Chapter 471


    War E The next day, Cora and Rogere over early. Roger and Sinir head out, their faces


    solemn, to speak with their aids and their advisors regarding how to respond to the news we know is


    inevitablying. Our reconnaissance teams told us that the Atxian delegation did indeed return


    homest night and were apparently in council until dawn.


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


    Sinir, 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 dered.


    But Cora and I?


    Well.


    We’re just…being moms.


    “E,” 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 augh 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 butugh as Iy 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 afortable set of my clothes. She came to the pce today in


    more formal clothing, but as soon as Sinir let her know that she probably wouldn’t be required to


    appear or speak she immediately expressed her intention to change.N?velDrama.Org content.


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


    her sweatshirt.


    “I know,” she says, rolling her eyes andughing as shees over to me. ” I’m getting huge.” “Oh, no


    you’re not,” I say,ughing as we together move into the living area through the next door and settle


    onto the couch. “Trust me, you’ll know you’re huge when you can’t even see your feet.” Cora does look


    down at her feet as she tucks them up beneath her on the couch, her hands going 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 kind of crazy that wolf mothers only get two-thirds of that time.” “Or less,” I


    say, raising my eyebrows. “I didn’t even make it to six months.” “I wonder how long mine will be,” she


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


    hybrid stuff.” “Surprises are always exciting,” I say, resting back on the couch and holding my baby


    close to my chest, turning him a little so he can look at his auntie. Rafe giggles a little, the sweetest


    sound in the world.


    “Not when the surprise results in a pup,” Cora murmurs, and Iugh at her displeased tone. “I’d like to


    know, to have a timeline.” “Timelines are just you trying to control 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 unknown. There’s no way of predicting or controlling what wille next.”


    “Yeah, well,” Cora 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, E, if I lean into my desire for increased control a little more instead.” I nod,


    understanding her. Before I can say anything else, though, the door opens and Roger and Sinir


    come through, their hands shockingly empty of tablets, phones, paperwork – any of the usual


    outrements of running the nation that I’m so used to seeing them carry these days.


    “What,” I say, frowning up at my mate as hees to stand behind me. ” All done work for the day?”


    “Nothing more we can do,” he murmurs. “Budge over I want to sit.” I grin, scooting forward almost


    halfway across the couch to make room for him to sit down behind me. Cora wordlessly makes more


    room, going to sit on Roger’sp 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 me.


    My smile grows when I see Roger press a kiss to Cora’s jaw, and then another on the mating mark he


    ced high on her neck.


    “So?” I say, turning a little to look at Sinir, finding his eyes already on me. “Is it done?” “It 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 turns to a news venue, and words


    stretch across the screen.


    WAR DECARED Not wanting to hear the details he already knows, Sinir 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 kiss to Rafe’s soft hair.


    “We tried so hard to avoid it,” I murmur.


    “They know they have the upper hand,” “Sinir replies, and I can feel him shake his head, feel his


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


    Valley is incredibly valuable, both innd and intellectual resources.” “Which means they’ll fight very


    hard to take it,” Roger sighs. “It’s going to be…a long war.” “How long?” I murmur, looking down at the


    top of Rafe’s head, so d that he’s oblivious.


    “Long enough,” Sinir says quietly behind me, “that it’s unlikely he’ll grow up knowing peace, E. I’m


    sorry.” “Don’t be sorry,” I say, my reply instant – because it’s really, really not his fault.


    And I bolster myself then, knowing that Sincliar is as worried as I am. Knowing that he needs me to be


    strong for him, as he is for me. I work to put a smile on my face, to make myself feel the hope that I


    know lives within me, even though my heart hurts.


    “At least,” I say, turning to look up at Sinir, letting him see that hope, ” Rafe’s got a big strong papa to


    protect him.” “Oh, he doesn’t need me,” Sinir replies,ughing a little and reaching down to take


    Rafe’s tiny hands in his own giant mitts, moving Rafe’s hands in quick jabs to make it look like he’s


    punching. Iugh to see it. “Our boy’s a fighter, E.


    Born that way.” I bite my lip, because I wanted Rafe to choose his future to decide to be a fighter if he


    wants to be, or an artist if that speaks to him more. Or both. Or something in between.


    But, well. We all grow up in worlds that shape us beyond our own desires. And if our hearts are true…


    well, they lead us to what was meant for us anyway, right?


    Despite all obstacles.


    “He’s going to have a beautiful life,” I murmur, stroking my baby’s hair. “No matter what Atxia throws


    at us. We’re going to give it to him.” “That’s right,” Sinir says, kissing my head. I turn my face up to


    him and happily ept the next kiss, which he ces on my mouth.


    “Don’t forget about our baby,” Roger calls, frowning at us. I grin as I turn back to my sister and her


    mate, curled up in their chair. “His life is going to be even better.” “Really, Roger?” Sinir says, his


    voice dry. “We have to getpetitive about this too?” “Damn right we do,” Cora says, a wicked grin on


    her lips that makes meugh.


    “Our kid is going to be even happier than yours.” “Challenge epted,” I say, pretending to re at


    both of them. ” Whoever’s kid has the better life wins.” And we allugh a little, because we know that


    both boys are winners here, with a family like this to fight for them.


    “Whatever happens,” Sinir says, looking around at all of us, “we have each other. And that’s all that


    matters.” “Precisely,” Cora says with a nod, her hand tracing idly over her stomach. ” Whatever this


    world throws at us, we can face it.” And I hold my baby tight, and lean back against my mate, and smile


    around at my family, knowing in my heart that they’re right.


    Because I’ve got big ns for our future – ns I haven’t quite shared with them yet. But I’m so


    grateful to have such a strong family by my side, through the good times and the bad.