#Chapter 379 – Family Planning Ella
We’re an almost ridiculously cheerful group about an hour later when Roger and Cora come to join me and Sinclair in his little clinic room.
Roger is first through the door, his face stark with worry as he storms into the room after getting word – probably from Hank – that Sinclair is awake.
“Dominic -” he says, all anxiety as Cora follows him in, closing the door quietly behind them. But Roger stops in his tracks when he sees Dominic sitting up happily in bed, smiling down at Rafe who has just woken up from his nap and finished eating. I’m sitting happily on Sinclair’s side, so I have a front-row seat.
“Hey, Rog,” Sinclair says, looking up and giving his brother a warm smile.
“Seriously?” Roger asks, staring a little dumbfounded at his brother. “You – you sleep for three days after being miraculously healed and all I get is ‘Hey Rog’?”
“What else do you want?” Sinclair asks, frowning confusedly at his brother.
“I don’t know,” Roger says, throwing out an exasperated hand. “Something more significant I guess – maybe some kind of address to the fact that you had us worried sick when you wouldn’t wake up
“Ignore him,” Cora says happily, crossing the room to Sinclair’s side and dropping a happy little kiss on his cheek. “He’s just had a hard couple of days groveling to Hank after punching him in the face and handing Rafe back to his kidnapper.”
Roger scowls, sinking his hands into his pockets and glaring around at the three of us. “Seriously? Three days later, and I can’t get a break about that?”
“We’ve forgiven you,” I say, raising my eyebrows and gesturing between me and Cora – and, I admit, enjoying his awkwardness a little bit. “But Dominic,” I say, pointing at my mate now, “hasn’t even had a chance to be mad. Not to mention Rafe, when we tell him in ten years. He’s gonna be pissed.”
Roger clenches his hands into fists and glares around at all of us, starting to get pissed again, and Sinclair – to my glee – feeds into it.
“You’re demoted,” he says with a deep Alpha’s command, glaring back at his brother. “No longer my Beta, Roger. I’ll see what I can do about getting you some menial command, see if you can earn my trust back-
“Dom-“Roger gasps, his face falling, but the slow smile that spreads across Sinclair’s face has me and Cora cackling. Roger quickly figures out the joke.
“Jackass,” Roger growls, taking a few steps forward to smack his brother on the calf.
“Ow!” Sinclair gasps, pretending to be hurt and flinching his leg away.” Roger, I’m healing -”
Roger’s face goes slack, but when we all burst again into laughter he just crosses his arms and glares at us. “I reject all of you,” he murmurs, staring at each of us in turn. “I break the bonds of mate, of family, of…sister-in-law,” he continues, though I can see him fighting his smile. “Because I refuse to spend my life bonded to jerks who take joy in my guilt and pain – ”
“Oh, get over it, Roger,” Sinclair interrupts, laughing and looking down at Rafe now, who coos and smiles, apparently picking up on the good mood in the room. “It’s fine. No one blames you for anything. Except maybe Hank.”
Roger groans a little, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Cora comes to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I almost wish it was Hank who betrayed us and tried to kidnap Rafe,” he murmurs, looking up at his mate. “Then I wouldn’t have to be nice to him.”
“Poor baby,” Cora murmurs, frowning insincerely down at him. “You’ll just have to get over it. And, of course, admit I was right.”
“Never,” Roger growls, pulling her close and making her laugh.
“How’s the baby, Cora?” Sinclair asks, shifting Rafe who he hasn’t put down for a moment since he got the baby in his hands so that he can look all around at us. I bite my lip a little as I watch my mate with his baby boy, pleased to see the obvious love that runs between the two of them.
“Baby is okay,” Cora says, smiling down at herself and putting a hand over her stomach. “We were worried for a little bit – I also lost a lot of blood 1 but after Ella healed me,” she gives a little shrug and meets Sinclair’s eyes again. “We were anxious for a day or two but Roger says that the connection is still strong. I don’t think there’s any reason to be worried anymore.”
“Good,” Sinclair says, raising his eyebrows. “Rafe needs his buddy.”
“Oh yes,” Cora says, raising her eyebrows a little sarcastically, “As long as Rafe gets his buddy, I’m glad my pregnancy can continue.”
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