Chapter 466


    Roger and I are quiet the next morning as we go through our breakfast routine in the kitchen. It’s not an


    awkward sort of quiet, just…us thinking our own thoughts while staying very close to one another.


    We stayed uptest night, first attending to the baby. Roger was heartbroken, too, that our barely-


    formed child was already worried about something – and that it’s all our fault. So we spent a good long


    time passing himfort and happy thoughts down our bond, letting him feel reassured. When he


    finally drifted off to what we call sleep even though, honestly, it’s probably not an urate term Roger


    and I took a deep breath and finally got back to the real conversation: what the hell we’re going to do.


    But, of course, we didn’te up with any solutions. Because our past experiences in thest, barely-


    finished war have already made it clear to us that trying to make ns? It never works.


    So we eventually fell asleep holding each other close, whispering promises to put each other and our


    family first, even as the nation and its people ask us for more.


    “That’s weird,” Roger murmurs, flicking through his phone as he leans against the counter, a cup of


    coffee in hand.


    “What,” I ask, turning to him and blowing on my tea to cool it, “the fact that you’re actually reading your


    messages? That you know where your phone is?


    That it’s charged?” He flicks his eyes up to me and smirks, but shakes his head. “No,” he murmurs.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    “Sinir sent me a message telling me not toe in until this afternoon. Says he needs to sleep.” My


    eyebrows go up in surprise. “Wow, cking on the job, so early in his reign.” Rogerughs a little and


    tucks the phone away in his pajama pocket. ” Nah, something’s up,” he says. “He wouldn’t take a sick


    day unless he needs it. Do you think it has something to do with E? That crazy dinner she went to


    last night?” My eyes widen as I consider it. ” Maybe,” I say, reaching for my own phone, hoping maybe


    she texted to fill me in. But I scowl when the screenes up empty. And then I turn my head to the


    side a little, curious… Because it’s not like E to not send me ten texts in the morning – general


    greetings, pictures of Rafe, selfies of her with bed-hair with her gigantic mate walking around in the


    background of the picture.


    “Hmm,” I say, looking up at Roger. ” Sis is being very quiet too.” “Well,” he says, smirking and putting


    his coffee down, stepping closer and wrapping a hand around my waist to pull me close. “Either way, it


    means I have the morning off. What ever shall we do?” “Oh, I’ve got some chores in mind,” I say,


    grinning and putting my tea down before standing on my toes so I can wrap my arms around his neck.


    “Some tile in the shower needs to be regrouted “That bathroom is brand new, Cora- “Or the garbage


    disposal keeps making this really weird noise -” “You’re imagining that,” he murmurs, pulling me sharply


    closer. ” Or it’s haunted, which is also something I can’t do anything about.” Iugh, nudging his nose a


    little with mine. “Well then, there is a problem with the bed -” “Oh really?” he says, bending a little and


    wrapping his hands around the back of my thighs before standing up straight and taking me with him. I


    grin and wrap my legs around his waist, leaning back a little so I don’t crush the baby between us.


    “Mmhmm,” I say, a low and throaty affirmation. “It’s actually a problem with the sheets, underneath the


    nkets – ” “Well,” he says, starting out of the kitchen and heading for the stairs. ” This sounds serious


    – we’ll have to investigate this right away -” And Iugh as my gorgeous mate carries me upstairs, and


    into the bedroom, and ms the door shut behind us.


    Roger and I thoroughly enjoy our morning off, so much so that we’re stillying in bed chatting hours


    later, all wrapped up in each other. I slip my fingers through his hair, only half listening as he tells me


    more about his and Sinir’s ns to create an Alpha Academy to train young wolves to be officers in


    the war, staring at the shape of his moving lips and marveling at how good looking he really is When


    suddenly, we hear the front door downstairs creek open and then m shut below us.


    Roger is instantly alert, his arm wrapping around me as he pulls me beneath him a bit, his lips peeling


    back over his teeth as he growls at the door, tense and waiting for more hints about exactly what


    “Cora!” Roger’s body ckens as soon as E’s voice rings up the stairs, apanied by her


    pounding feet.


    I sigh, putting my hands on Roger’s chest and giving him a little shove. ” Come on,” I say, “we’re going


    to want to get dressed before she -” “Speak for yourself,” he murmurs, leaning back against the pillows.


    ” She’s the one bursting into our house it’s her own fault if she sees something she doesn’t want to see


    – ” But I just stand up and throw his pajama pants at him before moving to the closet and pulling on a


    robe. I’m barely covered when E bursts into the room, Rafe perched on her hip.


    “Cora!” she says, scowling at me, annoyed, one hand still on the door handle.


    “What’s wrong with you – why didn’t you answer any of my texts!?” I shrug at her, frowning a bit. “I don’t


    know the phone was downstairs!” “I needed you, Cora!” she says, hoisting the baby a little higher and


    frowning at me as Sinir appears in the doorway behind her, looking sleepier than E does, but


    equally serious. Still, I ignore him for now, a little annoyed at my sister.


    “I’m not at your beck and call, highness,” I say, rolling my eyes and looking around for more clothes.


    Because even though Roger is justnguishing naked in the bed, barely covered with the sheets, I am


    not wolf enough yet to have that little immodesty. “Would you mind giving me a minute of privacy to get


    dressed?” “This is important, Cora!” E protests, frowning at me and crossing her arms.


    “Five minutes, E!” I snap, ring at her as I turn into the walk-in closet.


    “Fine,” she mutters, turning away back towards the stairs, clearly intending to meet me in the kitchen or


    the living room.


    “Hey, Ells!” Roger calls after her retreating form. “Hey, Dominic! So nice to see you and have you


    acknowledge my presence in my own home!” “Sorry, Roger!” E calls from the stairs. “We love you


    too! We just need Cora’s magic for a minute!” Roger frowns at me as Ie out of the closet with a set


    of clothes in my hands and start to get dressed for the day. “Your magic?” he asks. “What, do they need


    a sudden storm or something?” “Who knows,” I murmur, shaking my head, and then I re at him.


    “Would you please get dressed? This family is weird enough, we don’t need to have chats about magic


    while one of us is naked.” “I prefer the term ‘tastefully nude,” he says, smirking at me as he gets up and


    comes to my side, giving me a sweet, thorough kiss before smacking my ass and heading towards the


    closet to find some clothes.