It was dark when I arrived home. I went upstairs to Ella's room, finding her just emerging from the shower, her dripping body wrapped in a fluffy towel. Her rose-gold hair, still dry, was piled atop her head, secured with chopsticks.

She startled at the sight of me sitting on her bed, then rolled her eyes and huffed. "If you're going to move around like a ghost, would you at least announce yourself, Dominic?"

I chuckled softly, my gaze lingering on her wet skin. "Is that any way to greet your knight in shining armor?"

Ella stepped forward, her nervous curiosity evident. "What happened?"

"Come give me a kiss hello, and I'll tell you," I invited, opening my arms. Her muscles relaxed at my easy demeanor; she rolled her eyes again, this time smiling. I playfully growled at her sass, causing her to visibly quiver, her thighs clenching under the towel.

She crossed the room, flushing prettily as she stood between my legs. Her pink lips puckered, and she leaned in, seemingly about to kiss me. At the last moment, however, she veered away, aiming for my cheek. She hadn't accounted for my shifter speed. I intercepted her lips with my own, claiming them and rumbling my disapproval.

Ella giggled softly as I teased her lips with my tongue and flipped her onto the bed. My clothes grew damp as her towel slipped, the water on her skin soaking into my shirt and trousers. I slanted my lips over hers, coaxing her tongue into a dance. Her arms and legs wrapped around me, and I was sorely tempted to undress so I could feel her entire body against mine.

I removed the chopsticks from her hair, letting it fall around her face, releasing its lovely scent. I continued kissing her, caressing her sides and thighs, drawing sweet sounds from her lips. My wolf purred in response; I grazed my jaw against her soft cheek, transforming her contented murmurs into giggles.

Chuckling with dark, sexual intent, I buried my face in her neck, exploring the velvety skin with my tongue. I then ran a hand over her round bottom, squeezing her lush rear before kissing my way down to her chest. Ella gasped as my fangs brushed her breast, then yelped when I playfully nipped her sensitive flesh.

"That's for not letting me kill that horrible woman in your honor," I informed her, moving to her other breast. "That's for rolling your eyes at me." This playful bite elicited a moan; her nipples hardened, dangerously close to my lips. Trusting myself not to suck on them, I finished my rebuke with a swat to her behind. "And that's for withholding kisses I earned fair and square."

"I still haven't heard how you earned them," Ella retorted cheekily, squirming against me, causing my erection to press against my zipper. I pulled away slightly, propping myself on my elbow to look down at her, wondering if this was a mistake. Pressed against me, I couldn't see her charms.

"Well, you don't have to worry about being blackmailed again," I assured her, gazing into her lovely face, wondering if anyone had ever been so irresistible. "At least, not by your former employer."

"Really?" Ella asked, her eyes bright as she sat up.

"Really," I confirmed, brushing stray locks from her face. "I also saw Jake and Millie. I told them how much you miss them, and they told me how horrible their new nanny is."

Her face fell, and I immediately regretted sharing that detail. "Did they seem very unhappy?" she asked anxiously.

"They seemed as sweet as ever," I said, "and I don't think they're being mistreated. She's just not fun."

Ella nodded thoughtfully, peeking at me from beneath her lashes. "How did you convince her to drop the story?"

"It wasn't hard," I explained, tracing my fingers down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps. "I made her realize how foolish it was to threaten a man as powerful as I am. Her imagination did the rest, but I still would have liked to kill her."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't," Ella replied firmly. "We don't need more trouble."

"Oh, I agree," I mused, my laughter evident as I moved my hand to her belly. "My hands are full with you and this little one."

"Our baby is not trouble," Ella objected, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know about that," I teased. "With you for a mother? He's bound to have a mischievous streak—though we won't have to worry about that for some time."

"And I suppose you were always perfectly well-behaved?" Ella countered, arching a brow. "I ought to ask Henry how you were as a boy. I bet he has stories."

"I was an absolute angel," I lied, affecting self-righteousness.

"I don't believe that for a second," Ella laughed.

"You hear that, Rafe?" I asked our son, beaming at a kick in Ella's tummy. "As if your Mommy hasn't been naughty enough—now she's calling me a liar."

"Dominic?" Ella's serious tone drew my attention. "Something else happened today, while you were out."

"What?" I pressed, sensing this wasn't a distraction.

"Cora came over, and we were talking," Ella began slowly, avoiding my gaze. "Roger came over while she was here. He heard part of our conversation… he knows I'm human."

"What!?" I exploded, leaping to my feet.

Ella scrambled out of bed. Her hands clasped my arms, as if fearing I'd leave. "It's okay, he stayed and we talked. I explained, and he seemed to listen. He promised not to tell—ever. He apologized, and only left because I made him. I thought you should hear it from me."

"Ella, why didn't you tell me sooner!" I demanded, trying to control my temper. "I'm not convinced Roger is on our side, and with this information, the Prince could end my campaign—" I snapped my fingers.

"I know, but you just got home, and I wanted to hear about Jake and Millie," she said accusingly. "And I'm not the one who sidetracked us with kisses."

Sighing, I acknowledged my lack of consideration. "What exactly did Roger say?"

"We talked about how it happened, and Cora explained the surveillance footage was tampered with—which I didn't know until today," Ella said, her expression questioning.

I nodded. "I knew, but we still don't understand who was behind it—or their goal."

"Roger talked through the possibilities. He seemed to regret helping the Prince; he looked guilty about working against us," Ella said softly, her hands stroking my arms soothingly.

"He should," I muttered bleakly. Ella didn't know Roger helped orchestrate the alley attack. Unless he became a problem, I wouldn't tell her; it would only hurt her, and if he was truly on our side, I didn't want to create distance. "I think you're right. I trust your judgment. But I need to see him, to be sure."

"You won't hurt him, will you?" Ella asked.

"No, sweetheart, I promise I'm in control," I vowed. "Just a couple of hours. I'll talk to Roger, then I have that 'drink with the Alpha' event—but I'll be home by dinner. We can forget all this ever happened."

"Okay," she agreed, stepping away. "I'll see you soon."

If I'd known then what I know now… I would never have left the house that night. I would have stayed home with Ella, ignoring my brother and the campaign. I could have saved us all a lot of trouble.