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.

chest and shoving

Roger complies, laughing and falling back

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

figure it all out when you wake up,

then she takes Roger’s hand and walks out the door and

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

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

anything for a moment, considering all the things that

them,” I sigh. “Not

the back of my neck. “You almost died

his arms and looking sincerely up at him. “We

figured out that we loved each other, and especially that I was a wolf too, then…” I shrug,

with us, it

see what you mean,” he says, looking calmly down into my

to me. “Like ours.

my head against his chest and closing my eyes. “That’s all I want. For

both of them.”

a very real

why they can’t go, and

the tiny

say something in her ear, to see the way she turns her

of his dark,

six, Cora takes me by the shoulders and gives me

back to

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

need you!”

”

she says, taking her hands back and

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

something.”

I say, raising my eyebrows at her and giving her a too–innocent smile.

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

say it but she holds a finger up, stopping me. “But I have a life. And a boyfriend who I never

with all

down at my shoes. “Did

ask, glancing up

says, raising a guilty hand to her forehead and shading her

to be a big

stepping forward and rubbing her on the arm in what I