"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Cora grumbled, shooting me a death glare as we gathered at the Royal docks. Vanarium-hulled ships, fitted with cutting-edge defense and weaponry systems, were moored along the wharf. Their crews flitted around like hundreds of tiny ants, preparing the vessels for departure. One, the smallest, was bound for the Altaran Islands and my mother; the others were all headed home to face Damon.

None of us wanted to say goodbye.

Sinclair enveloped me in his arms and nuzzled my neck, his wolf grumbling and growling as he nibbled my mating mark, repeatedly reminding me that I was his—as if I could forget. "Mine, mine, mine," he proclaimed, his wandering hands moving over my round belly. We weren't leaving for another half hour, but I was already worried he wouldn't let me go when the time came. Isabel was in the same boat, cuddled up with James and Sadie, trying to pretend she wasn't crying as James, the big soldier, soothed and petted her. She focused her attention on her young daughter, rocking and shushing the perfectly content Sadie—as if Sadie needed comfort instead of her mother. James didn't say a word, merely kissing Isabel and holding her a little tighter.

Of course, when I said no one wanted to say goodbye, I was excluding my sister, who was still complaining about my not warning her that Roger would be joining our journey as added security. "Seriously, Ella, you had to know I wouldn't approve!"

"I'm not listening!" I sang in reply, closing my eyes and kissing my mate. I slid my arms around his neck, and Sinclair chuckled as he claimed my lips. "That's it," his wolf crooned in my head. "Just ignore her and let me gobble you up, little mate."

I giggled into his wolfish grin, catching a flash of emerald fire in his eyes as he captured my nape and pulled my mouth back to his. I leaned into him, letting him support my weight as we lost ourselves in each other. Heat pooled in my belly, and I felt my inner animal becoming excited. Scenting my arousal, Sinclair pulled back with a reluctant frown—there wasn't enough time for us to come together again before we left, and continuing to rile each other up before parting was a recipe for misery.

Therefore, I didn't mind my sister's whining; it was a welcome distraction from the imminent separation. I was painfully aware that this might be the last time I ever saw my mate, but it wasn't only Sinclair I would miss—nor was he the only one for whom I worried. When all this began, I didn't know any of these people; now I felt a deep and abiding bond with each of these wolves—forged in the crucible of mutual trauma. Of course, it was more than that, too. They were my family, my pack.

I didn't want to lose any of these people but we were going to war, and the unavoidable reality was that some of these shifters wouldn't survive. The mere thought forced me to clamp my eyes shut. If I continued watching them, I'm sure I would start to cry—though today, I thought tears were inevitable. Anger was easier, so I directed all my pent-up feelings toward the person who truly deserved them: Damon. Standing there, looking around at the somber faces of the people I loved most, it was painfully obvious how much we all had to lose, and I would happily destroy anyone who tried to steal more from us than had already been taken. It honestly made me want to forget finding my mother so I could go straight home and destroy that tyrant.

"You're glowing again, trouble," Sinclair said softly, leaning his cheek against my hair. I cracked an eye open and looked at my skin. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a shimmer—like the iridescent sheen of snake scales in sunlight, or the glimmering luster of pearl dust. However, the effect only grew stronger as I watched, and soon it appeared as though my pores were emanating their own white light. I felt like I was back on the Ether—as if my altered consciousness was bending reality to ensnare my senses.

"I'm fantasizing about how you're going to kill Damon," I confessed, breathing in his wonderful scent as grisly images filled my mind. I shared the pictures with Sinclair through our bond, hoping to inspire him. Decapitation, disembowelment, beating him bloody with his own leg or maybe you could tie him up and sic some rogues on him.

"Mmm, my bloodthirsty mate," he purred, letting me feel the steady vibrations in his chest. There was a flash of sadistic appreciation through our bond, but Sinclair's wolf seemed much more interested in exploring every inch of my glowing skin. "I can't wait to see all the incredible things you learn from your mother." He lifted my hand to his lips, holding my gaze as he bestowed long, luxurious kisses over my knuckles. "You hold such mysteries for our kind, Ella. There's no telling the secrets you're about to uncover," he murmured, rocking me back and forth. "I can't wait to see you figure it all out and unlock your power to watch you come into your own. My Ella."

I heard the words he was leaving unsaid, his hope that he lived long enough to see these gifts manifest, and to see our son come into the world. "Oh, Goddess," I thought as his mood grew heavy. It was getting close to our departure time, but I wasn't ready to say goodbye, not yet. I would never be ready. I nodded eagerly. "I'll learn. And I'll come to you as soon as I can. Maybe we can castrate Damon together?" I suggested hopefully.

Sinclair laughed. "Whatever happened to that innocent little nanny who wouldn't hurt a fly?"

I hiccuped and sniffled, fighting the emotions seeking to drown me. There was a new frisson of tension in the air, a sense of communal understanding that we needed to finish up. I tried to smile. "She was corrupted by a big bad wolf, of course."

Sinclair kissed me, pouring all his tenderness and passion through our bond. "Listen to me, baby. We don't have a lot of time left."

I shook my head; the tears hovering on my lashes immediately tumbled down my cheeks. The last time I said goodbye to my mate, he almost died, and that was supposed to be a safe trip. Now he was actually going into battle. Primal fear and bad memories raged inside my chest, and part of me wanted to cling to my mate and beg him not to go.

"I know, sweetheart," Sinclair assured me, not needing any explanation for my sudden panic. "It will be okay," he soothed, stroking my trembling lower lip with his thumb. "I know I can't promise us a future, but Goddess if I could" He shook his head in frustration, holding me a little tighter as his green gaze pierced me. "When we get through this, I'm going to write you a whole book of promises and spend the rest of our lives fulfilling them."

"The only promise I need is for you to always remember how much I love you," I countered, trying to steady my shaking voice. "How much Rafe loves you and your pack." I wanted to bury my head in his chest and sob, but somehow I managed to keep going. "I need you to promise that whatever happens, you always keep reminding yourself how worthy you are of all that love—because you are. You're brilliant and selfless and deserve so much more credit than you take." I was trying to think of all the things I needed to say to him, just in case this was the end. I didn't want to leave a single word unsaid. "And you mustn't blame yourself for whatever comes to pass. You have given everything for this pack, and you're about to give even more. None of this is your fault, Dominic."

"Right back at you, gorgeous," he smiled sadly, and a pulse of uncertainty escaped me. Now that the moment was upon us, the idea of running off to remote shifter lands without him was too daunting to contemplate. Self-doubt assailed me, but Sinclair didn't accept it for a moment. "I believe in you," he professed intently. "I know you will succeed, I know you will find the answers you seek, and I know that you will master your powers with flying colors. You have an incredible future ahead of you, no matter what happens in this war, you know that?" Sinclair's eyes were shining as he returned my sentiments, trying to fit a lifetime of love and emotion into a few words.

"I believe in you," I replied tearfully. "Damon is no match for you, Dominic. He's a little boy who got hold of a big stick and thinks he can make us all back down. You're going to prove him wrong; you're going to show him what a weak little insect he is."

"I love you so much," Sinclair declared, dragging me into his arms. "If Damon wants to keep me from you, he's going to have to do a lot worse than kill me." He dropped to his knees then, pressing his palms to either side of my tummy and leaning his forehead against my navel. "My precious pup. I have to leave you now, and I'm so sorry. It's the last thing I want in the whole world, but I promise I'm going to do everything in my power to come back to you. I can't wait to meet you, Rafe." I expected to feel confusion or offense through my bond with the baby, but instead, I heard the tiniest, garbled wail. It almost sounded like a person speaking underwater, only much more garbled and high-pitched. My eyes widened as I realized that our unborn pup was crying within my womb—for the first time. Sinclair looked at me in surprise and absolute misery as we reached the same conclusion: Rafe understood. And he was not happy.