Ella clutched her belly in shock, whirling around to locate Sinclair. He leaned in the doorway of their bedroom, his powerful arms crossed over his chest. Sinclair's glowing green eyes pierced her, a foreboding expression on his handsome face as he waited for her answer.

"Nowhere," she squeaked, too surprised to think clearly.

Sinclair rumbled wordlessly and prowled forward, catching her nape in his strong hand. "You told me you were coming back here after dinner, but you were clearly somewhere else, trouble. The question is whether you meant to come back and got sidetracked, or if you lied to me?"

He tilted her head back, forcing her to look up at him. Though he wore his most intimidating expression, her inner wolf swooned. It flopped onto its back and rubbed against the ground, attempting to entice its mate. Ella could feel Sinclair's wolf fighting the urge to give in, reasserting its disapproval through their bond. The massive creature towered above her wolf in their minds' eye, its canine features hungry, fierce, and utterly irresistible.

Sinclair's free hand traveled across her waist and settled over her navel. The baby kicked in excitement, sharing the elated emotions and silliness it had been feeling through their bond when Ella had been scheming with Roger. For a split second, Ella thought Sinclair might be fighting a smile. "Have you been making mischief, little wolf?"

"Of course not," she promised, sliding her arms around his neck and rising onto her tiptoes for a kiss. "I wouldn't even know how."

Sinclair chuckled darkly, claiming her lips for an extended kiss that sparked fire in her veins. "Don't make me ask Philippe where you've been, little wolf," he warned when they parted. "It will only make things worse."

"I just went to see Roger," she shrugged, batting her lashes and trying to look innocent. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Thank you. But you didn't answer my question, Ella," Sinclair responded, running his palm over the curve of her bottom and squeezing, hitching her closer.

She gnawed on her lower lip. "Well, I was planning on coming straight here after I stopped to talk to him."

"Uh-huh," Sinclair rumbled, dropping his head to the curve of her neck and brushing his fangs back and forth over her mating mark. He paused to nibble the special spot, turning her insides to liquid. "And what business did you have with Roger that was so important that you felt it warranted lying to your mate?"

"It wasn't really a lie," she insisted, earning herself a scolding growl. She gave him a beseeching look as he raised his head again, already knowing she was fighting a losing battle. "Just an omission." Sinclair arched a devastatingly dubious brow, and she sighed. "Fine, we wanted to make Kieran pay for being such a jerk to Cora. It was our fight—not yours."

For the first time, Sinclair looked genuinely wary. "Ella, what did you do?"

Staring at her baby bump—which now completely obscured her feet—she told him the details of their plan, wondering just how angry he was going to be. When she finished explaining the plot, she peeked up at him from beneath her lashes, only to find him beaming down at her. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and, feeling emboldened, she offered him a shy smile.

"You are the sweetest, most diabolical little imp I've ever met," Sinclair announced, laughing heartily. "He's going to lose his goddess-damned mind."

Now she couldn't hold back a grin. "It's good, isn't it?"

"It's brilliant, but you're still a very bad girl for going behind my back," he said, his tone pure affection. "I was worried when you weren't here, and besides, your fights are my fights too now. That's how this works."

She nodded. "I'm sorry, I should have told you."

"Yes, you should have," he confirmed, scooping her up into his arms. "And we'll talk more about that later, but for now, I'm more concerned about the power you tapped into earlier."

"You mean the glowing?" she guessed, not really wanting to discuss this when they were finally alone and his kisses had left her feeling more than a little hot and bothered. "Wouldn't you rather do something else?" She leaned forward to kiss her way up his jaw, catching his earlobe between her teeth and nipping lightly. "Something that doesn't require any talking at all?"

Sinclair growled with longing, but he held firm. "We have plenty of time for that, trouble," he answered, settling on the couch with her in his lap. "This is too important to put off. I've never seen anything like it." He caressed her belly.

"Do you think everyone noticed?" she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I mean, it only happened for a second, right?"

Sinclair chuckled, cuddling her closer. "Yes, baby, I'm afraid they would have had to be blind not to," he explained. "It wasn't just glowing. When you spoke, it was like I don't know, the only thing I can compare it to is casting a spell."

"What do you mean?" she inquired, not sure she liked the sound of this.

"I mean you captivated the entire room so completely that we all forgot everything else. When you spoke, nothing else existed. Now," he flashed a sultry smile, "that might be business as usual for me, but it isn't for other wolves—especially not Alphas of this caliber. Your words weren't just persuasive; it felt as if you were rewriting my personal thoughts. That feeling faded as soon as you calmed down, but it was well, astonishing doesn't seem a strong enough word."

"But how could I do something like that, without even realizing I was doing it?" she frowned, feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

Sinclair thought for a moment. "Your wolf was bound for so long that you never got a chance to learn how to control your power like most shifters do. And when we met and she started to come out, it was a little like this too, remember?" He prompted, kissing her hair. "We kept seeing flashes of your true nature—flashes of the alpha spirit inside you. The power would flare up and recede so quickly it was easy to mistake it for the baby."

"And you think the same thing is happening now that my wolf is free? The power is there somewhere, but I don't know how to use it, so it's just bursting out when my emotions get high?" she clarified, unsure how she felt about this at all.

"That would be my guess," Sinclair confirmed.

"But where is it coming from? I've never heard of wolves casting spells or anything like what you're describing. Not that I'm an expert, but still," she rambled, feeling more confused by the minute.

Sinclair began to purr, obviously sensing her unease. "But you're not just any wolf, Ella. The Goddess's bloodline runs in your veins. We may not know how much of herself she gave to you, or what kind of magics that power imparts—but I have to think that's the reason this is happening."

She clamped her eyes shut. She'd been afraid he'd say that. "Do you think it will hurt us with the other Alphas—like they might feel tricked or manipulated?" she wondered aloud.

"On the contrary, I think it will help us. It's one thing to reject me—and another entirely to reject the Goddess's own daughter," he reasoned. "Even so, we need to find out what else you're capable of—we need to learn about your power and find you a teacher to help you control it." Sinclair declared, "As soon as the summit concludes, we can restart your hypnosis sessions—and this time I'll be by your side."

"But Dominic we don't have any idea what other memories I might have suppressed, or if there are any at all," she objected, staring at her lap. She'd been waiting for the right time to bring this up, and it seemed fate had given her the perfect opportunity—through necessity if not grace. "The only way hypnosis is going to answer these questions is if those priests or the Goddess herself came back and taught me about my power—and they certainly can't have trained me because my wolf was bound before my magic even manifested."

"Well, we won't know unless we try," Sinclair sighed, brushing her hair back from her face. "If hypnosis doesn't hold any more answers, we'll find another way. But I promise we'll figure this out, sweetheart."

Taking a deep breath, she sat up, moving to straddle his lap. Sinclair's big hands settled on her hips as he waited for her to work up her courage. When she finally did, she said, "I think there may be another option—but you aren't going to like it," she revealed, watching him closely. "Dominic, I think I have to find my mother."