Ella

It took me a little over an hour to realize I hate road trips.

"Oh my god," I murmured to Cora as the gigantic RV's vibrations shook us, making poor Rafe grumble uncomfortably. "Is it night yet? Can we stop?"

"You're being a baby, Ella," my sister replied, smirking as she jumped her red king over three of Roger's black checkers, capturing them. "It's fun!"

"You're only having fun because you're kicking Roger's butt for the third time," I murmured, sighing as I glanced out the window.

"Seriously," Roger sighed, leaning back against the kitchenette booth's white leather. "You should quit that, Cora. For Ella's sake—she's trying to enjoy herself." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, staring at the board.

"Yes," Cora replied, laughing. "For Ella's sake, I'll go easy on you."

"I just thought it would be prettier," I sighed, looking out at the endless highway. "Like, purple mountains majesty. Fruited plains. Et cetera."

Instead, it was just hour after hour of cars, asphalt, and the sad little pine scrub bordering the highway.

"Maybe when we get further out," Cora offered hopefully. "Nah," Roger replied, making his next move. "After the forest, it's all corn for days."

I groaned, leaning back. "I hate corn."

"No, you don't," Cora chided, instantly capturing two more of Roger's pieces. He gasped in protest and slumped back.

"How are you doing this?" he murmured, studying the board. "Are you a witch?"

"Maybe," she said with a shrug. "Guess we have to ask Mom."

I smiled, bouncing my fussy baby. I inhaled a deep breath, silently ordering myself to cheer up. Even if I didn't like the RV, I was excited for this trip—to get my sister the answers she desperately wanted.

Eventually, Cora and I retired with the baby to the bedroom, where Sinclair suggested I might not feel the RV's movement as much. The boys stayed up front, studying maps and discussing things like terrain and gas mileage—things they found endlessly fascinating. I shrugged and left them to it. Cora and I curled up in the incredibly comfortable bed, chatting, watching movies, and napping lightly with the baby between us.

It ended up being a wonderful day in the RV's sun-soaked back room, laughing and talking with my sister, reconnecting with her and the peace I'd missed since that terrible day when those men broke my window.

"Do you think it's all really over?" I asked her quietly as the sun began to set.

Cora didn't ask what I meant—she already knew. "I don't," she sighed honestly. "I think…well, Ella, I think we picked mates with big lives. We'll have to snatch moments of peace whenever we can because the next challenge is always coming. And we're going to have to fight for that peace, because something will always try to steal it away."

I sighed, looking down at my napping baby, trailing a finger down his belly.

"Are we dumb?" I asked quietly. "Did we choose wrong? I mean, neither of them are our fated mates. We picked this…should we have chosen simpler lives?"

"You don't want a simpler life," Cora laughed, and I looked up in surprise to see her smiling and shaking her head.

"What?" I asked, sitting up. "Cora, I was a nanny—I was ready to be a broke single mom, to live quietly alone with my baby."

"Nah," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "That was just the start of your story, Ella. Yes, you were always going to be a mom," she said, cocking her head, "but you were never going to stop helping people. It makes sense you ended up such a good pair for Dominic. He opens a door for you to help thousands when he's king, and I think that was always your fate."

"Huh," I said, considering. And I guess…well, I guess she was right. This was perhaps always the life I wanted, even if I sometimes pretended I wanted a simple life.

"And also," she added, her voice dropping, "I'm actually…I'm not sure if Roger isn't my fated mate," she said, considering.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes widening. "But you're human—"

"I know," she said, frowning. "But…Ella, this thing between us," she said, shaking her head, "it feels really big. I don't…know how to explain it except like that."

"Did you feel a mating bond snap into place?" I asked, curious.

"I don't know," she said, turning back to me. "But Roger said it first, when we were out in that rainstorm—that day we had to stop at the roadside motel."

I grinned, knowing what happened that day, and she blushed slightly and rolled her eyes. I leaned forward eagerly. "What did he say?"

"That I was his mate," Cora replied, shrugging. "But the way he said it—so definitive. Not 'I choose you as my mate.' Just…that I was."

"Wow," I said, impressed, a little jealous. I have no hesitations about Sinclair as my chosen mate, and I know what's between us is far beyond anything he had with his fated mate. But still—it's an experience I'll never have. "Well," I continued, "did you ask him about it?"

"No," she said, shrugging again.

"Why not?"

"Because," she sighed. "I…like the idea. I don't want him to tell me that I'm not."

"Well, I'll go ask—" I said, scooching forward, ready to jump off.

"Ella!" she gasped, grabbing my arm.

"What?" I replied, looking at her wide-eyed.

"Stop meddling!" she laughed, tugging me back down. "That's between me and him!"

"And me now! Since you told me!"

Cora laughed, throwing a pillow at me. "Lay down, trouble," she growled, doing her best Sinclair impression. I laughed and snatched the pillow. Then I lay down, pulling my baby closer.

"Okay, I won't," I murmured, smiling at my sister. "But you have to tell me as soon as you know. Do you think you'll ask Mom?"

"Probably," she said, smiling contentedly. Then her face fell slightly as she cocked her head. "Do you think you have a fated mate somewhere out there, Ella? Looking for you?"

"Nah," I said, smiling down at my baby. "Not everyone gets one; they're pretty rare. So," I shrugged, smiling and kissing him on the head, "I think the Goddess gave me Sinclair, and he's more than I could ever ask for."

"Damn right I am," my mate said, entering the room and leaning against the wall, smiling down at us. He and Roger had switched driving positions about an hour ago at a rest stop where Cora and I picked up more snacks. "What are you two talking about?"

Cora opened her mouth to bring up the fated mate question, but I interrupted, not wanting Sinclair to even consider it. "Who loves their Sinclair brother more," I said simperingly, smirking at him. "Me or Cora? We just can't decide; we're both so obsessed with you—"

Sinclair growled playfully, coming to the bed and lying down close to me. "You'd better be winning, little mate," he murmured, nuzzling me as he slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. "I can't let Roger have this one." I laughed, assuring him I was winning as his stubble tickled me.

Cora pretended to gag and stood up, snatching a bag of pretzels and heading for the door. "I'll be out here!" she said, waving. "Don't do anything weird in my bed!"

As she disappeared, I half turned to my mate and wrinkled my nose mischievously. "Want to do weird stuff in her bed?" I whispered, trailing a finger down his chest.

"Absolutely I do," my mate murmured.