When Ella collapsed in my arms, I could hardly wait for the nurses. I immediately assumed we'd missed an injury from the accident and was furious with myself for letting her persuade me to jump the medical queue.

What was I thinking? They'd checked her, and there were no physical marks, but what if it was internal? What if she'd hit her head in the chaos? Deep down, I knew that didn't make sense—she was completely in my arms when we hit the car—but my fear was illogical, sudden, violent, and overwhelming.

"It's okay, Alpha," the doctor reassured me as they moved Ella to a gurney. "It's probably just stress. There's been a lot of excitement today."

"She has high blood pressure," I warned. "We've been monitoring it daily, but her OBGYN is worried about preeclampsia."

My wolf growled and whined—impatient for help, worried about her health, and hating anyone near her while she was so vulnerable. She looked so young and innocent, so small and fragile. Her rose-gold hair cascaded over the pillow, still streaked with my blood. I stayed beside her even after the nurses tried to send me away. "I'm not going anywhere," I insisted, battling guilt over whether this was my fault.

Would she have been so overwhelmed if I hadn't needed her to calm me? If I hadn't been so aggressive with the EMTs and doctors, would she have been able to relax and recover without added stress?

Then I thought about her comments regarding Lydia. On one hand, she was right; continuing our deception when an honest option existed changed things morally. But beyond morality, if there was a way to protect Ella from this stress and guilt, from the threats of the Prince and being my Luna, shouldn't we pursue it? I'd justified our arrangement by claiming that becoming King was the only way to protect the pack and my family, making the threats she faced necessary. But that wouldn't be true if Lydia conceived.

Should I be trying harder to find a she-wolf to be my Luna? Not for the campaign, but for Ella and Rafe?

"It's not that simple," my wolf insisted. "The pack won't accept you abandoning Ella for Lydia. You've worked hard to make them love the human, and it's worked."

"That's not because of me," I countered, stroking Ella's hair as the nurses took her vital signs and started an IV. "She made them love her, just by being herself."

"And Lydia made them hate her by being herself," he argued. "If you announce you're taking Lydia back, it could cost you the campaign, regardless of her pregnancy."

"You may have a point," I acknowledged.

"I'm completely right, and you know it," he retorted haughtily.

"Fine," I conceded, exhausted by the debate, "but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way after the campaign. Ella deserves whatever life she wants—a quiet life with our pup, out of the public eye. I want to give her that, even if it means letting Lydia or someone else be Luna after I'm King. That was the original plan, remember? It's not her fault I got lost along the way."

"But you're not the only one who's gotten lost," my wolf argued. "Think about how jealous and upset she was about you being with another woman. That has to count for something."

Ella's soft murmur, "Dominic," wrenched me from my thoughts. How long had I been holding my breath? It wasn't fair that such a small creature could tie my insides in knots the way Ella did. She thinks she's powerless, I mused, leaning over her bed, yet no one has ever had so much power over me.

The doctors declared Ella dehydrated, stressed, and hypertensive, but otherwise unharmed, leaving me to brood while I waited for her to wake. Her OBGYN was on his way. Until then, we were alone.

"You naughty girl," I teased, stroking her cheek. "Fainting to avoid telling me your feelings?"

"It wasn't on purpose," she pouted, looking at me with concern. "Why are you out of bed? What about your X-rays?"

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart," I encouraged. "How are you feeling?"

"Sort of hungover," she admitted, trying to sit up. I gently caught her shoulder. Eventually, she huffed, "Dominic, I have to pee."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" I was smiling like an idiot, so relieved she was awake and talking. I scooped her up, unhooking her IV to take her to the restroom.

Ella squeaked, crossing her arms as if afraid to touch me. "What are you doing!? You're hurt!"

"Don't worry, trouble. I heal fast," I assured her, glaring at the nurses we passed, who looked like they wanted to scold me. They cowered under my glare, and I found it amusing how much harder it was to intimidate the human in my arms.

"Not that fast," Ella insisted, gnawing on her lip, reopening the cut. She gasped in pain, so I tsked and purred.

"If you keep that up, I'm going to have to find a way to keep your lips occupied," I said darkly, realizing it sounded more lascivious than intended.

Ella didn't seem to mind. Her heart thumped loudly, and her pupils dilated. Luckily, a bathroom kills a mood quickly. I deposited her on the toilet and calmly weathered her glares and admonishments until I left her to finish, making her promise to call me. I heard the toilet flush and sink running, so I pushed the door open to glare at her. "Ella, you're a fall risk."

"And you're an overprotective ogre," she countered, drying her hands and climbing back into my arms so willingly that my wolf melted. I had to fight to maintain my stern demeanor, reminding myself not to coddle her.

"Do you think that just because I'm injured and you're in a delicate condition I'll let you get away with defying me?" I rumbled in her ear, chuckling when she shivered.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, ignoring my question.

"About half an hour," I informed her. "My X-rays came back while you were out. I'm going to be fine."

"Good," she breathed, sounding relieved.

"You were really worried, weren't you?" I inquired, settling her back in her bed.

"How could I not be?" Ella asked, blinking at me. "I know you're strong, but that car… it's a miracle you're not more hurt."

"I'm fine," I promised, kissing her hair. "You don't have to worry about me, Ella."

She gave me a challenging stare. "I'd like to see you take your own advice."

I flashed my fangs, but the OBGYN interrupted. "Knock, knock," he said, peeking around the curtain. "I hear you two have been causing chaos, defying hospital protocols."

"I'm innocent," Ella immediately announced, pointing at me. "It was all him."

I threw my head back and laughed, ignoring the pain. "Oh, you're really determined to dig yourself into a hole, aren't you, baby?" I remarked ominously, stroking her nape.

"I'm just being honest," she shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I think you've had enough excitement," the doctor said, frowning. "Ella, you need bed rest."