"In here!" she called, peeking from the living room and giving me a big smile.

"Also, sorry," she added, grimacing slightly. "We were very rude bursting in like that, weren't we?"

"I'll forgive you as soon as you give me my little nephew to hold for a few minutes," I said, smiling and reaching for Rafe, whom my sister happily handed over. I was instantly gratified when he squeaked with happiness and reached out his own hands, clearly recognizing me and wanting to see me as much as I wanted to see him.

"Yes," Ella sighed, crossing her arms as she observed me with the baby. "Rafe makes everything better."

"That can be his slogan," I said, grinning at the baby, "when he's King." Ella laughed, and I turned to smile at her as Roger entered the room behind me. I shifted my gaze to Sinclair, who stood behind Ella, quiet with his arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking between them. "First you tell Roger not to come to the palace this morning, and then you're bursting in here this afternoon? What's up?"

"We had a crazy night," Ella said with a grimace, moving to the couch and sitting down. Sinclair stood beside her, clearly tense and still silent.

"Oh?" I asked, sitting across from my sister. Roger sat behind me on the arm of the couch, paying close attention and sending a little pulse of wonder and curiosity down our bond. He, too, was very intrigued.

Ella sighed and began to tell me about her evening—first the dinner with Calvin, then his claim to being her mate, and then Sinclair turning into a wolf and bursting out the door to hunt him.

My eyes widened as Ella continued.

"But," Ella said with a shrug, "honestly, I don't think he's my mate, Cora. I'm notinto him, in the way mated pairs are supposed to be."

"Really?" I asked, tilting my head. "I mean, he's really good-looking, Ella—" Roger scoffed behind me, and Sinclair glowered, making Ella and me burst into laughter.

"No," she said, shrugging and reaching across the couch for her baby. I handed Rafe back to her, and she pulled him into her lap, clearly comforted by his presence. A little excitement stirred in me; I couldn't wait to hold my baby like that. "It's not like that, Cora—I mean, I feel a very interesting pull toward him, and there are, like, literal sparks between us whenever we get close or our skin touches." My eyes darted up to Sinclair, who growled behind Ella at this detail. She rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"But Sinclair says thatwhen you meet your fated mate, your wolf knows it, and you'revery attracted to them. Like, 'tear your clothes off' attracted to them." She paused, her eyes moving between me and Roger. "Is that what itwas like? For you?"

"Well," Roger said, his voice unusually serious, "we have a different story because Cora's wolf was tucked away for so long. But as soon as her wolf woke upfor the first time?" He nodded vigorously. "Yeah, Ella. We knew. Immediately. I knew beforehand because of the intensity of my feelings and my attraction to her, but when our wolves found each other"

"There was no denying it," I finished, shrugging slightly. "But Ella," I said, frowning slightly, "why did you come here? It's a crazy story, and I'm glad to know it, but why rush across town when you've clearly had a rough night and very little sleep?"

"Because," she said, biting her lip, "we were hoping you couldask Mom."

"Oh!" I said, blinking in surprise. "Howhow do I do that?"

She shrugged. "You justcall to her."

"What," Roger said, and I looked up to see him smirking. "Like, she just puts her hands to the side of her mouth and hollers?"

"Would you take this seriously?" Sinclair snapped, drawing all our eyes to him.

"All right," Ella murmured, narrowing her brows at her mate and scooting forward on the couch. "Come sit here with me. It was just a joke, Dominic." Roger grinned, but Sinclair scowled, clearly stressed, and slipped in behind Ella, wrapping his arms around her. My heart went out to him as I watched him tuck his head against hers, because as much as Ella said Calvin wasn't her mate, I could tell he was stressed and wanted a definite answer.

"Okay," I said, breathing out steadily and reaching for Roger's hand. He gave me his, not asking why, but I just wanted him close. "So, like, inside? Where the gift is? I justcall to her?"

"Yeah," Ella said, smiling as she leaned into the man who was undeniably her mate. Butwell, Sinclair had two. I guess it's possible, evensymmetrical, for Ella to have a fated mate as well.

"I'd ask myself," Ella said with a shrug, "but I burned up the bond when the priestess tried to take Rafe." She hugged her baby closer, and I gave her a sad smile, thinking about everything my sweet sister had been through fighting for her family. And suddenly, all I wanted to do was contact Mom, even just to give her a piece of my mind for giving Ella such a tough path. So, I squeezed Roger's hand and sank inside myself, searchingreachingAnd it took a few minutes, but suddenly I came to a steady place within myself where my gift glowed with a warm lavender light. And then I called out without words Mom?

There was a pause, then a pulse within the gift, and then it burned brighter. When I opened my eyes, she was suddenly there—the goddess, transparent, incorporeal, in my living room.

"Oh," I said, jumping slightly in surprise. Because she was just there.

"Hello, Cora," she said, smiling delightedly.

"Hey, Mom," I replied, my voice quavering slightly. Because she was so beautiful, and I could feel the love she had for all of us radiating from her, so much so that it brought tears to my eyes.

"Um," Roger said, and I glanced up to see him looking at me like I was crazy.

I frowned at him and looked around at the rest of my family. "You can't see her?" I asked, surprised.

"Nope," Ella said, grinning and laughing, hugging Rafe tightly. "From our perspective, it looks like you just called the armchair 'Mom.'" I laughed and gestured toward her. "Well, she's right there," I said with a shrug.

"We believe you," Roger said, giving my hand a little pulse.

"Time is short, Cora," my mother said, turning to look at me. "I cannot appear consciously like this for long, or frequently. But I could tell by your request that you needed my help."

"Yes," I said, sitting up straighter. "Um, do you know what happened with Ella? Or do I need to tell you?" A little humor passed unintentionally down the bond between me and Roger, and I could tell he thought it was very funny that I looked like I was talking to the armchair. But I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

"I know everything, Cora," she said, her smile beatific.