Chapter 410 – Assembling the Team

Cora

When I woke up the next morning, the dawn sun was already streaming through the windows, and I was—absolutely, hands-down—the happiest I’ve ever been. Curled up against my mate's side, my hand still rested on his chest where I'd placed it when I fell asleep. Looking up into his face, I saw him already smiling down at me.

My mouth broke into a smile.

"Well," he said, turning fully towards me and nudging my nose with his. "That was an incredible dream, wasn't it?"

"Do you think it was real?" I whispered, desperately hoping it was.

"I do," he replied, nodding. "I don't think… well, the things you made up—the beach, the landscape—they were all pretty static, weren't they?"

I gasped, slightly offended. "It wasn't static! It was intricate! There was a breeze; I could smell the salt—"

"No, Cora," he said, laughing. "I mean unchanging. The things that did change—you, me, the feeling the baby passed to us, and the wolves—those all seemed very real."

"Yeah," I said, relaxing and snuggling closer, tucking my head beneath Roger's chin. "I think it was real, too."

"He's a really cute pup," Roger murmured sleepily, kissing my hair. "Way cuter than Rafe."

"I know, right?" I mumbled, yawning. "But we don't have to tell Ella and Dominic that."

"No way," he replied. "No need to hurt their feelings. They'll find out soon enough." We were quiet for a moment before I asked, hesitantly, "Did that go… how you thought it would?"

"No," Roger said instantly, laughing. "Honestly, Cora, I thought we were going to have way more sex—"

And then I burst into laughter, too, because that's what I'd expected as well. I don't know what Sinclair told his brother, but from everything Ella had said, it sounded like the dream state had been a place for them to really explore their relationship physically—after all, they'd had sex there first, before they ever did in their real bodies.

And while I could certainly see Roger and me using the dream state for that kind of exploration in the future, a part of me was really glad that our experience brought us closer in a different way.

Because right now, I felt so much more like a family than I did before we went to sleep. It's not that we weren't a family before, but now that we'd… felt him? Met him, just a little bit?

The baby felt so real to me now, so vividly himself, that I couldn't help but think of him as my son, me as his mom, Roger as his dad, and all of us as a very real family.

"I know," Roger said, placing a finger under my chin and tilting my face up to his. "I feel exactly the same way."

I laughed, curious. "Wait, how do you know what I'm feeling?"

"You're passing it down the bond," he murmured. "Aren't you trying to?"

"Not intentionally," I said. "But… I was thinking about you and the baby. So maybe it just… went." He nodded in agreement.

Then, curious, I reached out and took Roger's hand, giving it a little squeeze and sending a curious little pulse down our mating bond to him, seeing if I could do it intentionally. I'm still not used to this wolf stuff, and I don't know how good I am at it. "Did you feel that?" I asked.

"I did," he murmured, pleased. "You're curious."

"Yes," I replied, smiling happily. I closed my eyes and concentrated, maintaining contact with Roger's bond but also gently tapping the bond I now felt so much more powerfully with the baby than I had yesterday. I gave it a little nudge.

To my shocked pleasure, the baby responded, nudging us back.

My eyes flew open, and before I could even ask, I saw on Roger's thrilled face that he'd felt it, too.

I laughed and, looking down at myself, sent another little nudge, this time with a question attached: Happy?

It took a moment, but then the reply came, ringing through me like a bell: Happy! My boy sent back, and I laughed and felt myself start to cry again. Happy, happy.

Then he curled away again, content.

"He's happy," Roger said, choked up, taking my face in his hands and kissing me again. "And I don't think I've ever been happier in my whole life."

"Same," I replied, laughing at how simplistic it sounded. "Roger, I feel exactly the same."

Ella

When the car turned into Cora's driveway, she was already standing outside her door with a to-go mug of tea in her hands, a big smile on her face. Rafe squealed with anticipation when the car stopped, and Cora started walking towards it.

I looked down at my baby, strapped into his car seat, in surprise. "Can you tell when your auntie is near?" I asked, curious. He didn't reply.

"Well, you're very bright and chipper today," I said when Cora opened the door and peered into the car, blinking in surprise at the two extra men in the back seat and the guard sitting beside Conner in the passenger seat.

"I am indeed," Cora said, climbing in and closing the door. "Um, what's all this?" she asked hesitantly, murmuring a hello to Rafe and leaning down to kiss him on the head.

"Sinclair wanted extra guards," I said, shrugging. "Do you mind? I told him he could."

"Yeah," she said, smiling at everyone and exchanging hellos as Conner pulled away. "Actually," she continued, "Roger had the same idea. Did they coordinate this morning?"

"Probably," I said, rolling my eyes, making my sister laugh. Our two wolf mates sometimes really did have the same mind, even if they were such different people.

"So!" I continued, leaning forward and grinning. "Why are you so happy this morning?"

"I'll tell you later," she said, waving a hand while glancing at the four men in the car.

Sensing she wanted to keep her happiness private, my grin deepened. "Oh! So you and Roger were…" I leaned forward, trying to scent her over Rafe to confirm my suspicions.

"Ew, Ella!" Cora gasped, leaning forward to smack my arm. "Stop doing that! It's none of your business!" She blushed terribly as I burst into laughter. She glanced around at the men, who were studiously pretending not to hear us.

I laughed and turned away to look out the window. "Fine, fine," I said. "But I'll get all your secrets out of you soon enough."

It was a cheerful ride to the Human Camp—Cora was clearly elated, and I felt good, too. But things changed as we approached and saw the camp through the fence.

"Oh, geez," Cora said, leaning forward. "Ella, this looks worse than what Isabel showed us yesterday."

"She said it would be," I replied, grimacing. Cora was right; Isabel may have understated the difference between the two refugee camps.

When we pulled in and began to climb out, Conner and the guard—Anthony—stepped out first, looking around. Once Rafe was safely strapped to my chest, Cora and I stepped out, followed by the two extra guards. A big smile broke out on my face as I saw Dr. Hank standing awkwardly at the entrance, Isabel at his side.

"Hank!" I called, waving and hurrying over, Cora following slowly behind. I noticed a frown on her face, but ignored it as I hugged Hank and smiled at Isabel. "So, you two have already met?"

"Yessss," Isabel said, raising an eyebrow. "Though I wish you'd have told me he was coming."

"I was asked to come," Hank insisted, frowning at Isabel.

"I didn't say you weren't," Isabel said coolly. I hesitated, looking between them. What was wrong?

"May I have a word, Ella?" Hank asked, nodding to an empty space behind him.

"Sure," I said, stepping aside with him. But he sighed when Conner and another guard stepped forward.

"It's all right," I said, putting up a hand to stop them. They hesitated but let me go when Hank and I stepped a few feet away. Hank had been cleared as trustworthy. "What's—what's wrong, Hank?"

"You're underestimating this, Ella," he said, frowning and glancing at Cora, Isabel, and the men. "Going in like this? It's never going to work."