Sinclair
What began as a regular dinner party quickly evolved into a marathon war-planning session, extending late into the night. I summoned James and my top enforcers as soon as the alliance was confirmed, because even though we’d just won a major victory, the hardest work lay ahead. In addition to coordinating Kieran’s double-agent mission, we had countless logistical details to sort out: mobilizing combat forces and choosing tactical strategies.
In hindsight, I realize I should have familiarized the delegations with the military minutiae from the start, but I hadn't wanted to risk compromising classified information before confirming their loyalties. Now I'm paying the price for that caution; we have much ground to cover just to bring everyone up to speed. Still, I'm elated to have the combined armies of the Vanaran packs at our disposal. Coupled with the resistance forces coalescing at home, our numbers should now more than double Damon's imperial army—and that's not counting the Vanaran technologies we'll be able to utilize.
Everything is finally falling into place, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impatient to launch our first real attack. Ella, however, is helping me remain patient; my wolf refuses to be separated from her until our planned time. That's fortunate, because I know rushing home in a rage is a recipe for disaster. We must put ourselves in our opponents' shoes; we need to get inside Damon's mind, anticipate his every move, and account for every potential complication, developing protocols for every contingency.
Ella was barely awake when we finally finished discussing our next steps. I tried to convince her to go to bed an hour earlier, but she simply climbed into my lap and dug in her metaphorical paws. I couldn't bring myself to move her, figuring she'd sleep better with me than without. I'm not even sure she realized when we finally called it a night.
I carried the drowsy bundle to our suite, my chest aching with tenderness every time she murmured sleepily and snuggled closer, burying her face in my neck. I tried to undress Ella without disturbing her slumber, but it was no use. She blinked up at me with heavy-lidded eyes as I slid her dress down over her hips, one small hand reaching for my face. I paused so she could stroke my jaw, wondering if I'd ever had a sweeter mate—then deciding such a thing was impossible.
"I'm so proud of you," she murmured, her speech slightly slurred. "You were brilliant tonight, Dominic."
"You were the brilliant one," I replied, kissing her palm and finally removing her gown. "You played Kieran like a fiddle, and you had every other wolf in that room hanging on your every word."
"I just lured them in; you're the one they chose to follow," she replied, smiling serenely. "All those big, tough wolves deferring to your strength, anxiously awaiting your directions and guidance, even above their own king's? That's significant, my love." Her silken voice was low and husky, her gold eyes limpid pools. I knew, even without scenting her arousal, that my little wolf found the experience exhilarating.
"Oh?" I crooned, slipping her heels from her swollen feet. I began massaging her soles, and Ella moaned in relief as my knuckles kneaded her sore muscles. "So my little troublemaker enjoyed seeing me boss everyone around, hmm?"
She flushed and giggled softly, but her face was serious when she continued. "I'm serious. It's a testament to how much they respect you—we couldn't ask for higher praise." Ella smiled again, illuminating my world. "It's why you deserve to be king… wherever you go, the most powerful shifters bend the knee of their own free will. You don't use threats or intimidation; you simply lead by example, and they fall in line." She mused, "It's very impressive."
I knew Ella's admiration was genuine—that she wanted to ensure I received credit for this accomplishment—but I was feeling too triumphant for thoughtful reflection. My wolf wanted to celebrate, and what better way than to play with our mate?
"So it didn't turn you on?" I teased, sliding my hand up her velvety thigh and pulling aside the damp gusset of her panties. Ella shuddered as my fingers found her waiting sex, sinking into her slick folds. "This sweet pussy is certainly dripping—do you mean to tell me it's not for me?"
"It's always for you," Ella answered breathlessly, her voice catching when my thumb found her sensitive clitoris. "Only you can do this to me, Dominic." I might have thought she was simply changing the subject to please me, except I could feel how profoundly my touch affected her thoughts, derailing whatever she might have said next.
I purred with barely contained pleasure, my cock hardening before Ella finished speaking. "Very good," I praised, removing the last of her undergarments. Her eyes dropped to the hard member between my legs, and my wolf howled through our bond when she licked her lips as if the mere sight had made her salivate. I lazily petted her most intimate flesh, savoring every sound and movement as the feelings washed over her.
Ella was fully alert now, but I stopped touching her when her eyes fluttered shut. "Are you sure you're not too tired for this, little mate?" I asked, my eyes narrowed with concern. "We can just go to sleep if you are."
Her eyes snapped open. "No, I'm awake," she answered, so quickly I had to suppress a smile.
I maintained my stern expression, and Ella's pupils dilated with desire. "Prove it, baby," I instructed, deepening my voice. "Don't take your eyes off me for even a moment. If you do, everything stops. I want to see you come undone for me."
She gulped and nodded, gnawing on her lower lip as she waited for me to resume stroking her. I didn't disappoint, and soon the only sounds in the room were Ella's ecstatic whimpers and my rumbling satisfaction.
The next morning, we both found it hard to believe the summit had concluded successfully before the scheduled events were even complete. Of course, Ella didn't know tonight's ball would double as our surprise mating ceremony, and though my mind was preoccupied, hers remained sharply focused on politics.
"I was thinking," Ella said, leaning against my chest and trailing her hands through the bubbles in our bath. "We should focus on encouraging Damon's men to turn against him. Not his top advisors, but the footsoldiers. They're being ordered to commit atrocities, and while some may not object, others must be waiting for an opportunity to desert."
"That's a good idea," I nodded. "We've had reports of imperial soldiers joining the resistance, but offering amnesty to the rest might incentivize more wolves to change sides."
"The only thing I dislike is that they shouldn't need an incentive to betray a leader as dishonorable as Damon," Ella sighed. "Turning traitor should be a sign of virtue."
"It's not that simple," I reminded her, though I knew she understood. "Warriors are trained to follow orders, many have no escape, and the penalty for dereliction of duty is death. Too many of those wolves have families to support; the risk is too great."
"You wouldn't commit war crimes even if it cost you your life," Ella countered, sounding petulant.
"Not my life," I confirmed. "But if it might cost me you or Rafe? If my death meant abandoning you in a world like Damon's?"
"You would find another way," Ella insisted, glaring adorably over her shoulder.
"I would try, but none of us know how far we'd go to protect loved ones until tested. I know I'm capable of terrible things if I feel I have no choice," I exhaled, thinking of the future. "Besides, when this war is over, these shifters will need to live alongside their former enemies. We can't imprison everyone… we'll need compassion and empathy more than ever."
Ella frowned. "But we can't just gloss over atrocities. We can't tell people to kiss and make up and pretend it never happened—like they weren't traumatized or didn't lose loved ones and livelihoods."
"We won't," I promised. "But justice doesn't always mean punishment. Everyone involved is simply trying to survive. We'll all have committed offenses against other shifters and humans by the time this is over." I ran my hand over her belly, smiling as Rafe kicked against my palm. "That's why we need you so much, Ella. I can kill Damon, but I can't heal our peoples' deep wounds. You're the only person I know who has that power—look what you did for me and Roger. Look at what you've overcome."
Her lashes fell shut as the gravity of my words sunk in. "That's a really big job for one woman, you know."
"I know," I murmured, kissing her neck. "But I believe in you. And this little munchkin believes in you." Rafe kicked in agreement, and I sensed the faintest hint of tears. "Now let's not talk about this anymore today," I suggested. "We have too much to do."
"I thought the only event today was the ball?" Ella asked, confused. "That's hours away."
I offered my most wolfish grin. "Well, my beauty, you thought wrong."