Chapter 422: Bath Time

Ella

“Cora,” I scolded, frowning. “You know I don’t feel that way.”

“Well, I know you’d never say it,” she protested, sighing. “But I do think this union between a wolf and a human is symbolically important. Even if you’re not disappointed that it could be disappointing.”

“I want you to have the mating ceremony you want, Cora,” I replied, my voice steady. “Especially something as important as this.” I squeezed her hand before letting go. “But if you’d like to consider a middle path…maybe you could let me show you what I was thinking?”

She looked up at me, surprised. “You’ve been…planning?”

“Just a little,” I admitted, unable to hide my eagerness. “Late at night, when Sinclair is asleep and I can’t sleep, or when I get up to feed Rafe.”

“You’ve been losing sleep over this!?”

“No!” I protested, then hesitated. “Well, not much.”

“Ella!”

“Just—can I show you what I was thinking?” I pleaded. “Sister to sister? And then, if you hate it, you can say no.” A wide grin spread across my face. “But I think you’re going to like it.”

Cora sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Fine, Ella,” she said. “But this is not a yes.”

“I didn’t think it was!” I said, newly excited. Honestly, it’s gorgeous, and I can’t wait to show her my plans.

That evening, as I sighed and entered our room, Sinclair immediately looked up from his tablet. He was still working, as usual, and immediately laughed.

“What?” I asked, frowning. My baby, strapped to my chest, was sleeping soundly. I put my hands on my hips. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he said, gracefully rising from the bed. He slipped his hands into his pockets and smirked, looking me up and down. “I just didn’t realize I was mated to someone who spends her days toiling in the mines.”

“What?” I asked, confused. Sinclair laughed and nodded toward the bathroom. Irritated and curious, I hurried in and gasped at my reflection. “Oh my god,” I murmured, leaning closer to examine the thick layer of dusty, dark brown grime covering me from head to toe. “Honestly, why did they let me into the palace looking like this?”

Sinclair, still laughing, stood behind me. I groaned at our contrast in the mirror—him, the perfect Alpha King, clean-shaven and impeccably dressed; and me, a messy ball of dirt with crazy hair.

Then I gasped, noticing Rafe, also covered in a light layer of brown dust. “Oh my god!” I exclaimed, immediately ruffling his hair. A puff of dust exploded into the air. “Oh, little baby! Mommy’s sorry!”

“A little dirt won’t hurt him,” Sinclair chuckled, reaching to unstrap the baby from me. “Dirty in those camps, is it?”

“It’s bad, Dominic,” I murmured, helping him take the baby. “Honestly, if this is what we look like after just an afternoon, imagine how those people are living…”

“Well, we’ve diverted a lot of attention to it,” he replied, holding the baby at a slight distance as he carried him to his little baby bath. “Hopefully, everyone will be out of those terrible camps and in a better situation within a month, though some cases will take longer.”

Rafe, waking slightly now that he was away from my warmth, began to cry.

“Oh,” I said, my heart aching. I hesitated, wondering if I should let him sleep dirty; I couldn’t stand to hear him cry like that.

“Keep going, Ella,” Sinclair murmured, smirking and laying the baby in his bath. “Let him cry a little. He’s the happiest baby in the world; it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.”

As I began to undress, Sinclair removed Rafe’s outfit and tossed it into the hamper.

“You know,” I sighed, watching his clothes disappear, “he’ll probably be too big for those by the time they’re clean. He grows like crazy.”

“Damn straight he does,” Sinclair said, tickling Rafe’s naked belly. Proudly, he turned on the warm water and prepared to bathe him. Rafe still fussed but reached for his father’s finger.

My heart melted at their cuteness before I turned on the shower. I continued talking to Sinclair as I stepped into the hot water, relishing the feeling against my tired muscles.

“I talked to Cora about the wedding,” I called over my shoulder, beginning to shampoo my hair. “I don’t think she’s into it, Dominic. I’m sorry.”

“That’s disappointing,” he replied. “But yeah, Roger told me pretty much the same thing.”

“Are you mad?” I asked, turning to see his reaction. Sinclair looked at me incredulously.

“Of course I’m not mad, Ella—”

I laughed, shaking my head and turning away to rinse my hair. “That’s not what I mean. I know you’d never be mad at them for wanting a different kind of mating ceremony. But…does it mess up your plans at all? For the coronation and coronation weekend?”

“It does a little,” he called back. As I soaped my body, I smiled at him gently cleaning the baby, making soft, warm noises to Rafe. Rafe, tired, protested, but my heart swelled with the patience I saw in my mate as he washed his baby, softly explaining that he was sorry he had to bathe so late, but Mommy had gotten him dirty doing her humanitarian projects.

I laughed at Sinclair’s commentary and flicked some water at him. He grinned.

“Will you be able to fill the time at the coronation?” I asked, soaping my loofah. “With some other activity that might convince the humans and wolves that we’re united?”

“Probably,” Sinclair said, giving Rafe a final rinse. “But…let’s see if she can’t be persuaded, Ella,” he said, grabbing a towel, lifting the baby from the tub, wrapping him up, and turning to me. “I have a feeling that when Cora sees what you’ve got planned for her, she’s going to be swept away.”

I grinned as I rinsed off and wrapped myself in a towel. “How do you know what I’ve got planned?”

“You’re not the only one up late at night,” he murmured, carrying my warm, clean baby to me. “Sometimes I see what you do.”

“And sometimes,” I said, grinning as I took Rafe, wanting him close again. Rafe immediately quieted, which pleased me immensely. “Sometimes you just snore endlessly, keeping Rafe and me up for hours—”

“Lies,” he snapped, smiling as he cupped my chin and tilted my face up.

“You like it when I snore. Reminds you that a strong, powerful Alpha is sleeping next to you, ready to rip your enemies to shreds—”

I bit my lip, grinning because…well, honestly, I did like that. I liked it quite a bit.

“I’m not sure I need the snoring to remind me of that,” I murmured, stepping closer, feeling heat build in my core as I stared into his beautiful, rugged face.

“And what would remind you of that,” he murmured, his eyes flashing with hunger.

“Oh,” I whispered. “I have an idea. Or two. Or ten.”