Chapter 166


    Chapter 166 – E Broods


    E


    After leaving our rooms I sneak down to the kitchens, hoping the pce chef will take pity on me. My


    stomach is grumbling with a hunger so fierce I feel dizzy, but thest thing I want right now is to be


    social. I love my family and King Gabriel is growing on me by the day, but faking smiles and pretending


    I haven’t just had the biggest fight in the history of my rtionship with Sinir sounds absolutely


    dreadful.


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    I’m not sure why this fight feels so much worse than the ones before. After all, we got through Lydia’s


    attempted assault and fake pregnancy, as well as countless other small battles about Sinlcair’s


    overprotectiveness, my defiance, and sharedmunication failings. Still, this is the first time since we


    met that Sinir has suggested we separate for any length of time, and maybe that’s the real reason


    I’m so hurt.


    I probe my own feelings for fears of abandonment or doubts about his devotion, and I’d be lying if I said


    I came up entirely empty. Part of me, a very small and irrational part, does fear that Sinir might not


    return for me if he goes away. An evenrger and more ridiculous part of me wonders if he’s leaving


    me behind because the magic has faded now that we’re officially mated.


    You’re right. That is ridiculous. Sinir growls in my head, and I realize I identally projected my


    fears through our bond again. My mate sounds furious at the very notion, and apparently he was so


    affronted by this idea that he couldn’t stay silent. You know how crazy I am for you, trouble. You know


    I’ll alwayse back. You put those doubts out of your gorgeous head this instant.


    Get out of my thoughts! I order bitterly, trying to imagine a great granite wall shutting over our mental


    link. I’m not sure if it works entirely, but Sinir doesn’t speak again. I return my focus to my tangled


    emotions, and though I am a bit hurt that my mate can stand the idea of being away from me, I quickly


    confirm that my greatest upset is due to hisck of support. I believe I can handle the challenges of this


    journey and that it’s important for my wolf to get experience in the real world – so why doesn’t he?


    Does he really believe I’m so weak that I’ll fall apart at the first sign of trouble?


    Baby, I told you it isn’t like that. Sinir chimes in again, and I feel the full weight of his hatred for the


    idea of separating us, as well as his love and belief in my abilities. I just need you to be safe. If we can


    get through this we’ll have a lifetime of opportunities for you to-


    I said get out! I repeat angrily, imagining a giant lock on the granite wall, and mentally mming the


    bolt into the ground before wrapping it up in thick chains. I’m still not sure if it fixed the problem, so I


    decide to test my sneaky mate. Dominic, I want you to know you’re a great big dummy. You smell


    terrible and your wolf has fleas.


    Silence. Beautiful, utter tranquility. Finally. I think in exasperation. I know blocking the bond with Sinir


    will get easier the more I practice, but now it takes almost all of my strength in order to keep him out.


    As I pass the dining room on my way to the kitchens, I hear Roger and Cora talking in tense voices. I


    slow down, feeling both guilty for eavesdropping but also impossibly curious about their conversation. I


    haven’t had a chance to ask my sister about the tension between them yet, but it’s so palpable that


    you’d have to be blind to miss it.


    Roger’s husky voice floats through the door, and I can hear one racing heartbeat and another, much


    steadier one. “So what will it be, Cora? Do you want to surrender now? Or do you want to keep


    pretending like you don’t feel this thing between us?”


    I press my hand over my mouth to smother my gasp. I can’t believe Cora hasn’t told me that Roger has


    been pursuing her this way. I thought it had just begun, but from the sounds of it this has been building


    for a while.” Just because you feel something, doesn’t mean I do,” Cora replies, her voice shaking.


    “And for the record, if you’re going to be chasing after humans you should know we don’t believe the


    word ‘surrender’ belongs in discussions of romance. It’s generally reserved for battlefields and arrest


    warrants.” She adds primly.


    A few months ago I would have agreed with her, the word surrender used to evoke images of violence


    and animosity for me. Now it only evokes the blissful release of being at my mate’s mercy, of letting him


    take control of my body and trusting him to take care of me.


    Roger chuckles darkly, his voice going soft and gravelly. “Haven’t you ever heard that love is a


    battlefield? I’m pretty sure your kind have written entire songs about it.”


    “Who said anything about love?” Cora gasps, sounding even more shocked and rmed than before.


    “Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.” Roger murmurs, and I can practically picture him brushing Cora’s


    hair back from her face. “Or maybe not.” He adds in a low purr, seeming amused by some reaction or


    expression of hers – perhaps a shiver?


    I hear a chair push back from the table, and then Cora’s fleeting voice. “I have to go.”


    “No.” Roger objects, sounding gentler now. “You stay, I’ll go.” His footsteps recede into the distance,


    then pause. In my mind’s eye, I see him turning back for onest look at my sister. “I’m sorry if this


    caught you off guard, but it’s not in my nature to pretend I don’t have feelings for someone when I do.


    I’m letting you off easy today because I know this wasn’t easy for you, but don’t expect the same


    lenience in the future, Cora. Pretend all you want, but I know you feel the same, and I’m not going to let


    you go without a fight.”


    I hear one of the interior doors open and click shut, and once I’m sure Roger is gone I decide that I


    don’t need to avoid the dining room after all. They clearly weren’t having that conversation in front of a


    crowd, and I want to check on my sister.


    When I enter I find Cora sitting with her face in her hands, and I can see her red cheeks through her


    parted fingers. Her breathing is ragged and shallow, and she jumps out of her seat when I rest my hand


    on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s only me.”


    “Oh,” She exhales shakily, her dted pupils slowly zeroing in on me. There’s a faint scent of arousal in


    the air, and I know it isn’t my own.


    Interesting. I think, trying to mask my features so as not to mortify my sister with this information. As


    soon as Cora’s surprise passes, she swats my arm. ’Where have you been?!”


    “I’m sorry, Dominic and I had a fight.” I exin, “I was nning on skipping dinner entirely until I


    realized everyone else had the same idea. Are you okay?”


    “No!” Cora moans, frowning deeply. “Roger is… he’s… well basically he just made a pass at me.”


    “I heard.” I say with a wince, not wanting to lie to her. “I thought something might be up with you two but


    I didn’t want to assume.”


    “You heard the whole thing?!” Cora exims, eyes wide. ’Why didn’t you do something?”


    “Not the whole thing, just the very end.” I assure her, wondering how long they’d been talking and what


    exactly ‘the whole thing’prised. “But what would you have had me do?” I inquire curiously, recalling


    the way she used me of never letting her fight her own battles and finding it incredibly contrary that


    she should now hold it against me.


    “Interrupt him, bite him, sic Dominic on him… I don’t know.” She sighs, winding down a bit as she works


    through the options and seems to realize how ironic the request was. “I’m sorry, I know that’s not your


    job and I should be able to handle one nosey wolf on my own… I just, I think I’m in way over my head.”


    Her skin is still flushed, and I have to wonder if she would be anywhere near this agitated if she wasn’t


    interested in Roger. “In over your head because you don’t like him?” I begin hesitantly, wondering how


    to word this. “Or because you do?”


    “Wha- I…” Cora trails off looking stunned. “Of course I don’t.” She exims, much too quickly and


    sharply to be believable.


    “Cora.” I say pointedly. “I know you. I’ve never seen anyone get you worked up this way.” In fact, I’ve


    never known Cora to date anyone. She’s been with men, but only ever in one night stands with no


    strings attached.


    “Well I’ve never been hit on by a wolf.” She counters indignantly. “I mean you should have seen him, all


    cocky and smug… like he knows everything and can read me so well.”


    “Can he?” I ask simply, for the first time wondering whether her detached romantic life hasn’t merely


    been a healthy woman in her twenties sowing wild oats, but a way of avoiding a deeper connection.


    “Absolutely not.” She answers firmly, shaking her head.


    “Okay. Do you want me to talk to him for you?” I offer, even though I don’t really want to give her such


    an out. I love my sister and I don’t want Roger to pressure her if she’s truly uninterested, but my


    instincts are telling me it might be a good thing someone is finally pushing her out of herfort zone.


    “No.” Cora replies after a moment, seeming to dislike the idea of me fixing her problems again rather


    than handling this herself. With an expression of resignation, she meets my gaze with renewed


    determination.”Leave Roger to me.” 1