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.

I say, putting a hand on his chest and shoving

him, Roger complies, laughing and falling back a bit. “I said sleep.

just want to see my

her cheek. “We’ll figure it all out when

“Really, we will.” And then she takes Roger’s hand and walks out the door and up the stairs with

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 shoulders, dipping

he says, holding me tight against him. “They’re idiots

for a moment, considering all the things that

for them,” I sigh. “Not

my neck. “You almost died

looking sincerely up at him. “We

and especially that I

it was always smooth sailing.”

down into my eyes. “But their love is a big

me. “Like ours. They’re going to work

his chest and closing my eyes. “That’s

both of them.”

like a very real possibility. Cora and Roger stay with

I keep making up reasons why they can’t go, and it fills my heart with

the tiny little touches he places on her back when he

say something in her ear, to see the way she

his dark, wry little

six, Cora takes me by the shoulders and gives me a little

must go back

head back on my neck and groaning.

need you!”

”

me,” she says, taking her hands back and folding her

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

something.”

raising my eyebrows at her and

laughs, shaking her head at me. “I’m not changing

stopping me. “But I have a life. And a boyfriend who I never broke up with. And a job that requires me

to go deal with all of

down at my shoes. “Did you seriously never break up with

ask, glancing up at

she says, raising a guilty hand to her forehead and

be a big girl and go…do

the arm in what I hope is