Ella

The next day, Cora and Roger come over early. Roger and Sinclair head out, their faces solemn, to speak with their aids and their advisors regarding how to respond to the news we know is inevitably coming. Our reconnaissance teams told us that the Atalaxian delegation did indeed return home last night and were apparently in council until dawn.

Which suggests that at any moment now, they’ll declare war.

Sinclair, I know, is spending a great deal of time deciding how to publicly respond. I think that he and Roger right now are recording a message that will go out to the nation as soon as the war is declared. But Cora and I?

Well.

We’re just…being moms.

“Ella,” she says, sighing and holding Rafe out towards me in my closet, wrinkling her nose. “I think you precious future King needs to be changed.”

I sigh, my sweater only half over my head. “So? Go change him.”

When I pull my sweater down and settle it neatly over my stomach, I see her grinning at me, my baby still outstretched in her arms. “Nope,” she says, shaking her head. “Your baby, your diaper.”

“You’re going to regret that policy,” I say, taking Rafe from her with raised brows, “in juuuuust about three and a half months, Cora.”

“And for three and a half months, I will be diaper free!” she calls after me with a laugh as I carry my smelly baby over to his changing table in the bedroom.

Rafe grins at me, looking honestly a little proud of himself, and I can’t help but laugh as I lay him down and quickly change him. “Little Rafe,” I coo, smiling down into his perfect face and tickling his belly, “getting so big! Do you want to try an apple today? Or some avocado?”

As I finish changing Rafe, Cora comes out of the closet, changed into a comfortable set of my clothes. She came to the palace today in more formal clothing, but as soon as Sinclair let her know that she probably wouldn’t be required to appear or speak she immediately expressed her intention to change.

up the baby, my eyes going to where her little baby bump is clearly evident under her

laughing as she comes

the living area through the next door and settle

to either side of her belly. “It just goes so fast, these wolf pregnancies,” she says, shaking her head. “Human moms get nine months to adjust; it’s

“I didn’t even make it

studying her belly, smiling down at her little baby-to-be.” No way of knowing,

couch and holding my baby close to my chest, turning him a little so he

in a pup,” Cora murmurs, and I laugh at

the chaos, sis,” I murmur, resting my head against my baby’s. ” And with children – and this family?” I shake my head a little. “Maybe it’s better to just lean into the

sighs, looking up at me now. “With war on the horizon? And Roger looking like he’s going to be in the midst of it all?” she shakes her head. “Forgive me, Ella, if I

shockingly empty of tablets, phones, paperwork – any of the usual accoutrements of running the nation that I’m so used

mate as he comes to stand behind me. ” All done work for

can do,” he murmurs.

down behind me. Cora wordlessly makes more room, going to sit on Roger’s lap and draping her legs over the side of the armchair on which he settles. I lean back against my mate, pleased when he slips an arm around

at Sinclair, finding his eyes already

is,” he replies with a little sigh. Then he reaches for the remote and presses a few buttons, turning on the television that hangs on the far wall. The channel immediately

WAR DECARED

the details he already knows, Sinclair presses mute and wraps his arms more tightly around me. I sigh, pressing myself against him, and then I dip my head again to press another

tried so hard to avoid it,”

down the bond. “It’s a gamble – but if they win? The rewards will be worth

fight very hard to take it,” Roger sighs. “It’s going

at the top of Rafe’s

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