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.

his chest and shoving him back. Though

laughing and falling back

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

and then giving Cora a peck on her cheek. “We’ll figure it all out when you wake

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

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

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

considering all the things that held them back in the first

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

says, and I can feel him shake his head against the back of my neck. “You almost died like, four times since we’ve been together.

sincerely up

we loved each other, and especially that I was

with us, it was

you mean,” he says, looking calmly down into my eyes.

ours. They’re going to

chest and closing my eyes. “That’s all

both of them.”

a very real possibility.

why they can’t go, and

see the tiny

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

of his dark, wry little

Cora takes me by the

go back

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

need you!”

”

her hands back and folding

love bubble with Roger so

something.”

eyebrows at her and giving

changing my mind, Ella. I’m in

have a life. And a boyfriend who I never broke

deal with all of that!

down at my shoes. “Did you

ask, glancing

says, raising a guilty hand to her forehead and shading her eyes, embarrassed. “I kind

need to be a big girl and go…do

say, stepping forward and rubbing her on the