Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“As happy as this is,” Sinclair says, folding his arms over his chest and looking around at the four of us. “And it is happy,” he says, looking at Cora and Roger to let them know that he’s sincere. They nod their understanding. “We do still have a problem on our hands,” he says, nodding to Rafe

in my arms.

“Yes,” I say, looking eagerly up at Cora. “Henry found out some more about the cult – I’ll tell you

all about it. It’s…not good,” I say, with a little grimace.

“Oh,” she says, drawing her brows together. “Okay – yes, I want to hear everything.” I nod, tugging at her waist so that she’ll follow me into the house. Sinclair and Roger come close behind.

“Did you find anything else out?” Sinclair asks Roger.

“No,” Roger replies, a little apologetic. “Just what we sent you from the library. Was it useful?”

“Incredibly,” Sinclair confirms, thankful. “But yes, we found out more…”

”

My mate and I take Roger and Cora into the little office and tell them everything, seating Rafe in

a little swing that we’ve placed there temporarily since we’ve been spending so much time here.

working on this issue. They’re both as horrified as we were to discover that we likely have

someone in our midst who is working for the cult, who either has already betrayed us or will soon.

Though both wrack their minds they, like us, can’t come up with a viable candidate for who it is.

“We need more information,” Sinclair growls, thoughtful, as he flips through what paperwork his

investigators have produced for the case, as if he might find something else there. I nod, agreeing,

but I look at Cora and see her fading a bit.

“You haven’t slept, have you?” I ask, concerned.

She smiles at me, apologetic, but shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Ella,” she says. “I want to help but I

think…”

“Upstairs,” I say, my voice definitive, swatting her on the rear. “Immediately, sleep.”

“I’ll take her,” Roger says, stepping forward to take Cora by the arm.

on his chest and

and falling

“I promise,” he says, “I just want to see my mate

say, narrowing my eyes and then giving Cora a peck on her cheek. “We’ll figure it all out

me a steady look. “Really, we will.” And then she takes Roger’s hand

move to Sinclair’s side as we watch them disappear form our sight. “I’m so happy,” I say, leaning against his chest and sighing contentedly. He wraps his arms around my

tight against him. “They’re idiots for not doing it sooner.”

say anything for a moment, considering all the things that held them back

“It’s not going to always be easy for them,” I sigh. “Not like it was

head against the back of my neck. “You almost died like, four times since

say, turning in his arms and looking sincerely up at

and especially that I was a wolf too, then…” I

us, it was always smooth sailing.”

calmly down into my eyes. “But their

to me. “Like ours. They’re going to

my head against his chest

both of them.”

seeming like a very real possibility. Cora

why they can’t go, and it fills my heart with

the tiny little touches he places on her back when

something in her ear, to see the way she turns her face up to

his dark, wry little

Cora takes me by the shoulders and gives me a little shake, insisting

must go back to the clinic.

tiling my head back on my neck and groaning. “Just stay here with

need you!”

”

need me,” she says, taking her hands back and folding her arms across her

a little love bubble with Roger so that I don’t change my

something.”

her and giving her

her head at me. “I’m not changing my mind, Ella. I’m

holds a finger up, stopping me. “But I have a life. And a boyfriend who I never broke up with. And

to go deal with

mumble, looking petulantly down at my shoes. “Did

ask, glancing up at

forehead and

need to be a big girl and go…do

I say, stepping forward and rubbing her on the arm in