Accidental Surrogate

Ella

Hugo, Sinclair and I are all staring at the television with wide eyes and slack jaws,

unable to process the images flitting across the screen. It seems like every time we

manage to take a few steps forward, Lydia and the Prince find a way to send us

reeling back – and this is no exception.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Hugo expresses, obviously overwhelmed. “Why would

he risk losing the pack’s sympathy by parading around another Woman so soon after

his wife’s death?”

“Trust me, Hugo – Damon isn’t the one calling the shots here. This is all Lydia.”

Sinclair states gruffly. “She’s going to force her way onto the throne one way or

another. Right now she’s playing the doting friend, but mark my words, by the time the

election ends she’ll be in his bed.”

“How bad is this?’ I ask, looking up at Sinclair’s handsome face, “Does she have

information that could hurt you?”

Sinclair Squeezes my shoulders, “She knows some secrets.” He relates, “but luckily

nothing I could imagine as a smoking gun. In fact most of what she knows would be

more harmful to the Prince things like my father’s attack, Things the public believes

were accidents but our private investigators proved malicious.” His mouth flattens into

a hard line. “The real danger is that she knows how we think, how we operate. Not to

mention that the Prince doesn’t have more than two brain cells to rub together, but

Lydia has plenty.”

“So what do we do?” I ask anxiously, my head replaying the news reel over and over

again. “My bed rest isn’t common knowledge, and they’re making it sound like my

absence from the public eye is suspicious. Do we tell everyone about my condition?

Or do we make an appearance?”

“I’m afraid making an appearance might play right into their hands. This could be

some sort of attempt to lure us out of hiding.” Hugo advises, looking very grim indeed.

In the distance I hear the front door open and close – a fact which comes as quite a

surprise, since my hearing has never been so sharp before.

Wheels roll over the door jam, and then Henry’s voice floats up toward us, “Good

Morning!”

“Henry!” I exclaim, both taken aback yet unsurprised we stayed in bed so long.

Sinclair’s father has been coming over almost every day since we agreed to be

invalids together, and he’s been an invaluable help, since I learned my true identity.

the restroom to change. I might

ingrained to allow me to strut around nude

Sinclair does – and I’m definitely not changing in

also dressed,

Sinclair carrying me

every day, but it

around the breakfast table, the men analyzing these

voices, and me feeling

matters I can’t begin to understand. It’s not that they exclude

of my depth.

Ella?” Sinclair asks, turning his

more than half an hour, debating

to this

on my lower lip thoughtfully, trying to ignore the

nervous habit. Releasing my swollen

Lydia’s husband?I mean the Princess is

married to some other Alpha, right?” I clarify. When

is he in all this? Even if he doesn’t want her anymore, it must make him

gallivanting

good point.” Henry praises, maintaining a straight-faced

not giving out false compliments.

this the

understand their motivations, we can simply leave it at

corrupt and respond without

expecting some sort of

might be able to spin ourselves out of the hot seat

them –

and distract the pack

nods approvingly. “Good idea,

my hand in support, but when I

don’t like it. I think it’s the best hope we have,

entire situation just doesn’t seem

course not.” Hugo scoffs, “You don’t need to convene

tell you this is all fucked six ways to

mean, I feel like I’m

something bothering me and I just

on it.”

saying from the beginning that Princess Angeline’s death

political scheme.”

one the Prince is too unimaginative to have orchestrated.” Hugo

eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and then he

hand into a fist and swearing up a storm.

isn’t too unimaginative?” Sinclair growls, scanning

faces.

“And while Prince Damon might

than a trophy, he’s not the type to

have any reservations about getting

of the way.”

what I think you are?” I

believe my

as it seems, what other explanation do we have?”

the dining table. “If

death, I wouldn’t question it. And if

the case for rogues

by Damon. But poison? That’s

political scheme you would think the royal family would

her death and spun the details in a

Damon looking sympathetic.”

“Instead it

Sinclair confirms. “If it was planned,