Chapter 150: Flight—Ella

"Ella, Ella, wake up!" Sinclair's urgent voice shattered my dreams as the ground—or rather, my body—began to tremble. My mate was shaking me awake.

His handsome face hovered above mine, his eyes glowing as his hand rested on my shoulder. "Come on, baby, we've got to go."

"I—what? What do you mean?" I mumbled groggily.

"We're under attack," Sinclair explained, pulling me upright. "There's no time to pack. Just get dressed."

"But I don't understand," I protested, my mind struggling to catch up. "Under attack? By whom?"

We had gone to bed overjoyed by our press conference victory, believing our troubles were finally over. We had made love, and I'd drifted off to sleep to the blissful sound of Sinclair's contented purrs. What he was saying now made no sense.

"The Royal Army," he said. "I promise I'll explain everything later, but right now, just do as I say."

He dashed to the closet, returning with my warmest sweater, fleece-lined leggings, coat, and boots. Clearly sensing my shock and drowsiness, he dressed me with cool efficiency, pausing only to retrieve thick wool socks from the dresser before lacing up my boots.

While he dressed himself, I sat on the bed in a daze, belatedly realizing he'd forgotten my underwear. I opened my mouth to mention it, but he scooped me into his arms. "We'll buy you some once we're safe, trouble," he promised, then swept me from the room.

He carried me to the mansion's basement, where guards stood watch. Hugo ran toward us just as we reached an evacuation tunnel I'd never known existed.

"I've contacted Roger and your father. They'll meet us there."

"Where's 'there'?" I asked anxiously, my wolf reaching out to Sinclair's to gauge his feelings. He was blocking his emotions again, this time completely shutting me out; I felt as though I was reaching into an empty void.

"We're leaving the continent," Sinclair said tightly.

"Leaving the continent?" I repeated, stunned. The idea was unfathomable. I'd never left the continent, and the thought of Sinclair abandoning his pack was incomprehensible. If the situation was dire enough to force us from Moon Valley, why not simply go to another territory, a neighboring pack?

"Things are bad, baby," Sinclair murmured, his pace quickening as we jogged through the tunnel.

The tunnel opened into a darkened garage, where we piled into jeeps reinforced to resemble army tanks. As we sped from the city, Sinclair constantly communicated with his men, planning our route and making preparations.

Only after the logistics were finalized did he turn to me. He pulled me onto his lap, concern etched on his face, and I rested my head against his shoulder. He took a deep breath and finally explained:

"The Prince has seized control of the united packs, Ella. The King is dead, the Alpha Council is dead. It seems our challenge and the threat to his position pushed him over the edge. He's deployed the Royal Army to secure Moon Valley and likely sent assassins to eliminate the betas of other packs, preventing them from forming a shadow council. By tomorrow, he'll control all the pack armies."

"Oh, my God," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. This was everything we'd feared—and worse. All the shifters and humans in the Valley would—

"Wait!" I exclaimed frantically. "Cora! We have to take her with us!"

"Roger and Dad are picking her up on their way out of the city," Sinclair reassured me gently, purring to soothe my distress. "She'll be okay, and she'll be with us soon."

I felt such gratitude for my mate that I wanted to kiss him, but he held me too tightly. Instead, I kissed his neck and thanked him profusely as he cuddled me.

Once my gratitude subsided, I turned my thoughts to the future. "Dominic, what are we going to do?"

"We're going west, to the hidden territories," Sinclair answered decisively. "I have allies there. The Prince will be too preoccupied suppressing unrest from his coup to spare forces to pursue us."

"Where are the hidden territories?" I asked, trying to visualize them on a human map.

"Between here and the Veran continent," Sinclair replied, leaving me utterly confused.

"But there's nothing between here and Vera," I reminded him. "Only the ocean."

"That's why they're hidden, trouble," Sinclair explained, kissing my forehead. "The lands were previously uninhabited and settled by wolves who tired of concealing their true natures. They wanted to live away from humans, so they formed a shifter-only federation. Shifters have always had more advanced technology, so this happened before humans explored the world extensively. And when they did, the wolves ensured the continent remained undiscovered."

"But now we have satellites and airplanes," I pointed out, struggling to comprehend. Then again, I'd lived among shifters my whole life without knowing they existed, so perhaps this wasn't so outlandish.

"Yes, but we have shielding technology that makes the territories undetectable. The shields project whatever images one would expect to see, so from above it simply looks like more water," Sinclair explained, rubbing my belly, causing Rafe to kick.

I accepted this explanation, having witnessed shifter technological prowess firsthand. But some questions remained. "And what about boats? If the captain only sees open ocean, why don't humans sail into them?"

"The shields project the image of a massive storm to deter sailors. And if they get too close, their equipment malfunctions," Sinclair explained, visibly relaxing as we moved farther from Moon Valley. His hands, no longer rigidly clutching me, began exploring my body—perhaps another comfort mechanism, ensuring my safety.

"That's the origin of the human legends about the Dark Triangle," he added.

My jaw dropped. Every child knew the tales of that mysterious ocean point where ships and aircraft vanished.

"You mean we're going there? To the Dark Triangle?" I exclaimed, my distress momentarily forgotten in astonishment.

Sinclair's lips curved into a smile. "If I'd known that would ease your mind, I'd have started with that. Yes, sweet mate, we're going to the Dark Triangle—though the inhabitants might be offended by that name. We'll land in a territory called Vanara. It will be different from home, but it will be safe."

"Iare we—" I blurted out my question. "Is this forever?"

"No," Sinclair replied firmly. "Once we arrive, I'll rally the federation's Alphas against the Prince. I'll gather whatever support I can, and use my spies to raise a citizen army—a rebellion. When the time is right, we'll return." He paused, regret clouding his eyes. "At least, I will."

"You meanalone?" I asked, aghast.

"Yes," he sighed, finally opening the floodgates of his emotion, revealing his hatred of this prospect. "Because when I go back, I'll be going to war."