Chapter 171


    Chapter 171 – Separation


    E


    When Sinir left, all my wolf wanted to do was climb up to the highest tower of the Prince’s pce


    and howl into the sky, to cry out for our mate until ourbined voices went hoarse. Instead I allowed


    myself a single hour of wallowing – I climbed into a bubble bath, turned on the saddest song I could


    find and cried until my tears ran dry. Afterwards I pulled myself together and got dressed, even though I


    could feel Sinir slipping further and further away with every minute that passed.


    We’ve never been this far apart since my wolf woke, and I’m amazed by how keenly I can feel his


    absence. As he drove away, Sinir’s beloved voice continued to sound in my mind, I love you, E. I


    love you, Rafe. But it faded in perfect synchrony with the widening gulf between our hearts, and


    eventually it wentpletely silent. Now the only way we’ll be able tomunicate through our bond


    is in dreams, otherwise we’re stuck with the technologies I knew as a human: cell phones and emails.


    I know the best thing for my agitated wolf is to keep busy, so I start my day by meeting Cora and


    Gabriel in the King’s study, to begin nning the political summit Sinir suggested. My sister is still


    half-asleep and sulking about the fact that Sinir left Roger behind as added protection for us, but she


    offers me a sympathetic squeeze all the same. “How are you doing?” She murmurs, her arms locked


    around my back.


    “Well I mate it out of bed and I’m not crying anymore… so better than expected.” I confess, burying my


    face in her neck.


    “Tsk, poor thing.” Cora replies, rubbing my back. A note of humor enters her voice then, “My intrepid


    wolf sister, brought to her knees by a boy. I never thought I’d see the day.” She teases, even though


    this isn’t truly a fair assessment.


    Sometimes I think my big sister is blinded by the rtionship we had as children, because though she’s


    remarkably perceptive about my personality in many ways, there are other facets that go over her head


    completely. She sees the protector, the martyr who suffered withoutint and then shut out all the


    pain for so many years. She doesn’t see the love-starved girl so desperate for affection that she settled


    for scraps from a scoundrel. No, in fact if there’s one of us who avoids attachments at all costs- it’s her.


    Even as I think it, two new scents enter the room, as if they heard my inner musings and appeared to


    prove me right.


    “If I were you, I wouldn’t let Dominic hear you call him a ‘boy’.” Roger’s husky voice has Cora pulling


    abruptly away from me, a scowl on her pretty face. He and Henry are framed in the doorway, though


    my sister doesn’t seem to notice my father-inw at all. Her full focus is on Roger.


    “What are you doing here?” Cora inquires rudely.


    I give her a little pinch on her arm, and she yelps and pinches me back,” Hey!”


    “y nice.” I instruct in a low mutter, even though I know the men can hear us perfectly well.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “TelI him.” Cora snipes, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to look at the wolf now grinning


    at her like the cat who caught the canary.


    I shoot Roger a withering look, and he has the decency to wipe the smirk from his face. “Alright.”


    Gabriel chuckles, taking the opportunity to steer us back to the matter at hand. “Let’s talk about the


    summit, we’ve got a lot of work to do and not much time to make it happen.”


    “What exactly are we expecting?” I inquire, trying to recall the details Sinir had shared with me in


    between sessions of our marathon lovemaking.


    “Well, if all the Alpha’s turn up we’ll be looking at about twenty pack leaders with their mates, betas and


    guards.” The King exins. “We have gatherings of this sort a couple of times a year, so luckily my


    staff is well versed in housing, feeding and entertaining the lot – that isn’t anything we have to worry


    about.”


    This is some relief, but my mind is lingering on all the refugees sleeping on rough cots in the camp near


    the air field. “What exactly is the pce’s full capacity? In terms of the number of shifters it can house?”


    “We can support a few hundred people – not all at the same level of luxury of course. The guards and


    lower ranked members of each delegation will join my own in more modest quarters. Alphas will have


    suites simr to yours and Dominic’s, and betas somewhere in between.” Gabriel answers thoughtfully.


    “Why?”


    “Well I know it’s not what we’re here to discuss right now, but I’ve been thinking about finding better


    lodging for the refugees from the continent. I hate leaving them in such stark conditions.” I frown. “I was


    wondering if we might be able to put them up here, though I know that’s a huge imposition.”


    Gabriel offers me a gentle smile. “It wouldn’t be, but I’m not sure that’s the best option. We could feed


    them and put a roof over their heads, they could be near their leaders,” he acknowledges, nodding to


    me. “But in my experienceing into thep of luxury when you’ve just lost everything you own can


    be a cruel reminder, and the pce isn’t exactly the warmest environment. I would suggest finding local


    families willing to offer their guest rooms so that the refugees can have a sort of home stay. Between


    us, we could find a way to supplement ies to support the extra mouths being fed, and the shifters


    from the continent would be weed into the arms of a real family and a real home.”


    “I like that idea.” I agree, “and it would also help them integrate into themunity here, to feel


    epted. If there’s resistance to their presence among your own pack, this would also be an important


    way to build support. It would be especially good for the orphans.” I add, my mind returning to the


    children. “Maybe we could even ce some of the parents who lost pups with the unapanied


    minors.”


    Henry smiles, “Brilliant. Though you’ll have a time convincing Isabel to give them up.”


    He has a point. The she-wolf I ce in charge of the orphans has taken the job to heart, bing a


    fierce protector and loving guardian for each of the parentless pups. The orphan tent has be


    something of a sanctuary under her leadership, and I doubt she’ll want to relinquish her new babies to


    other families. “I’ll talk to her.” I vow, “besides it’s good to have someone like Isabel in charge of cing


    the children anyway, she’ll ensure the foster families are top notch.”


    “E’s right.” Cora pipes up, sending me a meaningful nce full of understanding, appreciation and


    bitter memory. ‘You can’t be too careful with children in these circumstances. And we could move her


    and the unced pups here in the meantime.”


    “Agreed.” Gabriel nods, “And your point about public sentiment here is well taken. That is going to be


    one of our challenges with the pack leaders at the summer. If Damon continues to expel people at


    these rates, we’re


    going to need to expand homestay cements outside of the capital. No shifter would begrudge the


    wolves fleeing his violence, but some of the leaders will be worried about the strain on their resources. I


    can think of a few particrly stingy Alphas who will require significant funding before agreeing to such


    a thing.”


    “Sinir has plenty of money to spare, even with the war effort.” Henry assures Gabriel, and I btedly


    realize I don’t know the first thing about my mate’s finances. I know he’s a billionaire, but I don’t truly


    understand the extent of his wealth or liquidity – especially after fleeing the continent. My father-inw


    turns to me now, ‘You two might have to make some hard decisions between winning the war and


    saving enough to rebuild afterwards, but I think that’s a ways down the road. For now I can work with


    you to appropriate funds to support the refugee efforts.”


    “Thank you.” I profess, squeezing his hand before turning back to the King.” And the rest of the


    summit? What do we need to worry about most?”


    ‘Well, by the time they arrive, most of the Alpha’s will have already made up their minds about whether


    or not they’ll offer an alliance. One or two might withhold judgement to see which way the others vote –


    to follow the popr tide as it were.” Gabriel exins. “Still, I think I can fairly predict who will be for


    and against you. It will be our job to focus on thetter.


    There are four or five Alphas whose minds you’ll have to change, and we need to structure the events


    around the summit so you can do that, E.”


    At first, I assumed he was speaking to all of us as a team, but when Gabriel calls me out by name, I


    blink in surprise. “Me?” I utter dumbly.


    “Who else?” The Kingughs.


    “But I’m not… they don’t even… why? How?” I stammer, sounding painfully uncertain of myself.


    “Because Dominic will have demonstrated his strength and leadership and made all the logical


    arguments.” Gabriel answers easily, “Where logic cannot sway, there is only emotion, and if anyone


    can soften their hearts to the cause, it’s you. And as for the how? All you have to do is be yourself.”


    I can’t quite believe my ears. I thought that my usefulness to Sinir was strongest in terms of


    supporting him, not in the actual politics. “If that’s true, then why didn’t Dominic take me with him?” I


    question. “I mean I know he was worried but, if I can actually help…” I trail off, doubting my mate’s


    exnations for the first time.


    “Because we don’t want to give them too much time to think about it.” Gabriel shares slyly. The logic


    will be weighing on them for weeks, and the emotional impact will move them in the moment, but it will


    likely wear off after a few days. That’s why Dominic decided to do it this way. You can stay safe here


    with us while he travels and nts seeds in the minds of the leaders, then we bring them here – and


    you make them bloom.”


    My wolf swells with pride, but at the same time I have to wonder. “I don’t get it. If this was the n all


    along, why didn’t he tell me?”


    “Because,” Henry smiles gently. ‘You wouldn’t talk to him.”


    I flush scarlet. “Right.” I owe my mate a big apology.


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