Ella
I haven’t been sick for a few days now, but when I see Roger standing on the other side of the door I immediately turn to one of the ornamental vases in the hallway and empty my stomach. Cora rushes forward to help me, glancing uncertainly at Roger as she pulls my hair back from my face.
I know that Sinclair and Roger are on better terms since the wild hunt, but I also know that their peace is very tenuous. Sinclair hasn’t decided whether or not he truly trusts his brother yet, and though Roger has been helpful bringing intelligence from the Prince’s camp, he could easily be playing the double agent for both sides – and now he knows my deepest, darkest secret.
This is so bad. I think frantically. He told the Prince that Sinclair hadn’t marked me, what if he tells him this too? Forget the blackmail – Roger is more dangerous to me than some bitter ex-employer could ever be!
I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth, straightening with a pitiful moan. I look over at Roger, finding his expression a combination of confusion and concern. “You’d better come in.”
“Ella, I’m sorry.” He begins hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to startle you, and I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I came over to check in with Sinclair and… well it wasn’t difficult to overhear your conversation.”
“I know, I know – your shifter hearing is very acute.” I grumble. “Trust me, I’m learning just how out of my depth I am every day.”
“I don’t understand.” Roger admits, following me into the sitting room. “How is this even possible?”
I sit down, graciously accepting a glass of water from my sister. “Listen, I’ll tell you the truth, but only if you promise me that this conversation stays between us. I know you’re been helping us lately, but I’m going to be honest – I’m not convinced you’re actually on our side.”
“That’s fair.” Roger admits, looking drawn and pale. “After what I did… I know I don’t deserve your trust, or your forgiveness.”
“Well I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what would happen if this information got out. The only people who know are servants of this house, and my doctor. Not even Henry knows the truth, because if this becomes public information Sinclair’s campaign will be over. The Prince will become King, thousands would die under his tyranny – including me and your nephew.” I remark pointedly, holding my hand to my baby bump. “I don’t care what kind of sibling rivalry you have, or how strongly you think you should have Alpha – if you endanger my baby’s life, you won’t only have Sinclair to deal with – I’ll kill you myself.”
“Ella!” Cora exclaims, shocked by my aggression. In truth I’ve shocked myself, but those primal Mama Bear instincts that started coming out at the ball are back in full force, and I don’t regret a single word I’ve spoken. I would do anything to protect my child, including killing to keep him safe.
“It’s okay.” Roger assures her. “You’re very spirited for a human. I can see why Sinclair picked you.” He stares me in the eye, holding the contact as he makes his next promise. “And you have my word that I’ll take this secret to my grave – I swear it on my mother’s grave.”
“Good.” I nod, feeling a bit more relaxed now. “But you’re wrong if you think Sinclair picked me. This all started as a rather wild accident.”
“An accident?” Roger repeats, his brow knitting with confusion.
“It was my fault really.” Cora admits, relating the mix up at the sperm bank. Of course, her confession only leads to more questions, about why I went to the sperm bank in the first place, and how we figured out Sinclair’s sample had been used instead of the donor I chose. When he hears about Mike, I’m amazed to see how outraged he looks in my honor – I suppose messing with one’s fertility is a grave offense among wolves, even more so than with humans.
“So you still don’t know how the samples got switched?” Roger presses, after we move past the Mike of it all.
“No.” Cora and I say in unison. “The surveillance cameras were disabled in the lab – before the samples were switched. And of course we don’t film in the exam rooms.”
“What?” I inquire, “this is the first I”m hearing of the security cameras being tampered with.”
“That’s one of the reasons they eventually let me off the hook.” Cora informs me. “Sinclair ordered them to hire me back, but the investigation didn’t actually move away from me as a suspect until they found the tapes were blank during your appointment. I don’t have access to the surveillance monitors.”
“Does that mean…” I can hardly wrap my brain around this. “We’ve been assuming this was an accident all along, and I could even understand someone erasing them after the fact to cover their mistake… but if someone turned the cameras off before the switch then it must have been on purpose.”
“But why would anyone try to inseminate a human?” Roger questions, aghast. “I mean no shifter I know would imagine it was possible for you to actually conceive. I still can’t believe it myself.”
“I don’t know how it was possible – and honestly I don’t care. This baby is a miracle for me whether it’s a human, or a wolf.” I shrug, though in truth I feel quite uneasy. “But it does make me nervous to think someone might have done this to us. Even if they knew I could conceive, what was their goal? I highly doubt anyone would do this just to make my dreams of becoming a mother – or Dominic’s of becoming a father – come true.”
“True.” Cora nods sympathetically, “I have a hard time thinking their motives were pure, but I also don’t see an opportunity for malice either. How does you having a shifter baby help anyone?”
“This has to be the weirdest crime in history.” I express, absolutely flabbergasted.
“Cora, who has access to both your labs and the security rooms, and who else knew you had Dominic’s sperm?” Roger asks, obviously as curious as we are.
“My bosses.” Cora shrugs, “but they’re also the ones running the investigation. Sinclair has some some of his men on it as well, but as far as I know, no one has ever been arrested or charged.”
“I can ask him about it once he comes home.” I suggest, “with everything else going on, I sort of forgot about all this, but I bet he hasn’t.”
“You can count on that.” Roger confirms, cocking his head to the side. “So what happens after the baby comes? You mentioned losing its scent. Has Sinclair talked to you about his plans for keeping your identity secret?”
“We’re just trying to get through the campaign.” I explain, blushing to think of everything he must have overheard. “Afterwards I can step back from the public eye and… I don’t know, we’ll take it from there. If he has plans he hasn’t talked to me about them, but I trust we’ll think of something.”
Roger is staring at me with an unreadable expression, and for a moment I assume he’s judging me. “What?” I ask softly, “You think I’m being too optimistic? Or too trusting?”
“No.” He counters, shaking his head with a look of begrudging respect. “I was actually thinking that you’re incredibly brave to be doing this, and incredibly generous to be helping Dom. You must have been so overwhelmed when he asked for your help,” He clenches his eyes shut, and for some reason I think I sense some guilt when he continues, “and Goddess, those rogue attacks…
you must have been so terrified.”
“Actually it was her suggestion to pose as Luna.” Cora boasts, focusing on the less traumatic portion of Roger’s statement. I smile at her, thankful she’s looking out for me this way. She grins back, continuing. “He only wanted her as a surrogate at first, but she proved how valuable she could be to him.”
Roger shakes his head, frowning deeply. “I’m so sorry, Ella.”
“For what?” I ask, confused.
“For being so cruel to you. For helping the Prince. If I’d known… I never would have… I’m just so sorry.” Roger professes, looking completely genuine.
“Well, that’s all ancient history now.” I exhale heavily, wondering how much harder it must have been for Sinclair to forgive his brother after all their history, when I find it difficult after only just meeting him. “As long as you’re on our side from here on out – I don’t care about the past.”
“You are too kind for your own good, you know that?” Roger asks, huffing out a laugh. There’s a spark of true admiration in his eyes, a spark that looks dangerously close to attraction as his gaze sweeps from my face and scans my figure.
“I keep trying to tell her that.” Cora declares. “Much good that it does me. She’s a stubborn thing.”
“Well I might be, but I’m not sure Dominic is going to be so calm when he finds out you know my secret.” I advise honestly. “You might want to leave before he gets home – let me break it to him.”
“That’s probably wise.” Roger agrees, rising to his feet. “I really am sorry, Ella.”
“I know.” I nod. “Now go – he’ll be here any moment.”
