Chapter 382
#Chapter 382 – Cora’s Decision
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“What?” Cora asks,ughing a little as if it’s a ridiculous notion. “What on earth could I have to
pick and choose from?”
“Let’s back up a little,” Roger says, tugging her into the room and gesturing towards one of the chairs
around the table. As she settles herself into a seat Sinir pulls over the little armchair that I’ve been
using when I feed Rafe, and I murmur my thanks to him as I settle down in it. As Roger begins, Sinir
swiftly hands me all of the things I need to feed Rafe a burp cloth, a little
–
nket to throw over my shoulder, etc. – and I smile to myself at his consideration in anticipating my
needs without me having to ask.
My Alpha is a warrior, but he’s also a sweetheart. And I’m grateful for him every day.
Everyone waits for me to get settled, but then once Rafe is happily eating Henry begins.
“We discovered,” Henry begins, his eyes moving between me and Cora, “that Xander has fled east to
Adxia.”
“Shit,” Cora sighs, slumping down in her chair. My emotions match hers. We knew that Xander was on
the run that we’drgely decimated any of his martial forces in taking out his priests. But our great fear
was that in the time it took us to regroup, that he’d leave the country and find allies who might help him.
And it looks, now, like he did precisely that.
“Is Adxia…a good ce for him to go?” I don’t know a lot about the neighboring kingdom, especially
as I was raised as a human and hadn’t known that overlying the map of the human world there was a
hidden world of wolf kingdoms with its own wars and politics. Of course, ever since Damon broke the
secret of the of the wolves to the human world those have
maps
increasinglybined to be one, but still – what I don’t know about wolf politics could probably fill
its own book.
Which, considering that I’ll likely soon be Queen, is…unfortunate.
But I force myself to pay attention to Henry’s answer
“Adxia is a notoriously ruthless wolf nation,” he sighs “They stick even more strictly to what they
perceive as the traditions of wolf kind even more than we do Inparison to them we are.
nidiculously liberal”
N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
“What does that nean?” Cora asks, crossing her arms over her chest, her face worried and confused
“It means,” Roger exins, “that Xander has likely found allies with a group who would not be on board
with our own nation’s current policy, which is that wolves and humans are equal and deserve to be
treated with the same respect. They would also,” he continues, hesitating now and looking between me
and Cora, “really not like the fact that we’re having this conversation with our
mates. For Adxians, women are…”
“Second-ss citizens, at best,” Sinir finishes for him. “And at worst, property.”
“What?” I gasp, my eyes going wide. “Seriously? Are they also a nation that’s been frozen in time for
five hundred years?”
“I mean, it’s not a bad way to think of it,” Roger says, tilting his head to the side. “Women there
are not taught to read or write, they have almost apletely separate culture and stay strictly within
their homes. It is…not great, in terms of rights.”
“Gross,” Cora says, her face clearly disying her disgust. “Though, it makes sense why Xander
would go there, considering how he tried to use E as his broodmare.”
“Precisely,” Sinir says, nodding along with her. “And they’re staunch nationalists and
monarchists as well. They’re likely to respect Rafe’s im to our future throne as Xavier’s
grandson, not as my son. And, as such, would see Xander’s im to the role of regent as…
legitimate.”
“That’s all so ridiculous,” I say, sighing as I look down at my baby, this innocent little person
around whom so much revolves.
“Agreed,” Sinir says, reaching out to ce aforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s unfortunate
that he was able to get there so fast. This would all be much easier if we had caught him at the
border, had been able to prosecute him here without having to go through a foreign government to
do it.”
“Why?” I ask. “Can’t we just…demand that they give him back? Extradition, or whatever?”
“We could,” Sinir replies, looking seriously down at me. “If I was King. Which, currently, I am
not.”
I blink up at him for a second, confused, and then put all of the pieces together. “Ohhhh,” I say.
my eyes going wide. Because while all of the other ims to the throne within our country have. been
disposed of, and it’s rather a foregone conclusion that my mate will take the throne.
He hasn’t done it yet Which means, technically, that he doesn’t yet have ess to any of the
powers which would allow him to make any of these demands.
“Well, how fast can you do it?” Cora says, sitting up straight and looking easily at Sinir Can we do
like some kind of quick and duty coronation? p a crown on you and get you on a throne
by morning?
We allugh a little at the idea of this, but there’s no real cheer in it, because I think we all know
the answer. “It’s moreplicated than that,” Sinir says, running a hand through his hair. First, I
have to im it, and then my im has to be ratified by the governors. It’s…all a bunch of
bureaucratic nonsense. Interestingly the kind of bureaucratic nonsense that the Atxians don’t
care about. In their country, I’d have been king the moment I killed Damon. But,” he shrugs a little,
rueful. “That’s what we get for wanting to live in a nation in which the people have a say in their
lives. It’s a better process – but it takes longer.”
“Well,” I say, looking up at him. “Can we get it started?”
“We can,” Sinir says, nodding down at me. “But this is where your choicees in, Cora,” he
says, shifting his gaze to her.
“Seriously,” Cora says, spreading out her hands on the table. “I can’t with the suspense anymore. Can
one of you please just tell me what’s going on?”
“Until Dominic is King and we have ess to the state military and protection,” Roger says quickly, “we
don’t think it’s a good decision to split up anymore. Which we all agreed to.”
“It has been a disaster, hasn’t it?” Sinir says, looking down at me again. “Every time we try to leave
you two home for safety, we either get torn up or you do. Or both.”
“So we’re staying together from here on out,” Roger says, gesturing around the room. “The six of us.
Or, well,” he nces at Cora’s stomach. “Six and a half.”
“I would like to point out,” Cora says, “that this was my n from the start- but noooo. I wasn’t allowed
to go to the sewer, was I?”
“Yes, you’re very clever,” Roger says catingly, rolling his eyes a little before moving on, which makes
meugh lightly. “B, Cora, if we get everything started with Dominic’s coronation, that
means that..”
He hesitates now, as if he knows what he says will hurt her.
“What?” she pushes, dying to know and getting a little frustrated
“It means that you wouldn’t be able to go to the temple any time soon,” Sinir finishes “To ask your
mother for answers to the big questions you have About your baby, and about your mating
“Oh,” she says, sitting up straight in her chair and thinking it through “Oh, I see
Inod along with her, seeing the point now Because after we discovered that the priestesses of my
mother’s temple in the city had been infiltrated by the Cult, it has been shut down for the mother!
Besides, that temple was more of a ce of worship than a true condunt for my mother the closest of
those temples where priestesses have in dedication to her and are able to truly call on her presence is
hundred el is away
And if Cora wants to go and ask her questions?
We either have to do it now, before the coronation begins? Or she has to wait – and that waiting could
take quite a long time.
I purse my lips, wondering what the right choice is. Because what matters more now- answering my
sister’s big questions? Or chasing down the man who tried to kidnap my son?