Chapter 393: Family Reunited

Ella

Minutes ticked by, tension mounting. Sinclair, equally desperate, stood behind me. A priestess offered tea and seats, but we refused; relaxation was impossible until the door opened—which it didn't for a very long time.

"What are they even doing in there?" I asked, especially after a muffled shout made me freeze. Sinclair chuckled. I spun around, confused, but his raised eyebrow and smirk revealed the truth.

"Oh, EW!" I exclaimed, swatting him with my free hand (the one not holding the sleeping baby). "They are so not—"

"Roger would," he murmured, smiling and chuckling.

"Cora would not," I insisted. "This is Mom's house."

"She didn't seem to mind such activities outside the RV, where Dad could have seen them if he'd glanced out the window."

"Yeah, but that's your dad," I said, rolling my eyes and returning my gaze to the door. "It's different."

"The Goddess is all-seeing," Sinclair said, shrugging. "She'll spy if she wants to—what's the difference between having sex in her temple and anywhere else—"

I hissed at him to be quiet, anxiously checking for eavesdroppers. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "If the baby weren't here," he murmured in my ear, pressing me against him…

"Enough," I chided, though I couldn't suppress a smile. My mate was very difficult to resist, even in my mother's sacred space.

Luckily, the door opened. Cora and Roger emerged, wide smiles on their faces, speaking softly and holding hands, oblivious to our tension.

"Cora!" I cried, rushing towards her. Three feet away, I paused, sniffing the air. Something was…off.

Sinclair stiffened behind me, then laughed. "Well, congratulations, sister-in-law," he said, grinning. "Looks like you're a wolf after all."

"WHAT!" I shouted, shocked. I hugged Cora, protecting the baby. "Are you serious?!" I stepped back, sniffing again. Yes.

I hadn't been able to smell it months ago, before being immersed in this world, but my sister had a wolf, and it was awake.

Cora laughed. "Yes, Ella," she said, nodding. "I have a wolf. I can't shift, but apparently I've always had a wolf soul, inherited from Mom. She helped me find it."

"Wow," I said, awestruck. "That's amazing. Do you?"

Thrilled, she nodded, then stepped back with Roger. "I do. We both do." She placed a hand on her stomach. "The baby does too."

"WHAT!" I shouted again, laughing and touching her stomach. "You can feel the baby now?!"

"Yes," she said happily. "I can feel him through the bond."

Tears filled my eyes. "Feel…feel him?"

Cora nodded, grinning. "Him. A baby boy!"

Ecstatic, I would have thrown myself at my sister, but my mate wisely removed my baby before I could. I hugged Cora tightly, crying with joy—joy for her, for my nephew, and for Rafe having a best friend. Rafe and the baby would be best friends.

"Ella!" Cora laughed. "You're choking me!"

I reluctantly released her. We rocked back and forth, united in our joy.

Wiping my tears, I saw my mate with his arm around his brother, beaming. Roger looked down at Rafe in Sinclair's arms, probably considering his own imminent fatherhood.

"Do you know," I asked Cora, "how long the pregnancy will be?"

She groaned, turning to Roger. "Roger, we forgot to ask!"

"Ask what?" he asked.

"How long the pregnancy will be for a hybrid baby," she answered, sighing. Sinclair perked up, interested in the confirmation of the baby's wolf-human heritage.

"Well, whatever," Roger shrugged. "The baby will tell us when he's ready, or whatever."

"Or whatever," Cora repeated, glaring at him. "Easy for you to say."

"Yes, it is," Roger said, grinning with love.

Laughing, I linked arms with Cora and headed for the temple door. "Come on, let's tell Henry," I said.

"Okay," Cora sighed happily. We thanked the priestess, who looked overjoyed, and descended the stone steps as dusk painted the sky pink.

"We still have so much to tell you," Cora said, holding my hand.

"Really?" I asked, fascinated.

"Yeah," Roger said, smirking at his brother.

"Like what?" Sinclair said casually, skeptical.

"Like, that Rafe's got magic powers," Roger said, grinning. Sinclair and I froze, turning to our siblings. Then, simultaneously, we said: "Wait, what?"

Roger and Cora burst into laughter.