Chapter 747

"Ari! Ari Clark!" Ella hisses from inside the helicopter.

"Cadet Ari Clark!" Cora says, lifting her chin and regally pretending the mistake didn't happen. "Appear immediately! With, um, my kid! Jesse! And my other nephew! Rafe!"

"Wh-what?" the staff member says, staring at her, baffled.noveldrama

"Oh, will you just go get Ari, Rafe, and Jesse?" Cora sighs, dropping her hands from her hips, her shoulders slumping. "Oh, and the seamstress! The pretty one! Now, please," she slaps on a charming smile. "It's important."

“Um, okay?" the staff member says, looking at the duchess like she might be insane. But she scurries inside, intent on the task.

Two minutes later, the doors open again and Jesse and Rafe appear, Ariel awake and bundled in Rafe's arms.

"Mom!" Rafe calls, worried, striding for the door to the helicopter. "What the hell are you doing!? Why didn't you just come inside?" "Because we're not going inside," Ella says, gesturing for Rafe to climb into the helicopter and then reaching for her daughter.

“Mama,” Ariel croaks, quite tender, reaching for her mom and wrapping an arm around her neck, burying her face in her mother's shoulder. "There, baby," Ella coos. "I'm here now. We're going to take you on a little vacation."

"What!?" Rafe breathes.

"What's going on?" Jesse asks, giving his mom a hug but then frowning at her. "Ariel can't travel, she -"

"Listen, it's Ella's world when one of her kids is hurt," Cora sighs, shaking her head at Jesse. "She gets what she wants, and she wants to take Ariel away for a few days so she can recuperate."

"Yes, you go now," Ella says, giving Rafe a little kick on the rump. "I love you, but go away."

"What!?" Rafe gasps, staring down at his mother and his sister. “I —“

"It's a girl's trip, Rafe," Ella says, giving him a glare. "She's been too long with all of you boys, she needs girls."

"But -"

"Go!" Ella growls, baring her teeth to let her son know that she's serious.

He groans but does as he's told, knowing that not only is Ariel in the hands of a very capable magical healer, but that Ella is the best person in the world for making someone feel better. If Ella says Ariel needs a girl's trip, then that's what she needs.

"Where's Daphne?" Cora asks, peering over Jesse's shoulder.

"What?" Jesse asks, going still and staring at his mom as Rafe hops down out of the helicopter. "You're taking...Daphne?"

Before Cora can answer the girl in question peeks wide-eyed around the door, a little grey kitten peering out from the pocket of her sewing smock.

“Oh, good!" Cora says, beaming at Daphne and striding around her son to take the girl's hand. “Come on, we're abducting you."

"But -" Daphne gasps, looking desperately at Jesse. "I don't —"

"Ariel's been rejected and needs girls," Ella says, smiling warmly at Daphne as Cora helps her into the helicopter. "And she loves you! So, I figured you'd want to come along. You like spas, right?"

"But I have work -" Daphne says, sitting down even as she looks desperately at Jesse. The kitten ducks low, in his pocket, hiding. But then Daphne's head snaps back shock written all over it. "Wait, Ariel got rejected!? Oh my god," she snarls. "I'm going to kill Luca."

“See, you're already in the right spirit for this trip," Cora says, clapping Daphne warm on the shoulder.

Ari just sobs quietly into her mother's shoulder.

"Be a dear and close the door, Meatball," Ella says, smiling gently at her son. "You did a good job - but we'll take it from here."

Rafe sighs and reaches out for the

door as Jesse stands pale at his side, his eyes darting between Ariel and Daphne. "You'll keep us updated? Let us know that she's all right?"

"Of course, baby," Ella says, stroking Ariel's back. "Just keep your phone on."

Rafe nods once and then closes the helicopter door, knowing he did everything that he could - that Ariel's in the best place she can be.

Almost immediately after the door is shut the helicopter lifts into the air, heading off into the night.

Just as it begins to fade from sight, a huge wolf bounds from the treeline and into the field.

He spins, horrified, watching as the helicopter pulls away.

And then he howls, full of grief, and falls panting to the ground.

He doesn't tear his eyes from the helicopter until it fades into the distance, vanishing from sight.