"What!" Sinclair roared through the phone receiver, his deep voice full of such rage and aggression that it made me flinch. I'd just told him about every horrible moment of my conversation with my former employer—though now it's probably more accurate to call her my blackmailer.

I'll have to change her contact information in my phone to reflect her new title—I can even assign her an ominous ringtone. I fought down the urge to laugh at this insane thought, wondering why my brain always twists the darkest moments of my life into humor. There is nothing funny about this situation.

"I don't know what to do," I whimpered. "I don't care what she says about me—" I was interrupted by a low snarl, Sinclair's wordless, wolfish insistence that he cared, even if I didn't. "But if she sells this story, then everyone will realize I'm human."

"I'll kill her," he rumbled, overflowing with menace. "She won't find it so easy to speak such filth when her head is no longer connected to her body."

"You can't!" I objected, still feeling as though he was missing the point. "That will only call more attention to her—there will be an investigation into her life, and eventually they'll want to interview me. My identity is bound to get out if that happens. Also, you know—murder is wrong, Dominic."

"She threatened you," he growled, as if I'd forgotten. "And there won't be an investigation if I make it look like an accident. You'd be amazed how many car accidents result in decapitations."

"Blackmail hardly warrants an execution, and you can't go around ripping the heads off everyone who is mean to me," I insisted, overwhelmed that this surreal conversation was actually occurring. "You're supposed to be setting a good example for our son."

"The example I'll be setting is how to protect one's mate from vile, conniving, despicable, foul—"

"Dominic!" I interrupted, raising my voice over his increasingly volatile grumbling. "She has children who love her—she may not deserve their love, but if you kill her, they'll suffer. Jake and Millie don't deserve that."

"They'd probably be better off without her," Sinclair suggested sullenly, his voice shifting as if a new idea had occurred to him. "We could even take them in—adopt them. I know you miss them just think, we could have three children instead of one."

"Oh, really? Are you going to kill their father, too?" I asked waspishly, shaking my head.

"That depends," Sinclair replied hopefully. "Would you be okay with that?"

"I don't think I really appreciated how bloodthirsty shifters are about their families until now," I told Cora a little while later. "The ridiculous wolf actually thought he could win me over to his plan by waving those precious babies under my nose. It was like trying to talk a hungry jackal out of his dinner."

"I mean, he wasn't completely off base," Cora joked. "If it was possible to convince you, bribing you with children is probably how I'd go about it, too."

"Well, I told him that he wasn't allowed to rip any heads off under any circumstances," I countered.

Cora snorted. "I bet he took that really well."

"Oh, he grumbled and complained, but he got over it," I laughed, leaving out the part where he threatened to come home and "spank my sassy bottom" until I agreed to his violent plan. That is not the sort of detail I want my sister to know.

"So what's he going to do?" my sister inquired curiously, sitting across from me in the same parlor where my blackmailer had threatened me two hours ago. I'd called her and asked her to come over after getting off the phone with Sinclair, in desperate need of some moral support.

"He told me not to worry and that he'd take care of it," I sighed. "I doubt he'll pay her, but if he can get Mike to turn himself in to the police, he can probably convince her not to make good on her promise."

"Are you okay with that?" Cora wondered aloud. "I wouldn't think you'd be comfortable trusting someone else with something so important."

"I trust Dominic," I admitted, blushing shyly. Cora understood better than anyone what a momentous statement this was for me. She knew I'd always had to rely on myself, and that I'd never felt safe relying on anyone else because of far too many bad experiences. "Honestly, I felt better just talking to him about it. I know he'll fix this, and my only concern is that he'll lose his temper and go overboard protecting us."

The baby kicked softly, as if he agreed. "Quick, come here!" I exclaimed, waving Cora over. She did, and I pulled her palm to my belly. The baby was still now, so I murmured encouragement at my tummy. "Come on, Rafe, say hello to your Aunt Cora."

At the sound of his name, the pup complied, and Cora and I both squealed. She hugged me tightly then. "You're glowing, you know that? I've never seen you so happy—and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's just becoming a mom."

"You're not wrong," I confessed, grinning despite myself. "I am happy, even with all the danger and the drama. I didn't know it was possible to feel this way."

Cora shook her head, her eyes shining. "God, you should see your smile, Elle. I swear I could kiss Dominic."

I was amazed to feel a stab of jealousy when she mentioned kissing Sinclair, even though I knew it was only an expression. "You don't think it's completely deranged?" I asked shyly. "I mean, rogues keep popping up and trying to kill me, and a horrible, heartless woman is blackmailing me. It seems crazy to be happy in spite of all that."

"Ella," she said seriously, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "Do you really think it's crazy, or do you just feel like you don't deserve to be happy?"

Her words cut me to the core, and I found myself staring at my hands. I pondered her question for a few seconds, shrugging. "I mean, do I deserve it? Not fishing for compliments, not feeling sorry for myself—but what have I done in my life to deserve so much prosperity? In a few months, I could be as good as a queen, even if it is only temporary."

"Ella, the rich and powerful don't end up that way because of merit!" Cora argued. "How many of the people running the world actually worked to get where they are? Everyone deserves to be happy well, maybe not the prince or your old boss, but you do! You might not have done anything remarkable yet, but you've also never hurt anyone! You've never ruined lives for your own selfish promotion."

"I haven't been a complete saint," I reminded her. "I mean, I've stolen and broken laws; I'm lying to millions of people even as we speak."

"You stole when we were children. You broke laws to survive and to keep me alive, to protect the other orphans. You've taken care of people your whole life, and you kept doing it for work because you love it so much. And you're lying to people so that you can protect them from a monster. You're still taking care of people now, and you're risking your life to do it. Trust me, Ella, you deserve all the prosperity and all the happiness in the world."

I peeked over at my sister, my throat scratching with unshed tears. Looking at her beloved face, I found the strength to ask a question I'd been too afraid to ask until now. "What if I can't do it?"

"Do what, be queen?" she clarified, her brow furrowed.

"Or any of it? I mean, I'm just a human—every day I learn about something else I had no idea existed. And after the baby comes, I'm going to lose its scent. What if I can't keep up the act? Or what if I can, but I make some horrible mistake because of my ignorance? I'm going to be responsible for so many people; what if I screw up and someone gets hurt as a result?" I questioned, swiping at my lashes to keep the tears from falling.

"You're not in this alone, Ella," Cora murmured. "Dominic is going to be helping you every step of the way, and so are his people—so will I, in any way I can. You don't have to bear all the responsibility yourself anymore—those days are over."

I hiccuped, nodding and trying to get my breathing under control. "Thank you," I sniffled. "I needed to hear that."

Just then, a creak sounded on the other side of the door, and I realized we weren't alone. I quickly crossed the floor, pulling the door open before our eavesdropper could get away. I suppose this is payback for my own spying the other day, but I was horrified when I realized who was listening.

It was Roger, and he'd just heard every single word of my conversation.