Ella spun around to face her mate, hands on her hips, ready to defend herself. But he closed the distance instantly, cupping her face in his hands.

"Are you all right?" he growled, his eyes quickly scanning her features. Her mouth fell open slightly, and she blinked in surprise. "I'm fine, Dominic."

"Thank God," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "I mean, I'm mad as hell, Ella. I can't believe you did that, but—"

"Dominic!" she protested, pulling back slightly and frowning up at him. "How could I not have done that!?"

"Are you seriously asking me how you could not have jumped out of a window and attacked a man under the explicit protection of a nation about to take us to war? How you could have just let the palace guards—hired to protect our people—handle it?"

She narrowed her eyes, but she saw his point. Still, she stood by her actions—every moment of them.

"His life was mine to take," she growled. "Mine, Dominic. And no—I didn't do it for vengeance, but he crossed a line tonight, trying to take Sarah and Jessica as he had before. Would you have let him live after that?"

Dominic's mouth tightened. "No," he said honestly. "I'd have had the guards shoot him, as soon as they could safely do so."

"His death was mine," she repeated. "If someone was going to take it, I wanted the blood on my hands. And you, of all people, know why."

Dominic stepped back, looking down at the blood covering her. He sighed, shook his head, and surprised her by starting to tug at her shirt.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"What, would you like to sleep in your blood-soaked clothing, Ella?" he asked, glaring slightly. "You need a shower and to get changed."

"Oh," she replied, realizing his help. She stepped back, raising her hands and letting him pull her shirt over her head.

"It's not that I disagree with anything you did," he said softly as he helped her undress. He paused, glaring at the long cut along her side. She rolled her eyes, closed them, and accessed her gift. It was just a scratch; a second later, she was healed.

She twisted to show him her smooth, healed skin. Satisfied, he nodded and turned on the shower, making it steamy, just as she liked it.

"Like I was saying," he continued, turning to her again, "I'm not sad to see him go, just…"

"I know," she sighed, stepping into the shower as Dominic stripped his blood-stained tuxedo. "I'm…Queen now. I should have let someone else do it. I shouldn't have gotten my hands dirty."

She quickly soaped herself, keeping her hair dry while Dominic retrieved fresh clothes. When he returned, she was nearly finished. She rinsed off, looking at him guiltily.

"People got pictures, Dominic," she said apologetically. "There may have been…press."

He sighed. "I'm aware."

He handed her a towel, his face blank. "It will…be what it is. Wolves won't care about the violence—I think, when the details come out, they'll understand. Humans, though…"

"I know," she sighed, toweling off. "All the good press we bought with Cora's wedding…"

He stepped close, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "We'll handle it, Ella," he murmured, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. She smiled.

"You think it's fixable?"

"I think you're the Queen," he said, shrugging. "No going back now."

She laughed. "That's not what I asked."

He gently lowered his face, pressing his lips to hers. "We'll figure it out," he murmured, pulling away slightly. He swatted her on the bottom, perhaps a little harder than necessary, making her grin. "Get dressed. Let's go…see what the hell our family thinks."

She kissed him again, grateful for his support. She knew he was angrier than he let on, and this was a big deal, but it was good to know he had her back.

She quickly dressed, twisting her hair into a bun before putting on slippers. When she was ready, she nodded, and they walked back into their bedroom.

Cora sat on the couch with Jessica, a tablet in her hands. Roger stood beside her, Rafe asleep in his arms. Henry turned his chair toward them.

"Well?" Dominic asked, nodding at the tablet. "What's the verdict?"

Cora looked wide-eyed at them both. "It's…not good," she said softly. "The press is getting wind of it, and social media is going crazy. Ella, are you—are you all right? Did—"

"I'm fine," Ella said, stepping to Roger's side and reaching for her baby. "But forget the news. Where's Sarah?"

"Infirmary, downstairs," Henry reported, smiling kindly at Jessica, who looked worried and confused. "We've been getting reports, and the aides are desperate to come in and start making plans, but…" he glanced at Roger. "We wanted a moment, to make sure we're all on the same page."

"Which is?" Dominic said, crossing his arms.

"Full support," Roger said instantly. "You did the right thing, Ella. I mean, I personally wouldn't have leapt from the window, but Xander crossed the line—he was going to be taken out. It was just a question of who did it."

"And are we all agreed?" Ella asked, looking at Cora.

Cora blinked. "Wait, why am I being singled out?"

"Because," Ella shrugged, "you're…"

"Human?" Cora raised an eyebrow.

They all remained silent; it was what they were all thinking.

"Ella," Cora said, shaking her head. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm not pleased to see that man meet his end. Did I wish that responsibility fell on your shoulders? Probably not. But still," she shrugged, meeting Ella's gaze steadily, "I'm on your side, with everyone else. And I'll defend you to the ends of the earth."

"Good," Ella said, looking around. She sighed and looked at Dominic. "Ready?"

"I'll let the aides in," he said, moving toward the door. "It's going to be a long night."

"Have Sarah sent up, too," Ella called, waiting for his nod before kneeling before Jessica, taking her hands. "We're going to bring her here, and I'm going to heal her, okay? And then you two can go back to your rooms, if you'd like."

"Okay," Jessica said softly, still a little scared.

"Okay, sweetheart," Ella said, squeezing her hand. She accessed her gift, healing Jessica's scalp and bruises. It wasn't much, but she was glad to help.

When Ella moved to stand, Jessica tightened her grip. She looked anxiously at Cora, Roger, and Henry, then beckoned Ella closer.

Ella leaned in. "Ella, I know I'm supposed to be nice, but…"

Ella nodded, encouraging her.

"I hated the Master, Ella. He was always so mean, and we were scared of him. I'm…I'm glad he's dead. I'm glad you did it."

Ella breathed deeply. "Me too, Jess," she said, squeezing her hand and smiling. "It wasn't nice, but…sometimes, when people aren't good to us, we don't have a choice but to stop being nice."

Jessica smiled, and Ella returned it. Ella stood, ready to face the consequences. The approval of this little girl, who had suffered far more than she had? It was more than enough.

She would stand by her actions and never publicly apologize. She did it for herself, but also for Jessica and all the little girls like her. Even if the press tore her apart, she knew she was fighting for those who had never had anyone fight for them. Girls like Jessica, Sarah, Cora, and her younger self. And she'd do it all again in a heartbeat.