Chapter 146 – Press Conference

Ella

Dominic, I’m scared. I confess, speaking through our bond. Convincing him to let me attend the press conference hadn't been easy, especially since I'm technically still on bed rest. My blood pressure was still too high this afternoon, but whether that's due to my condition or the stress of the pack discovering our lies remains to be seen. I’d hoped the preeclampsia was a side effect of my trapped wolf, but what good is that if our lives fall apart the moment she's freed?

“I know, baby,” Sinclair purred, rubbing my back. “But I’ve got you. I’ll take care of you no matter what happens.”

I nuzzled his chest, finding the spot where his scent was strongest and pressing my nose against it. I breathed in his wonderful scent, finding comfort in his presence and powerful embrace. “I know,” I told him, my wolf rising and taking control of my words, “because I have the strongest mate in the whole wide world… so handsome, so powerful, and so caring.”

Sinclair’s warm chuckle filled my head, and for a blissful moment, I forgot my anxieties. He’s like a ray of sunshine on the darkest day, and that feeling only intensifies as our connection deepens. I’m still falling for this man, I realized with surprise.

Despite thinking I couldn’t possibly fall any deeper in love, my heart continues to prove me wrong. Every time I think I’ve reached the bottom, it seems to fall away, revealing new layers of complexity and emotion.

“Silly mate,” Sinclair murmured, and I realized I’d been unintentionally projecting my thoughts again. I blushed, but when I looked up at him, I saw only profound understanding in his rugged features. “Don’t you realize there’s no limit—no end—to this bond? We’re going to keep falling harder and deeper every day, and we have a lifetime to discover all the ways we can adore each other.”

My heart melted, and I squeezed his arm tightly. It probably felt insignificant to him, but I was using all my strength. I wanted him to feel the sheer force of my appreciation, and he didn't disappoint. “I feel it, trouble. Don’t worry,” he said. If an outsider were observing us, they’d probably think we were silly—drunk on our own romance… and maybe we were. But I didn’t care. This is my life, and I wouldn't deny myself this joy—not after everything I’ve been through to reach this point.

The baby fluttered, and his happiness in response to our affection filled me with hope. We can get through this, I decided, drawing strength from my pup and his father. I didn’t even need to explain my thoughts to Sinclair; he’d felt every step of my emotional journey through our bond. This press conference was just another bump in the road. If we could survive rogue attacks and kidnappings, we could survive a few reporters.

I pulled back when Sinclair didn’t respond. I still felt his love, but I couldn’t sense his feelings about the conference. “Dominic?” I asked hesitantly. “Am I wrong? Does he think his campaign can’t recover from this?”

“We’re going to fight,” he told me, implying his doubts without stating them outright. “If they want to take down our campaign, we’re not going to make it easy for them… and no matter what happens, we’ll get through it. I’ll keep you safe, Ella.”

Despite my faith in him, I trembled. If he was anxious enough to hide it, we must be in more trouble than I realized. Hugo walked in, his grave expression increasing my worry. “It’s time.”

A sea of reporters stretched before us, cameras rolling, recorders held high, and pens poised. As far as I knew, no one knew why we’d called this conference, so the tension was palpable, limited only to Sinclair, Hugo, and me. My mate’s arm was around my waist, his hand on my belly as I leaned against him.

“Thank you all for coming,” Sinclair began, nodding to the media. “Ella and I have an announcement and a confession to make. It pains me to say we haven’t been completely honest about Ella’s past. When we met and fell in love, her wolf was dormant.” Muttering erupted, and hands shot into the air. Sinclair continued steadily.

“We’re not sure how it remained suppressed for so long, only that she was surrendered by her parents to a human orphanage in Moon Valley as a baby.” The shock was palpable. I recalled the details he’d shared about the value of shifter children—the neglect such an act represented. “My incredible mate suffered greatly under the abusive system, forming her own pseudo-pack at a young age and constantly sacrificing herself to protect the other children.”

Sinclair paused to kiss my temple, unable to speak of my childhood traumas without showing affection. For the first time, I felt his wolf’s fury and vicarious pain, and I was astonished by the intensity of his feelings. I nuzzled his shoulder, earning another kiss. The press seemed too stunned to react, but a few appreciative murmurs reached my ears.

“Ella has always been an Alpha female without realizing it, and when we met, her wolf finally began to emerge. Until recently, we believed waking her wolf would harm our baby, so we waited until after our son’s arrival.” Sinclair’s voice was deeper than I’d ever heard it. I knew what was coming and hoped it would work. “I’ve been greatly concerned about Ella’s safety throughout this campaign—and with good reason. My brave Luna has survived multiple attacks orchestrated by the opposition, becoming a target after the news of her pregnancy was released.” Every hand was now raised. Sinclair had to raise his voice to be heard over the volley of questions. “Most recently, the rogue attack on the city was orchestrated by Prince Damon. It began as an attempt to make me look weak and was later used as a distraction to kidnap Ella. The Prince prematurely announced the all-clear to lure Ella out of hiding, then intercepted her, killing all but one of her guards.”

Every reporter shouted, but Sinclair growled with Alpha authority, and they quickly quieted. “I will answer questions after my statement,” he said. “The Prince attempted to force me to end my campaign in exchange for my mate, but he underestimated Ella. She escaped, finding herself alone and unprotected in the mountains north of the valley, with no way to reach me. When I found her, she was frostbitten and near death, having waited until the last moment to save herself by waking her wolf. She took a sacred herb provided by pack elders just before I arrived, and went through her first shift, thinking we’d lost our son.

Fortunately, our pup is safe and sound, growing stronger in his mother’s womb.”

“My public silence since the rogue attack was due to my mate’s kidnapping, then getting her through the shift, and finally claiming her as we’ve both dreamed of for so long. I realize this is shocking, and I apologize for my dishonesty. I assure you I would never have lied if I had a choice.

These last months have been incredibly difficult, and though we are overjoyed to be bonded mates, we couldn’t in good conscience continue to let you believe a lie that was no longer necessary, or remain in the dark about the kind of ruler Prince Damon would be.”

He gazed at the stunned audience with the air of a predator, and I fought back a smile. “I’m pleased to report we have proof of his crimes. So, my question for you is: would you like to move on to questions—or would you like to see the evidence against him?”