Sinclair watched Ella intently as his words sank in. A riot of emotions—relief, happiness, worry, and confusion—swept across her beautiful features. "We didn't even sleep together," she said.
He continued soberly. "She tried, but apparently I wasn't interested—even drugged."
"Oh." The same complex emotions flitted across Ella's face, a look the Alpha understood all too well. He didn't want a child with Lydia either, and he was beyond relieved he hadn't been intimate with the conniving she-wolf—but it would have solved several problems. "So, we're right back where we started, then," Ella assessed softly.
"Yes, but I can still try to find another Luna," Sinclair assured her. "It will take longer, but it's better this way. Lydia isn't the mother I want for my pups, and she's definitely not the woman I want for my queen."
"I know," Ella replied, leaning into his warmth. "I didn't want her in our lives either. I'm just... overwhelmed."
"I know," Sinclair sympathized, pulling her close. "I'm going to find a way to make it better, Ella. I promise."
"You better," she grumbled, snuggling closer and inhaling his scent. His comforting aroma filled her senses, and she closed her eyes, sighing with pleasure. A strange compulsion to bite him overcame her—almost as if she wanted to mark him again, now that her scent had washed off in the shower, now that she knew Lydia hadn't succeeded in stealing him.
Ella nuzzled Sinclair's chest, nudging his shirt aside and hesitantly parting her lips. She experimentally pressed her teeth against his skin, but before she could fully give in to the instinct, Sinclair tangled a hand in her hair, pulling her head back.
"You bite me, I bite you back, baby," he purred, looking pleased with the idea.
Something deep within Ella melted—a writhing mix of defiance and lust, eager to provoke him. However, self-preservation forced down those feelings, and she blushed. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."
"I do," Sinclair rumbled, moving his free hand to her belly. The baby kicked, as if confirming his suspicion that he'd influenced his mother's wolfish behavior. "But we have more to talk about. I promised I'd tell you about the driver from the accident."
Ella's dilated pupils sharpened as reason returned. "What did you find out?"
"He was hired by the Prince," Sinclair explained. "No surprise there. He was supposed to be doing reconnaissance, but he also had orders to kill you if the opportunity arose."
"So when I walked into the street near his car..." Ella reasoned, piecing together the information.
"Exactly," Sinclair confirmed. "He thought it was the perfect opportunity."
"Did he know anything else about the Prince's plans?" Ella asked, her earlier mischief gone.
"He was part of the team of rogues the Prince hired for the attack Roger warned us about," Sinclair said.
She frowned. "Why haven't we heard anything more about that? My bed rest isn't public knowledge, is it?"
"No," Sinclair confirmed, "but Roger said it would be a few weeks. The invitation could come any day now. Of course, now we have a valid excuse to refuse it."
"But do we want people to know I'm on bed rest?" Ella asked, worry evident in her voice.
"I think it's our best option. No one will question your absence, and I've already tripled security here. This house is practically a fortress," Sinclair assured her.
"Well, that deals with the Prince for now, but what about Lydia? What if she tries something else?" Ella wondered.
"Lydia won't be a problem anymore," Sinclair declared. "I exiled her, and if she wants to live, she'll leave Moon Valley and never return."
Across town, Lydia was fuming. She'd been striving to become queen since childhood. Her parents always told her she was destined for greatness, so it wasn't hard to convince them to bring her to Moon Valley as a teenager. She'd pursued Henry Sinclair's presumed heir, only to suffer the bad luck of choosing the wrong brother—twice.
It hadn't been easy to resist her fated mate, but she'd never settle for a second son. When Henry named Dominic his heir instead of Roger, she thought the Goddess had been right. Lydia dumped Roger and readily gave herself to Dominic, only to suffer further misfortunes.
First, Henry was attacked during his campaign, preventing her from becoming a princess. Then, she couldn't conceive an heir, meaning Sinclair would never become king on his own merit. She blamed him for their infertility and tried to move on, but her new husband wasn't amused by her inability to provide an heir.
Lydia thought her problems were solved when Sinclair found a surrogate, but she couldn't simply waltz back into his life. He seemed genuinely angry about her departure, even though it was a rational choice. She experienced a brief flicker of hope when she realized his sperm was fertile, but then he thwarted her plan to steal it.
Everything had fallen apart, and Lydia was tired of watching her dreams slip away. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She needed to claim her rightful place without Sinclair knowing she hadn't left town.
She first considered killing Ella, but without his heir, Sinclair wouldn't be king. She then considered waiting until the baby was born and killing Ella, but Sinclair's reaction that afternoon suggested he wouldn't take kindly to it.
Finally, she realized there was only one option. Sinclair wouldn't take her back, but he wasn't the only contender for the throne. The Prince had an heir, and though he had a mate, he didn't seem as attached. If Lydia played her cards right, he wouldn't know about her involvement in the princess's death.
Lydia decided to eliminate the Princess. With the Princess gone, the path would be clear for her to take her place. She could tell the Prince about Sinclair's weaknesses and help him win the election. Together, they could rule and lead the united packs into a new era. The Prince's ideology aligned more with Lydia's than Sinclair's. They disagreed on issues like charity and free speech.
The challenge was getting to the Princess, who was always surrounded by guards. However, Lydia remembered how easy it had been to approach Ella in the women's restroom—where male guards couldn't follow.
Lydia searched online for the Princess's upcoming events, discovering she would be the guest of honor at a ribbon cutting for a new primary school in two days. She spent the next day planning how to kill the Princess, deciding a delayed-effect poison would be best. It would be easier to get away with the crime if she wasn't present when the Princess died.
Lydia chose an aerosol toxin, which she could hide in a perfume bottle. The Princess's "Moonkissed" fragrance was widely popular. Lydia had the poison shipped to a random address, intercepted the package, emptied a new bottle of Moonkissed, and replaced it with the toxin. At the ribbon cutting, she "accidentally" bumped into the Princess, causing her bag to spill. She discreetly switched the perfume bottles and left. Within 24 hours, after the Princess used her perfume in the palace, she died instantly. Lydia's plan had worked flawlessly. Now, all that remained was ensuring Sinclair lost the election. Then, her future would be secure.