Chapter 206 – Panic

Ella

I stared at the black phone screen, shocked and confused, fighting back tears. One moment, Sinclair was talking to me, everything seemingly normal; the next, a terrible boom and blinding light. Then the line went dead. It didn't sound like a car crash—it was more like an explosion.

Perhaps it was just a dropped call, static interference, or a radio blaring nearby. My wolf urged me to call him back, even as I frantically tried. But the line didn't even ring; only an error tone and a recorded message stating the call couldn't be completed.

I untangled myself from the sleeping pups, waking a few. I was too alarmed to apologize. My heart pounded, my breath hitched. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. It was just a phone problem, I desperately hoped, stumbling from the blanket fort, gasping for air. Isabel looked over as a rudely awakened pup cried, her attention snapping to me.

"Ella, what is it?" she asked, glancing between me and the pups. "Is it the baby? Are you sick?"

"I… I can't breathe," I wheezed, pressing my hands to my chest.

Isabel tried to guide me to a chair, but I pushed her away, gasping. "Get the King," I begged. "Henry… get everyone." The room spun, and I grabbed Isabel for support, fearing I'd collapse. Isabel shouted an order to a guard, who ran off.

"Calm down, Ella," Isabel said sternly, pushing me into a chair and forcing my head between my knees. "You're having a panic attack." Despite her stern tone, her hands rubbed my back warmly.

I shook my head violently. "No… you don't understand," I hissed, gasping for air. "It's Dominic… I think… I think something happened."

She stilled. "What do you feel?"

"Nothing," I replied hurriedly, trying to sense him through our bond, though he was too far away. "I mean, nothing different." Tears streamed down my face, my voice trembling. "We were on the phone, then a huge boom and flash of light… like an explosion. The call dropped, and I can't reach him. The line is dead."

Isabel exhaled, a breath I hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That could be nothing. When my mate died, I felt like my soul had been ripped out and torn to pieces."

"Were you together when it happened?" I asked urgently. "Were you fated?"

"We were together," Isabel admitted reluctantly, as if recalling painful memories. "I saw it happen. Yes, we were fated."

"I'm sorry," I hiccuped. "I didn't mean… I'm just trying to understand."

"It's okay," Isabel replied, though her shoulders were tense. "I understand."

A few minutes later, Gabriel rushed in, followed by Roger. "Ella, what's wrong?"

I was still gasping, my tears intensifying. Isabel explained. Both men tensed, their faces grave. "I'll call the doctor for something to calm you," Gabriel said. "And I'll deploy a drone over the road they were traveling, and contact the Storm Forest Alpha to check for reports of crashes or explosions."

"I don't want the doctor," I argued, standing and wrapping my arms around my middle. "I won't do anything until I know if Dominic is alright." The baby fluttered and kicked, and I felt a rush of sadness and confusion through our bond. I hated causing him distress, but didn't know how to stop it. I tried sending waves of calm, expressing my love and protection, but it didn't help.

Finally, I took a step I'd never taken before: I completely cut him off from my feelings. This had been impossible under hypnosis, and other times I'd shielded him, I'd been able to filter positive emotions. But now, I was too overwhelmed to regulate anything, so it had to be all or nothing.

I regretted it instantly. The moment Rafe stopped sensing me, he panicked. Stress and fear unlike anything I'd ever felt from him overwhelmed me. I immediately dropped the shield. "It's okay," I said aloud, stroking my belly. "I'm here. I'm here, angel. I'm sorry."

The baby calmed immediately, and I felt his first pulse of anger, as if demanding to know where I'd gone. "I'm sorry, I love you so much. I'm here," I repeated.

The experience made the loss of my parents feel more profound. I was too young to remember, but I must have felt this—only it was permanent, not a terrifying flash. I was acutely aware of the children in the nursery, old enough to remember the pain and fear of sudden, brutal isolation, their bonds severed. The thought weakened my knees.

Gabriel and Roger still watched with concern; Isabel's expression showed understanding. She nodded grimly, sliding an arm around my waist. "If you don't let her come with you, she'll only get worse."

I wanted to hug her, but Gabriel and Roger exchanged a wary glance before agreeing. "Fine, but I'm putting the doctor on call."

"I'll get Dad," Roger announced, leaving for the palace.

An hour later, I was doing breathing exercises while watching Gabriel's drone soar over the unfamiliar landscape. Normally, I'd be fascinated, but now I could only wring my hands and pray. The search seemed endless, my nerves fraying. Finally, specks appeared in the distance—the salt flats Sinclair had shown me. The specks grew larger… and then we saw flames.

Silence descended as the cars came into view—or what was left of them. Mangled, charred husks of metal lay in a blasted crater. "No," I gasped, counting them, searching for a sign of escape. The drone flew lower. When I saw a burnt arm hanging from a shattered window, I closed my eyes, rocking back and forth, refusing to witness the horror.

Pounding footsteps announced Roger's departure. I looked to Henry for reassurance, but barely recognized him. His face was pale, his usual strength gone. He looked utterly devastated. Gabriel stood before the screen, fists clenched, tears in his eyes. They all believed it. They thought he was gone.

"No," I insisted. "No, he might have escaped. He's not…" I couldn't say the word. It was too terrible.

"I'm so sorry, Ella," Gabriel said, his voice rough. "I don't want to believe it, but I'm afraid he's gone."

"No!" I cried, shaking my head. "Why are you saying that? He can't be gone! Do you have any idea what he's survived? He's not dead!" I spun, searching for agreement, finding none. I planted my feet. "I won't lose him, I can't!"

Before I could speak again, a searing pain ripped through my belly. I doubled over, clutching my stomach, black spots blurring my vision. Then, silence.