“Ohhh, Rafey,” I murmur, reaching for my baby boy as Cora and Roger come into the room. “I’m so sorry, mommy and daddy just needed a minute.”

“Yeah,” Roger says, his smirk deepening. “To talk.” I shrug a little and return his smirk, refusing to let him embarrass me as I carry my baby over to his little changing table and gather the supplies I use when I feed him.

“What happened out there,” Cora says, a little breathless as she presses the door shut and looks around at us, wide-eyed. “I mean – is that…okay? For them to just bring a criminal and an enemy back into the nation?”

“It’s not precisely legal,” Sinclair sighs, waving the group of us forward towards our little living room once I’ve got all my supplies gathered. “But it is complicated, and a very… targeted message that they’re giving to us.

That they’re on Xander’s side in this, agreeing with his policies and his lineage, not mine.”

Together, we troop into the living room and I settle onto the couch as I begin to feed the baby, hoping that he gets as much comfort as I will from the familiar routine.

“Are you two all right?” Roger asks, looking between. me and Sinclair, who settles on the arm of the couch behind me.

“We’re fine,” my mate growls, and Roger smirks a little but nods as he sits in an armchair across from us. Cora looks a little confused, but shrugs, giving up trying to figure it out and sitting in Roger’s lap, clearly wanting to be close. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him.

“All right,” Roger says. “Then what’s our plan on how to retaliate?”

“Unfortunately,” Sinclair sighs, “they’ve played their cards well, bringing Xander here on a diplomatic mission. Because I have to be…perfectly diplomatic this entire weekend, or else I risk not being crowned.”

I ask, surprised as I look up at him. “It’s that

diplomacy – no matter how large the trial – I rip someone’s throat out? I’d say it’s enough to give any nay-sayers a strong

and looking down at Rafe, my

the more informal events,” Sinclair murmurs. “But yes, when they gather as a delegation en masse? There’s nothing I can do to prevent him, unless I do want to risk sparking war. Not unless he crosses

tilting his

we…provoke him into

plan to get me pregnant and then steal the

crossing his arms over his broad, muscled chest. Something stirs in me again as I look at him, and Sinclair glances at me, the start of a smile down his lips as

a little. I can’t help it. He

you two,” Cora murmurs, still confused and

her closer. “Don’t worry about it, Cora,” he murmurs, kissing her neck. “Ill

confused, but gives

to do anything to truly provoke war – this was just their gambit, their way of letting

weekend without killing him, they should go away and give us more time to

they’ll let him go?”

looking seriously down at me. “I’m securely in power now, and everyone knows that Rafe is my son and heir. If he tries to claim the throne through Rafe…” Sinclair

clear-thinking mate has returned, pleased to have been able to

know we

sitting up a bit straighter, her strategic mind at work. I smile at her, thinking that Cora has probably the best mind for these sorts of games of all of us – except, perhaps, for Henry, who I suddenly

demonstrate to them

an eye

growls, a sound of vengeance that makes me smile, “we take

deep, contented breath now, smiling around at my family

good plan,” I murmur,

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