Chapter 17: Separation

Ella

When Sinclair left, my wolf yearned to climb the highest tower of the Prince's palace and howl into the sky, to call for our mate until our voices were hoarse. Instead, I allowed myself an hour of wallowing—a bubble bath, the saddest song I could find, and tears until I ran dry. Afterward, I pulled myself together, got dressed, even though Sinclair felt further away with each passing minute.

We'd never been this far apart since my wolf awakened, and his absence was keenly felt. As he drove away, his beloved voice echoed in my mind: "I love you, Ella. I love you, Rafe." But it faded with the growing distance between our hearts, eventually silencing completely. Now, our bond could only communicate through dreams; otherwise, we were limited to human technologies: cell phones and emails.

To keep my agitated wolf busy, I began my day meeting Cora and Gabriel in the King's study to plan the political summit Sinclair had suggested. My sister was still half-asleep and sulking because Sinclair had left Roger behind for our protection, but she offered a sympathetic squeeze. "How are you doing?" she murmured, her arms around me.

"Well, I'm out of bed and not crying anymore… so, better than expected," I confessed, burying my face in her neck.

"Tsk, poor thing," Cora replied, rubbing my back. A note of humor entered her voice. "My intrepid wolf sister, brought to her knees by a boy. I never thought I'd see the day." She teased, though it wasn't a fair assessment.

Sometimes I think my sister is blinded by our childhood relationship. While remarkably perceptive about my personality in many ways, other facets escape her. She sees the protector, the martyr who suffered silently and suppressed her pain for years. She doesn't see the love-starved girl who settled for scraps from a scoundrel. In fact, if anyone avoids attachments, it's her.

As I thought this, two new scents entered the room, as if they'd heard my musings.

"If I were you, I wouldn't let Dominic hear you call him a 'boy'," Roger's husky voice made Cora pull away abruptly, a scowl on her face. He and Henry stood in the doorway, though my sister seemed oblivious to my father-in-law, focusing entirely on Roger.

"What are you doing here?" Cora asked rudely.

I pinched her arm; she yelped and pinched me back. "Hey!"

"Play nice," I instructed in a low mutter, though the men could hear us perfectly well.

"Tell him," Cora sniped, crossing her arms and refusing to look at Roger, who grinned like a cat who'd caught a canary.

I shot Roger a withering look, and he had the decency to wipe the smirk from his face. "Alright," Gabriel chuckled, steering us back to the summit. "We've got a lot of work to do and little time."

"What exactly are we expecting?" I asked, trying to recall the details Sinclair had shared between our passionate encounters.

"If all the Alphas attend, we'll have about twenty pack leaders with their mates, betas, and guards," the King explained. "We hold these gatherings twice a year; my staff is well-versed in housing, feeding, and entertaining them—that's not a concern."

This was a relief, but my mind lingered on the refugees sleeping on rough cots near the airfield. "What's the palace's full capacity for shifters?"

"A few hundred—not all with the same level of luxury, of course. Guards and lower-ranked members will share more modest quarters. Alphas will have suites like yours and Dominic's, betas somewhere in between," Gabriel answered thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"I've been thinking about better lodging for the continental refugees. I hate leaving them in such harsh conditions," I frowned. "I wondered if we could house them here, though I know it's a huge imposition."

Gabriel smiled gently. "It wouldn't be, but it might not be best. We could feed and shelter them near their leaders," he acknowledged, nodding. "But in my experience, sudden luxury after losing everything can be cruel. The palace isn't the warmest environment. I suggest finding local families willing to offer guest rooms—a homestay. We could supplement their incomes, and the refugees would be welcomed into real homes and families."

"I like that," I agreed. "It would help them integrate and feel accepted. It would also address any resistance among your pack and would be especially good for the orphans. Perhaps we could place some parents who lost pups with unaccompanied minors."

Henry smiled. "Brilliant. Though you'll have a time convincing Isabel to give them up."

He was right. The she-wolf in charge of the orphans had become a fierce protector and loving guardian. The orphan tent was a sanctuary, and I doubted she'd relinquish her "babies." "I'll talk to her," I vowed. "Besides, she'll ensure the foster families are excellent."

"Ella's right," Cora chimed in, sending me a meaningful glance full of understanding, appreciation, and bitter memory. "You can't be too careful with children. And we could move her and the unplaced pups here in the meantime."

"Agreed," Gabriel nodded. "And your point about public sentiment is well-taken. That will be a challenge with the pack leaders. If Damon continues expelling people, we'll need to expand homestay placements outside the capital. No shifter would begrudge wolves fleeing his violence, but some leaders will worry about the strain on resources. I can think of a few stingy Alphas who'll require significant funding."

"Sinclair has plenty of money to spare, even with the war effort," Henry assured Gabriel. I belatedly realized I knew nothing about my mate's finances. I knew he was a billionaire, but I didn't understand the extent of his wealth or liquidity, especially after fleeing the continent. My father-in-law turned to me. "You two might have to make some hard decisions between winning the war and saving enough to rebuild, but that's a ways off. For now, I can work with you to appropriate funds for the refugees."

"Thank you," I said, squeezing his hand before turning to the King. "And the rest of the summit? What are our biggest concerns?"

"By the time they arrive, most Alphas will have decided whether to offer an alliance. One or two might wait to see how others vote," Gabriel explained. "I can fairly predict who will be for and against you. We need to focus on the latter.

There are four or five Alphas whose minds need changing, and we need to structure the summit events so you can do that, Ella."

I blinked in surprise when he called me out by name. "Me?" I uttered dumbly.

"Who else?" The King laughed.

"But I'm not… they don't even… why? How?" I stammered, feeling uncertain.

"Dominic will have demonstrated his strength and leadership and made the logical arguments," Gabriel answered easily. "Where logic fails, there's emotion. If anyone can soften their hearts, it's you. And how? Just be yourself."

I couldn't believe it. I thought my usefulness to Sinclair was in supporting him, not in politics. "If that's true, why didn't Dominic take me with him? I know he was worried, but if I can actually help…" I trailed off, doubting his explanations for the first time.

"Because we don't want to give them too much time to think about it," Gabriel said slyly. "The logic will weigh on them for weeks, the emotional impact will move them in the moment, but it will likely wear off after a few days. That's why Dominic decided to do it this way. You stay safe here while he plants seeds, then we bring them here—and you make them bloom."

My wolf swelled with pride, but I wondered. "If this was the plan, why didn't he tell me?"

"Because," Henry smiled gently, "you wouldn't have talked to him."

I flushed scarlet. "Right." I owed my mate a big apology.

(Author's Note removed as it contained inappropriate language and self-promotion. Consider revising this section to focus solely on thanking the reader and perhaps mentioning future updates without including links or social media handles.)