When I arrived at Roger's house, he wasn't surprised to see me. "I was wondering when you'd show up," he quipped, opening the door wide.

"Am I that predictable?" I grumbled, stepping inside.

"No—I still wasn't sure if you'd rip my head off," Roger replied wryly.

"You've been talking to Ella," I said coolly, remembering her objection to my usual tactics against our enemies.

Roger snorted. "Not necessary. I grew up with you; I know your MO, brother."

"Well, thank Ella for my even temper, then. She seems to trust you'll keep your word and protect her secret," I explained, eyeing him suspiciously.

"And you came to find out if she's right," Roger guessed.

"Is she?" I asked. "Or is this another one of your tricks?"

"It's not a trick," Roger stated simply, leading me into his study. "But I'm not doing it for you—I'm doing it for her."

I absorbed this slowly. It did seem easier to believe my brother would help a stranger before me, but there was something in his tone, some unspoken emotion I didn't understand. "Why do you care what happens to her?" I asked.

"Because she's exactly what you've said all along: brave, clever, and good to her core. Goddess only knows how you managed to get her, but you certainly don't deserve her," Roger replied, giving me a begrudging look that suggested he was only half joking.

My wolf growled possessively in my head. He likes her.

Good. If he likes her, he'll help us, I thought evenly.

But she's mine! my wolf argued fiercely. He shouldn't even look at her.

Would you get a hold of yourself? I admonished.

I won't share her! The stubborn predator dug in his heels, raising my hackles and extending my claws. This is why we need to claim her, so other wolves won't come sniffing around our mate.

You're acting like a child! I was losing my temper, sick of being at odds with my inner animal. She isn't our mate, and I'm not going to hurt her with a claiming mark her body can't handle. Besides, even if Roger is interested in Ella, she isn't interested in him. Have some self-respect.

"I haven't got her—not the way you mean," I corrected, shaking off my inner conflict. "She's been adamant about that—she's only interested in me as her baby's father," I said, deciding my brother didn't need to know how complicated things truly were.

Roger snorted. "Who are you kidding? That woman is clearly infatuated with you, and I know you want her for keeps. Your wolf is bloody besotted."

"She's carrying my pup; that's changing both of us. Neither of us can trust our feelings right now," I reasoned, using the same logic I'd been using to justify my own restraint. If I let myself believe everything between Ella and me was real, there would be no holding my wolf back, and I didn't want to frighten or push her into something she didn't want or wasn't ready for.

"You know as well as I do that pregnancy can't magically make people fall in love, even if they're already interested in each other," Roger scoffed, sounding genuinely jealous now. "Don't waste a gift, Dom."

I stopped. "Whoever said anything about love?"

His eyes rolled. "Honestly, Dominic, sometimes I think you don't have a brain in your head."

"We only just met," I reminded him. "And we've experienced nothing but drama since then. It's not just the pregnancy that can toy with emotions."

"It sounds like you'll take any excuse to deny what's staring you in the face. And if you don't wise up, other wolves who aren't so hard-headed will start horning in on your territory," Roger warned, sounding as if he'd like to lead the charge. "Ella might not be able to serve as a true Luna, but that's only a concern if you have a pack to lead. No one will care if she's human when she can clearly bear shifter children."

"Is that a threat?" I countered, my defenses riled by the obvious longing in his voice.

"I'm not delusional enough to think Ella could ever forgive me for helping the Prince plan the first attack," Roger sighed.

"But you can still hope," I suggested, letting menace enter my voice.

"Dominic, I'm done battling with my own family. From the sounds of it, we're going to need each other in the months ahead if there's to be a war—we can't be divided." He grimaced, though I noted he didn't answer my question. It's one thing to say you won't pursue someone; it's another to say you don't want to in the first place.

"I'm trying to win so there won't be a war," I grumbled. "But I agree, we've been enemies for too long. No woman should come between brothers, and unlike Lydia, Ella would never want to."

"Lydia couldn't help it," Roger defended, some of his old animosity surfacing. "It was the bond."

I pursed my lips, deciding whether to tell Roger the truth about Lydia. He'd never listened before, and this was a chance to clear the air, but it could backfire. "Roger, Lydia used us both," I declared. "I know what she told you, but she knew we were fated for two years before she left you."

"What?" Roger gaped, visibly processing this. "No, your bond manifested when you turned eighteen."

I shook my head. "It manifested when I was sixteen, but Dad didn't name me his heir until I reached adulthood. The only reason she gave in to fate was because he announced it on my birthday. Before that, she made it perfectly clear I wasn't good enough for her."

Roger slumped into a chair. "But you never said"

"Why would I? She didn't want me, and I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me," I confessed.

"So why did you betray me?" he hissed, his wolf glowing in his eyes. "If you really wanted me to be happy, you could have rejected her when she changed her mind?"

"I was a pup!" I exclaimed. "I'd spent two years in misery, longing for my mate. My wolf was half-mad with unrequited feelings, and I was too young to know better. I was blinded by our bond, and it wasn't until years later that I realized what a fool I'd been. I never wanted to hurt you I just wasn't strong enough to resist fate. Not then, at least."

Roger sat back, watching me closely. After a moment, he scrubbed his palm over his face, and I was shocked to see his eyes were red—on the verge of tears. "I haven't been a very good brother to you, have I?"

"You've been a pain in the ass," I quipped, laughing. "Roger, when we were little, you were my hero. I would have followed you anywhere!"

"But I never let you," he finished, closing his eyes. "Dad tried to tell me a thousand times it wasn't your fault Mom died. And I know it wasn't fair of me to treat you so horribly. In hindsight, I don't even think you're the one I hated; I was just so mad at the Goddess for taking her from me, and I needed someone to blame."

"I know," I affirmed, remembering our argument after the Wild Hunt. It seemed every conversation was a long-overdue emotional blowout. We'd poured out years of feelings and resentments in weeks, and our relationship felt like it had turned a corner. For the first time since childhood, I felt my brother was more friend than enemy.

Roger gave me a watery smile, realizing the same thing. "And to think, all it took was one tiny human to finally make us talk all this out."

To my amazement, I smiled back. "One tiny, very special human," I corrected, thinking of Ella.

Roger frowned. "At some point, we need to talk about how this all started, Dom. Ella said you still don't know how your sample got switched in the sperm lab."

"That's a conversation for another time," I said, my jaw clenching. "I haven't told Ella yet, but my investigators have found evidence suggesting whoever is responsible is very powerful and they knew exactly what they were doing."