The stranger resembles Sinclair, and the word "brother" piqued my interest. If they're siblings, why was Sinclair glaring at him? They seemed utterly unfriendly.

"This is Ella," Sinclair announced, sliding his arm around my waist. "My future mate, and the mother of my pup."

"Our pup," I blurted out before I could stop myself. I'm not sure why I said it, but Sinclair's possessive declaration—as if the pup belonged solely to him—triggered my maternal instincts. I even growled slightly, staking my claim, which made Sinclair's lips quirk with amusement.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" the man scoffed. "I've never seen or heard of you before. I had no idea my brother was expecting, and he hasn't even marked you." He was right. Sinclair had mentioned scent marking me before the campaign dinner—whatever that meant—but hadn't done it yet. Luckily, the pup's presence made me smell strongly of wolf, but this man clearly wasn't fooled by our pretense. "Let me guess," he sneered, "he just picked you up off the street because you make a pretty womb?"

A low rumble vibrated against my side as Sinclair's wolf growled. I flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't the truth, but it was close enough to make me want to hide behind Sinclair's strength and dominance. Where did that come from? the little voice in my head asked. You've never hidden from a problem or backed down from a challenge in your life. That was true, but then again, I'd never had anyone to hide behind before.

The man continued, mocking my naiveté in expecting Sinclair to honor my role as our baby's mother. "And you actually think he'll keep you around once you've given birth? Clearly, brains and beauty don't go hand in hand."

"Clearly, ugliness and cynicism do," I retorted, feeling bolstered by Sinclair's steady presence. "If you ask me, your ignorance about me says more about your low status than my own. You're obviously not important enough to warrant the Alpha's time."

Sinclair chuckled darkly, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "She has a point, Roger."

Roger, the man's name, glared at his brother before offering me a look that almost seemed pitying. "Mark my words, he'll discard you at the first opportunity."

I lifted my chin. "You underestimate me, and Dominic," I announced, feeling a thrum of excitement at using his given name for the first time. I think it was actually coming from the baby, as if I could feel Sinclair's pleasure through our connection. "He has more honor in his little finger than you have in your entire body. That much is obvious, and I've only just met you."

Roger opened his mouth to retort, but Sinclair stopped him. "Roger, give it a rest. Show some respect to your future Luna."

"Really, Dominic, you're going to keep up this charade?" he countered fiercely. "How did you even manage this? Aren't you sterile? How do you know the child she's carrying is even yours?"

In a flash, Roger was suspended in the air, Sinclair's hand circling his throat. He squirmed and tugged at Sinclair's white-knuckled fingers, but I didn't think he was truly afraid because he shot me a triumphant smirk. "More honorable, huh?" Roger quipped. "You certainly have an interesting definition."

"Do not speak about my pup that way," Sinclair snarled. "I know it's mine because we are already bonded, and I will be bonded to Ella after our formal mating ceremony. If anyone needs a manners lesson, it's you."

Roger shrugged. "What do you expect? We never had a mother." He shot another scathing look in my direction. "It's a shame your pup won't either. You could at least have the dignity to be honest with her."

Before I knew it, Sinclair had dropped him. "Get out, before I really lose my temper."

Roger scrambled to his feet and called to the blonde woman who had fought me over the blue dress. "Come on, Sasha, we're leaving." Before they left, however, Roger offered his brother one final scowl. "You miscalculated badly today, brother. What do you think the Alpha council is going to say when they find out you attacked your own family in broad daylight—over nothing more than a few honest words? The council wants a stable king, not a loose cannon. Clearly, that pup hasn't done a damn thing to even you out. Just you wait, your campaign will be over by the end of tomorrow's dinner."

Part of me wanted to run after Roger and kick him. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I didn't blame Sinclair, either. I didn't think his aggression stemmed from being unmated; I think it was because he felt so protective of his pup, and by extension, me. Besides, his brother had to know how sensitive his fertility struggles were. How cruel could a person be to bring that up?

"I'm sorry about that, Ella," Sinclair said, his attention already back on me. "I shouldn't have lost control."

"If I'd been strong enough to attack him, I would have," I confessed, leaning into his warmth. His energy was still agitated, and my instincts drove me to comfort him as he had comforted me. "What did you mean about a mating ceremony?"

"Oh," he said, brushing the topic aside. "That's just for show during the election. I don't expect you to actually go through with it. It's simply a way of explaining to people why you don't bear my mark."

"Oh," I murmured. Why did that disappoint me so much? I knew Sinclair was handsome, but we were different species, and he was completely controlling. I couldn't truly be attracted to him—could I?

Even as I thought it, I breathed in his scent and felt heat pool low in my belly. Snap out of it! I scolded myself. That's just the baby, wanting to be near its father. It's just another wolfy mindlink thing... isn't it?

I looked up to make sure he wasn't watching me struggle, and for once, his attention was far away. My relief immediately gave way to sympathy as I saw his distant expression. "Don't be offended—but your brother is an asshole," I said gently.

Sinclair looked down at me, his grim features softening into a smile. "You can say that again."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, curious but not wanting to pry.

"Oh," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Roger and I... we're very different people—as you saw. We've never gotten along."

"Why not?" I asked.

Sinclair's face darkened, and I worried I'd pushed too far, but he surprised me. "I took his mother away from him. She died protecting me, and he's never forgiven me. There were already bad feelings between us—he's older, but I was always stronger. It was clear from a young age that I, and not he, would be my father's heir. So there was always jealousy and competition—then Mom sacrificed herself for me, and that was it."

"I'm so sorry," I said, instinctively hugging him. I could tell he was surprised; I don't think many people hug the future king, but I'm not a wolf, and all I saw was a man in need of affection. His arms came around me, and his voice purred in my ear. "You really are full of surprises, you know that?"

"What's so surprising?" I asked against his chest, using the excuse to breathe in his scent again. "You hugged me when I needed it—why shouldn't I return the favor?"

"I'm just used to taking care of others, that's all," he said. "And I don't know anyone brave enough to touch me without permission."

"And here I thought wolves were supposed to be tough and brave," I joked, pressing my nose to his neck. "They sound like a pack of scaredy-cats to me."

Sinclair laughed, sounding like a completely different man than the haunted creature he'd been a moment ago. "You know, if you keep this up, I'm not going to be able to wait until tomorrow to scent mark you."