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.

hand on his chest and shoving him back. Though I’m not

to stop him, Roger complies, laughing and falling back a bit. “I

laughs, putting his hands up. “I promise,” he says, “I just want to see my mate comfortably

figure it all out when you wake up, okay?” I say, giving her a little

then she takes Roger’s hand and walks out

happy,” I say, leaning against his chest and sighing contentedly. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, dipping his head to

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

say anything for a moment, considering all the

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

the back of my neck. “You almost died like, four times since we’ve been

sincerely up at him. “We always had

other, and especially that I was a

with us, it was

what you mean,” he says, looking calmly down into my eyes. “But their

“Like ours. They’re

so,” I sigh, resting my head against his chest and closing my eyes. “That’s all I want.

both of them.”

next five days pass with that seeming like a very real possibility. Cora and Roger stay with

they can’t

them growing closer. To see the tiny little

down to say something in her ear, to see the way she turns her face up to him and

dark, wry

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

go back

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

need you!”

”

don’t need me,” she says, taking her hands back and

trying to keep me in a little love bubble with Roger so that I don’t change

something.”

raising my eyebrows at her and giving her a too–innocent smile. “Is

me. “I’m not changing my mind, Ella. I’m in love

she holds a finger up, stopping me. “But I have a life. And a boyfriend who I never broke up with. And a job that requires me to actually help people. And I

with all of that!

looking petulantly down at my shoes. “Did you seriously never break

glancing

a guilty hand to her forehead and shading her eyes, embarrassed.

need to be a

the arm in what I hope is a comforting way.