"Well," Henry answered, hesitating. "Cora and Roger will see the prophecy."

My face fell when I realized the implications. "Really? That's unfair," I declared, pouting.

Henry chuckled. "It will bring them closer to him, give them a bond."

"Well," I sighed, "I want them to have that. But what sort of things do you learn? Do you share them with the parents?"

"If you choose," Henry shrugged. "I always did. Sinclair and Roger's godparents shared with me, and I was grateful."

"What did they tell you?" I asked, curious.

"That Sinclair would be a great leader of men," Henry said, looking down at the baby, clearly remembering his own son. "That was no surprise. But Roger that was"

I paused, suddenly fascinated. "What did they say?"

He hesitated, then met my eye. "I never even told Roger. But they said his destiny lay less with who he was, and more with the children he would sire—many children who would be" He looked away, gathering his thoughts. "It was hard to understand. Something about a set of extraordinary children who would bring much joy to the world."

My stomach dropped, though I masked it well.

I guess Cora was right.

Being a father was important to Roger—his destiny, even. And if Cora couldn't give him children Henry met my eyes, understanding my thoughts. He took my hand.

"The goddess gives us many mysteries, Ella," he said quietly. "Don't overthink her messages; they often appear unexpectedly."

"You're right," I said, smiling, fighting back my disappointment. I sat up straighter, smiling down at my baby, whose eyes were starting to turn green. "Besides, today is about this little one and his future."

"Precisely," Henry said, peeking at him again. "And his future is very, very bright. I know that for sure."

Our house was filled with people that evening, and my heart overflowed with joy to see everyone—especially Isabel, James, and Sadie, whom I hugged for a good fifteen minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to catch up with them as much as I'd hoped, as I had to greet all our guests and introduce Rafe to his new friends and family. However, Isabel and I made plans to talk later that week before Cora arrived to help, giving me a wink to assure me she had our visitors well-cared for.

I was almost breathless with excitement and stress as the time approached. Anxiously, I straightened the top of my glittering silver gown, chosen expressly for the occasion. It was perhaps too much for a trip to the woods, but we'd be having champagne later—and then everyone would return to the house to celebrate—so formal attire seemed appropriate.

But was it right? I'd never held a midnight baptism before.

"Calm down," Sinclair said, coming up behind me, looking handsome in his tuxedo. He placed reassuring hands on my shoulders. "Everything is in order, Ella. You don't need to micromanage. It's all going smoothly."

I laughed and shook my head, grateful my mate could read my mind. "I just want everything to go smoothly, everyone to have a nice time, and to make sure everyone gets enough time with Rafe—"

"Not necessary," he whispered in my ear, smiling. "You don't need to be everything to everyone. They're here to help. You could have come down in pajamas ten minutes before the ceremony, with baby vomit on your shirt, and no one would have cared."

"I would have cared," I said, widening my eyes. "Ew!"

He laughed, kissing me quickly. "What I mean, Ella, is that you should relax and enjoy the night. It's for us, as much as for him. The guests are just happy to be here."

"You're right," I murmured, smiling against his lips, then looking down at my happy baby. "I need tolive in the moment."

"Right," he said, putting an arm around me and moving toward the door. "It's time to go."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, surprised, looking around at everyone streaming toward the entrance and the two vans waiting to take us to the woods. "Oh, Dominic! Did we remember the champagne—and the glasses—"

"Packed, Ella," he said, a stern but smiling look on his face. "Stop. Turn. Enjoy."

I took a deep breath and looked at him with wide eyes, making him laugh. "I'll try. I really will."

He nodded, bending to grab Rafe's car seat. "You try, I'll be here to help. We've got this, little mate."

I grinned, standing on tiptoe for another kiss. "Thank you, Dominic," I whispered, and then we were out the door, off to the woods.

We arrived about forty minutes later. Our guests were having a good time, and the baby was, miraculously, sleeping soundly. I bit my lip, hoping he'd wake for the dedication.

Well, I supposed it didn't matter if he was awake or not. Cora and Roger had to do the work; Rafe just had tobe there.

"Ready?" Cora asked, leaning across the van and smiling.

"Are you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She nodded eagerly. I leaned closer, lowering my voice—a gesture more than an effective secret-keeping method in a van full of wolves with enhanced hearing. "And are you two" I glanced at Roger.

Cora gave a happy nod. "We're all good, Ella," she said, smiling. I narrowed my eyes, wondering if she was lying. My sister, however, read my mind and laughed. "Seriously!" she said eagerly. "All good. We're here for Rafe, anyway."

"Okay," I said, still narrowing my eyes as I unbuckled Rafe, lifted him, and we all disembarked. A lift lowered Henry to the ground, and when he gave a thumbs-up, we spilled out into the woods, ready to dedicate my son to the Goddess.