Everyone's heads snapped up toward the door as the sound of pounding footsteps echoed down the hall. The aggression in the air was palpable—I could almost smell it—as hackles rose and teeth were bared around me. The noise sounded like an assailant.
Next to me, Roger started to rise, his eyes fixed on the door, ready to attack.
But I instantly grabbed his collar, shoving him back down. "Down!" I ordered, my voice ringing with alpha command. Heads turned to me, obedient but confused.
I shook my head, my eyes still on the door. I knew those footsteps, their cadence. Only Ella would charge heedlessly into a room of wary male wolves unable to see or smell their attacker.
I barely had time to breathe before she burst through the door, shouting, "Dominic!"
Everyone jumped to their feet, but I was already halfway across the room, catching her in my arms as she leaped toward me. I turned, snarling a warning to my men to restrain themselves.
True to form, Ella didn't notice she'd terrified us and nearly got herself torn apart.
Instead, she excitedly continued, "Dominic!" she exclaimed, laughing and grabbing my face. "It's a miracle! I did it! You have to come see! I'm going to do it again! I'm going to fix them all!"
"Ella," I growled, suppressing my own alpha instincts while trying to listen to her and monitor my men to prevent any rash actions.
"Come on!" she said, struggling to get free. "You have to come see! Bring the baby! We'll show him too!"
"What?" I asked, turning my attention back to her after ensuring my men were calm. "What are you talking about?"
"Put me down!" she ordered, laughing and still struggling. I blinked, trying to process this, but obeyed, setting her on her feet. She instantly dashed to Rafe, who was sleeping in his carrier, grabbed it, and then returned, pulling me along.
"Come on!" she called, her glee infectious despite her failure to acknowledge—let alone gauge—the disruption she'd caused.
I saw Roger and my father chuckling and shaking their heads. Sighing, I let Ella pull me from the room, figuring the danger had passed and she wouldn't rest until she explained.
"Ella," I said as she pulled me along, slowing her slightly. "Where are we going? What happened?"
"I did it!" she said, looking back gleefully and pulling harder. "You have to come see! It's amazing!"
"Ella!" I said, more harshly, stopping but keeping hold of her hand. "Slow down! Just explain! Please!"
Seeing my genuine confusion, Ella laughed, then turned to explain. "Cora had an idea!" she said. "Actually, Hank did! But that's not important!"
I frowned at the mention of his name, but she continued. "I used my mother's gift and healed someone, Dominic!" she beamed. "It was so easy! I just... accessed the gift! And nudged it toward his wound! And he's fixed! And I can do it again, and again, and I can fix them all!"
My mouth dropped open. "What?" I gasped, my eyes widening. "Are you... are you serious, Ella?" I asked, looking toward our makeshift medical center. If she could use the Goddess's gift to heal the men, it could change everything.
"Yes!" she laughed, pressing herself against me. "I did it!"
"Miracle," I murmured, shaking my head. "You're a miracle, trouble."
"I know," she said, wrinkling her nose and laughing. She started moving again. "Come on! I want you to see it!"
The next few minutes were as amazing as she'd promised. Some of what Ella did was familiar—I'd seen her access the gift before—but seeing the glow spread from her body to another's, seeing a terrible wound heal before my eyes in moments...
I was breathless with amazement by the time she opened her eyes and grinned. "See?" she whispered. "Isn't it cool?" I stared, amazed by her understatement, shaking my head in wonder.
"The possibilities," Cora said, flipping through papers. "They're remarkable—I mean, clearly you can do this with fresh wounds, Ella, but can you do it with disease? Could you seek and destroy cancerous cells? Could you—"
Ella gasped with excitement, jumping up to talk with her sister, but I paled at the implications.
If Ella could heal not only wounds but diseases, and people found out?
I gritted my teeth, thinking of those who would see her as a valuable target. My sweet, generous mate saw only the possibilities for good…
I knew the world was filled with people far worse, who would take her, keep her, and use her for their own ends.
As I considered how I'd rip them to shreds, my eyes drifted to my baby boy, still sleeping despite the commotion. I smirked, realizing he'd probably learned to cope with his mother's extremes.
But beyond the joy my child gave me, the worry twisted in me. The Goddess's blood ran through his veins as well. What if he had access to this power? Even half of it?
If he did, people would come for him too. They'd already started—but more would come. And I would protect them both until the end—but would it be enough?