Chapter 155 – The Vanaran Capital

Ella

When I walked into breakfast the next morning, I had to hide my wince as I sat down. My bottom was sore and stung when it met the chair, but the pain also sent a pulse of heat through my body, bringing back memories of what followed.

I felt my mate's eyes on me, and when I looked up, Sinclair was watching me with a knowing smirk. He looked so wolfish that I wondered how I ever thought he was anything but a ruthless predator. "Is there a problem?" he asked in my head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I sniffed, turning up my nose.

This earned only a smug chuckle. "Well, you two certainly found each other," the king observed warmly. "You'd think there was no one else in the room."

A spark of inspiration struck. "Oh, Your Majesty," I exclaimed, "when did you arrive?" The entire table laughed, and Sinclair slid his hand onto my thigh, sending shivers of affection through our bond.

"Please call me Gabriel, Ella. There are no formalities in my household," the king replied, smiling widely. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Very well," I answered happily. The steady pressure of Sinclair's hand shifted as his fingers began tracing circles on my inner thigh.

As we continued making small talk, he moved his hands higher, slipping them up my skirt between my legs. No one would have guessed from looking at him, but he could barely suppress a hungry growl when he realized I wasn't wearing panties. "Going commando, you bad girl?" he murmured.

"I didn't intend to," I stammered. "When I tried putting on my panties, the fabric irritated my skin." I felt my skin heating with excitement and embarrassment, shocked by my own daring. I couldn't believe he was touching me like this with so many people around.

"Oh, come on," Sinclair teased, circling my clitoris. "You can do better than that."

My heart pounded. Surely Sinclair wasn't going to continue this teasing! Before I could reply, the king spoke, pulling our attention away. "I do hope you'll join our tour of the city today, now that you're off bed rest."

"I can't wait," I replied honestly. I'd been jealous when he offered the tour, assuming I wouldn't be able to join. Now, I was thrilled. After everything we'd been through, some normalcy would be welcome—even for a day.

"You'll have to take notes of your favorite things to tell me about them later," he said. I blinked in surprise.

"You mean you aren't coming?" I clarified; my wolf whined with unhappiness. He sent back a silent purr, and I lashed out at the comforting sound.

"I wish I could, sweetheart," Sinclair frowned. "But I have too much work to do. The news last night… things are even worse than I feared."

"I know everything is terrible, Dominic. I was just excited to spend the day with you," I replied, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. "When was the last time we got to be out together without the campaign looming over us? Have we ever?"

Sinclair's wolf groaned in my head. "Don't give me that look, baby. I can't stand it." His hand retreated from my intimate flesh to rest on my thigh. "Every minute counts. Every second wasted is another moment the people in the United Pack suffer. Mere minutes could mean life or death for countless others."

"But you can't help them if you burn out, Dominic," I argued, recalling the wave of appreciation he'd sent me last night before we fell asleep. I was embracing my duty to help my mate decompress and find ways to feel in control amidst the chaos.

"Your mate is right, Dorn," Gabriel echoed. "You've all been through too much. You need a breather to come back stronger."

Sinclair looked displeased. His face closed off, and I felt his stubborn wolf digging in its heels. "I appreciate what you're both saying, and I acknowledge some truth in it. But disconnecting is a privilege the Moon Valley wolves simply don't have right now, and I couldn't forgive myself if I did when they need me most."

"Son, you should listen to your mate," Henry sighed. "At this rate, you'll run yourself into the ground before the week is out."

Sinclair frowned deeper, his hands clenching into fists. "I appreciate your concern, but—"

"If you appreciate our concern, then listen, Dorn," Roger interjected.

I felt his frustration rising, and the more it built, the more uneasy I became. Sinclair slammed his fist on the table, opened and closed his mouth, then pushed away and stormed out without a word. I knew he was leaving to avoid lashing out, but I followed him anyway.

"Ella, let him go," Hugo advised. "He needs to work through this alone."

I paused in the doorway, looking back at my father-in-law. "I have to," I shrugged, before stalking after my mate.

I found him in our suite, pacing, his breath heavy. I suspected he wanted to shift—to go to our forest sanctuary to satisfy his inner animal. He looked up when I entered. "You don't want to be around me right now, little wolf."

"Yes, I do," I replied, swaying my hips as I glided forward. "I always want to be around you."

"This isn't a game, Ella," Sinclair growled. "I'm this close to losing it," he said, holding his finger and thumb an imperceptible distance apart.

"So lose it," I ordered. "How many times have I lost it around you?"

"That's different," my mate grumbled. "You losing it isn't a threat to me."

"You won't hurt me," I said confidently, moving closer even as he scowled. "I feel your love for me too strongly. I'm not made of glass."

Sinclair huffed. "I know that, but—"

"Lose it," I pressed. "Tell me what you're thinking."

I saw it the moment he snapped. He snarled and glared as the words were wrenched from his lips. "I'm thinking it's easy for Gabriel, my father, and brother to tell me what to do when they aren't responsible for a pack in crisis. I'm thinking you shouldn't be worrying about me, and the fact that you are means I'm failing you! I hate that I can't spend time with you when we're so newly mated, that I'm missing out on seeing you create a miracle." He gestured to my midsection.

Sinclair continued to vent, his voice growing louder. "I hate everything that led us here. I hate having to sit by and do nothing because war takes time. I'm thinking I should have stayed and fought, even if there was no chance of winning. I'm thinking I'm a traitor for abandoning my people." He paused, looking so feral I felt a little afraid. "And I'm thinking that if Damon were in front of me now, I would rip off his manhood, then his fingers and toes one at a time. I'd keep going until he was a headless torso, but I'd keep him alive to maximize his suffering."

He threw the last words out in a fit of rage, then glowered at me, heaving ragged breaths. His heartbeat pounded, and I felt his wolf's erratic energy, his worry about frightening me. At the same time, I felt the tension draining from him. He watched me closely, waiting for a response, and I slowly approached him. "Feel better?" I asked, knowing how cathartic it could be to shout your grievances.

Sinclair shook his head and offered an exasperated laugh. "Yes, you impossible thing," he confessed, running a hand through his hair. His entire mood transformed. "I do. Are you happy?"

"I'm happy if you're happy," I murmured, wrapping my arms around him. "You aren't failing me. But if you don't give yourself a break, you'll end up failing the very people you're fighting for." I added, "Besides, are you really going to let your breeding mate wander around a strange city without you? Who knows what terrible things might happen to me?"

Sinclair chuckled and claimed my lips. "Alright, trouble, you win—just this once."