Accidental Surrogate

Ella

As a group, we head together into the darkness of the forest.

“Did we have to go somewhere so creepy for this?” I ask Sinclair, looking warily around the woods. Usually my wolf thrills to be under the canopy of the trees, but today, I can feel her wary inside me.

“It’s a sacred space,” Sinclair explains, smiling down at me, placing one hand on my back to ensure that I don’t trip over any errant roots. “Are you feeling it too? The magic in the air?”

“How could I miss it,” I murmur, looking around. “This place is… thick with it.”

–

It’s true – I can’t see anything in the air around us, but I’m certainly aware that this place is sacred. Either because it was always a special place, or made special due to the repeated process of bringing children here with the intent of dedication, this patch of forest is unique. Even the trees around us are just a little different – their trunks darker, thicker. The way that the branches twine up towards the sky is more elegantly twisted than I’ve seen elsewhere.

Overall it’s not a bad feeling just…different.

I glance over my shoulder at Cora, who I can see is uncomfortable. She’s the only human in the party today and, even though she doesn’t have a wolf who can sense the magic like mine can, I can tell that she, too, senses the difference of this place. I give her a warm smile which she returns, coming closer to my side.

“This place is weird,” she says softly, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she’s cold. “Scared,” I correct. “But yeah, sacred and weird.”

We take a little path deeper into the woods, worn flat enough by the passing of thousands of feet over the years that Henry’s chair has no trouble passing down it. When we lose sight of the vans behind us, so deep in the forest that the trees obscure our sight of the road, I see a figure ahead, dressed in silver robes.

us, and I recognize the voice of the priestess who we met in the temple. We murmur our greetings when we come

all. I haven’t been parted from Rafe since that day in the hospital where he slept in the nursery for a few hours. Since then, I haven’t been further than one room away from him, and even that I kept as short as possible. And now I was going to hand him over to his godparents to take

bed, but the priestess gives me a warm smile, perhaps reading my

ready as I’ll ever be,” I sigh, still anxious. I feel Sinclair’s

wrap my arms around Sinclair’s waist, resting my head against his chest. I know that Cora and Roger will take good care of Rafe but…until

priestess coos to the baby, who starts to fuss in her arms, and then nods to Cora and Roger, who each

in front of our gathered group

child for dedication?” she calls

responds, his voice resonant and

our intent. Then, she

”

to Cora and surprising me by taking her hand. I look up at Sinclair, wondering if that’s part of the ceremony or just Roger being Roger, but my mate’s face gives nothing away. I turn to Cora, then, who looks just as surprised as me. The priestess nods to Roger and Cora in turn and then crosses to them, placing my baby in my sister’s arms. “Take him,” she says, waving a hand behind her into the forest. “Forward, to the pool. Let him bask in the light of the full moon so that he may know his Goddess. In return, she may give you insight into his future life. Take it for the gift that it

steady. Cora nods as well, less sure about what to say but certainly determined to do right by her

nods again and steps aside so that Cora

swallowed by darkness, my heart in my throat. And then, when I can’t see them anymore, I hold my breath and wait.

Cora

frustrated as I trip again over another root, “that they’d spend a little more time clearing the path to this pool, if people come out here

me,” Roger replies, wanting to be helpful but irritated, a little, by my slow pace. If

in the dark. “The priestess gave the baby to me, she

not what she meant, Cora,” Roger replies, his voice a little crabby. “And she’s not going to be

”