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 him back. Though I’m not

falling

just want to see

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

“Really, we will.” And then she

happy,” I say, leaning against his chest and sighing contentedly. He

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

moment, considering all the things that held them back in the

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

Sinclair says, and I can feel him shake his head against the back of my neck. “You almost died like, four

turning in his arms and looking sincerely up

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

with us, it was always smooth

into

says, nodding to me. “Like ours. They’re going

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

both of them.”

with that seeming like a

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

to see them growing closer. To see the tiny little touches he places on her back

see the way she turns her face up to him and

dark, wry little

then, on day six, Cora takes me by the shoulders

back to the

my head back on my neck

need you!”

”

hands

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

something.”

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

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

I have a life. And a boyfriend who I never broke up with. And a job that requires me to actually

with all

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

ask, glancing

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

But I need to be a big girl and go…do it.”

the arm in what I hope is a comforting way.