Accidental Surrogate

Ella

Two hours later, Sinclair and I welcome our friends back to our house for a casual breakfast and coffee

or mimosas, according to preference to celebrate Rafe’s moonlight baptism. I can tell our guests are dragging – they’ve been up all night, after all – but spirits are high.

“Wow,” I say, leaning back against Sinclair’s chest with a croissant in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. Rafe, thankfully, is asleep in his little recline stroller. Usually I’d put him to bed in his crib, but I want people to be able to say goodbye if they have to leave. “I can’t believe everyone I still up,” I say, peering around at our friends and family. “I mean, I know we’re on baby time so normal hours mean nothing anymore, but everyone else…”

“It’s a special occasion,” Sinclair murmurs; lowering his face to my hair and taking a long sniff of my scent. “We’re used to it. In wolf culture shifter children are rarer than we’d like, so we take the time to celebrate them when they’re born.”

“That’s so nice…” I say, sniffing a little, my eyes filling with tears.

“What?” Sinclair asks, pulling away from me a little, shocked. “Are you – why are you crying –

I swat at him, laughing a little. “What! Hormones! I’m tired! Leave me be.” Then I brush the tears off my cheeks, smiling despite them. I’m just overwhelmed and grateful, honestly, for all the love that our family has shown our baby. “It really is a beautiful tradition,” I murmur, and Sinclair kisses my cheek before moving away to talk to some of the Alphas who have come to see their new prince.

As Sinclair moves away, Isabel quickly moves to my side to take his place. “Hi, mama,” she says, giving me a warm smile as she wraps an arm around my waist. “How are you doing?”

“Forget about me!” I cry out, wrapping my arms around her again, “how are you? How are James, and Sadie?”

“They’re good,” she says, but the way she smiles at her mate across the room lets me know that her words are an understatement. James raises a hand to me, little Sadie slumped against his shoulder, deeply asleep.

want to put her upstairs in one of the guest rooms?” I ask Isabel quickly, taking her hand and squeezing it. “You can stay as long as you like –”

so glad we could be here and meet the baby – but we both want to get home. We have…a lot of work to do

me. She nods to a little love seat in the corner and I follow her there, Rafe’s little pram in

from everyone and as private as we can

– and there’s nothing wrong with that you’ve had such a hard pregnancy, and

my hold on her hand, “please just tell me –“My stomach is roiling with guilt to think

nothing that he’s done wrong

my sleeping baby. If I were ever separated from him by war – just, had no idea where he was,

to where Sinclair is standing. “I’m sorry maybe

sort of work. If Sinclair intends to lead these people, I don’t

Ella, if you’re still healing, you need to focus on yourself

“Thank you, love,” I say, giving her a little smile. “I’ll take care of myself, and my family. But I’m going to help too. Can you tell me? Who is the worst hit, where should I

lowering her voice and looking around the room. “It’s…complicated.”

her, not understanding, but giving her the space to work through her

right side won this war. That Damon would have worked to disenfranchise the humans completely, to enslave them if he could. Sinclair, we

understanding her, remembering the councils during the war when even

think of it,

but…old prejudices, they die hard. But, Isabel, what does that have to do with refugees?”