorite thing about you?” I prompt, offering what she’s either too afraid or too shy to ask.
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, not looking me in the eye.
“Hmm,” I purr, enjoying the way her tightly wound little body immediately melts against mine. “It’s that warrior heart of yours.”
Ella snorts, finally raising her luminous gaze to mine. “No one has ever mistaken me for a warrior before.” She admonishes. “I think you’re just trying to flatter me now.”
“It’s no mistake.” I rumble sternly, not liking her self-deprecating tone. “I know warriors, and I know you. You have a heart that cannot be quelled – you love fiercely, and you don’t give up.”
Ella blushes, her cheeks growing so pink that I want to whisper all my secret desires in her ear, just to see how deeply I can make her flush. She peeks up at me from beneath her lashes. “Do you want to know my favorite thing about you?”
“Tell me,” I invite, not caring one bit whether her answer is about my looks or personality– as long as she has a favorite thing, she could tell me she likes my big toe and I’d still be grateful.
“You listen.” Ella shares softly. “Not because you think you should or that it’s the right thing to do – but because you want to. You want to understand, and you want your people to be happy.”
I can’t stop myself from kissing her, even if it’s only a brief graze of our lips. “I want you to be happy too, Ella.” I tell her, “I know that might feel impossible right now, with everything you’ve been through, but I’m going to make our family safe. And once I do I’m going to spoil you and the baby rotten.”
Her eyes widen slightly when I say, “our family,” and I realize I’ve never talked about us that way. However the more time that passes, the more obvious it becomes to me that Ella and I will be family. Whether we become romantically involved or not, we’re going to share a pup and that will tie us together for life. However, no sooner have I worked through these thoughts myself, than I see Ella’s expression transforming, taking on a decidedly devious glint.
“Does that mean you won’t boss me around anymore?” The minx replies, alight with mischief and desire in equal measure.
“You’ll let me walk all over you and get away with everything?”
I throw my head back, barking with laughter even as I fight the urge to tell the driver to turn the car around so I can take Ella home and finish what we started earlier. “Not even close, trouble.”
As the car pulls to a stop and we put on our masks, I glance at the media clamoring outside and feel Ella do the same. She recoils in surprise, and a rush or protectiveness slams into me. My wolf immediately rises to the surface, and I have to fight the urge to shift.
Let me out. My wolf demands. I’ll kill them before they lay a hand on her.
Calm down! I insist, shaking with the effort of holding him back.
But they’re scaring her! He insists. This was a mistake! It’s too soon.
After last night I don’t want to let anyone come near Ella, and her fear is forcing my possessive fury into overdrive. It’s as though I see threats everywhere I look, and I’d like nothing more than to attack every reporter in sight. Deep down, I also know that I wouldn’t be so on edge if we’d found an outlet for our sexual tension earlier. It goes against my every instinct not to reward my mate after she submitted so beautifully, and I feel as though my job is unfinished. Moreover, I wasn’t able to take the edge off of my own desire – and the need to claim her is suddenly so powerful I want to take her right here and now.
Mine, mine, mine. My wolf chants. I have to mark her.
No! I refuse ferociously. She’s not a wolf, it would hurt her.
Just a nibble? He begs, She smells so delicious.
Somehow I manage to get Ella out of the car and through the crowd, but no sooner have we stepped into the ballroom that Ella turns toward me with an exasperated look on her face. “Dominic, you’re acting like a dog guarding a bone.”
I arch my brows, letting some of my Alpha authority seep into my voice. “Am I now?”
Ella shivers, but doesn’t back down. “You just growled that attendant – the poor man practically wet himself.”
“He came too close to you!” I growl defensively
“He was taking my coat.” Ella reminds me, sounding almost stern. “You’ve got to find a way to calm down.”
“I don’t think I can.” I grumble, “The man who hired those rogues to kill you is here somewhere, no doubt plotting another attack.”
Ella frowns. “Is there nothing I can do to help? You told me mates are supposed to calm each other.”
I sigh and hold her tight so that she can’t see my grimace. “Sweetheart, the things you could do to help are not things we could do in public, nor are you ready for them.”
“Oh…” Ella’s eyes go adorably wide as realization strikes. I watch her work through the implications of my words, and without a single word of help, she comes to the correct conclusion. “Would it still be this way, if I’d… if we’d… you know – after?” She trails off, blushing.
“After your spanking?” I supply.
Ella’s blush turns crimson, and she leans forward impatiently. “Shhh!” Looking around to make sure no one overheard me, she agrees, “Yes.”
“It would have helped me take the edge off, but–”
Before I can finish the sentence, Ella gives me a fierce glare and a delectable pout. “You should have told me, I can still–”
She’s about to offer something I might not be able to turn down, so I stop her, softening the force of my growl at the last moment.
“No, this was always going to be the case, Ella. I don’t like you being here with all these wolves after what happened last night. If I had my way I would have kept you at home in bed until this campaign is over.”
“Then maybe…” she pulls my hand to her tummy, and the tiny bump hidden by her skirts. “Maybe just feel the baby. Feel how secure we are in your arms, how safe I feel with you. Nothing’s going to happen, and I promise to stay close.”
Warmth washes over me, and I smile down at the precious bundle in my arms, amazed that she seems to know exactly what to say to help me, despite not understanding so much about our kind. However, no sooner have I started to relax, than the Prince enters. He scans the room until his eyes land on Ella and I, then crosses the floor – heading straight towards us.
