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.

and shoving him back.

stop him, Roger complies, laughing and falling back a bit. “I said sleep. Not bed.”

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

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

she agrees, giving me a steady look. “Really, we will.” And then she takes Roger’s hand and walks

against his chest and sighing contentedly. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, dipping his head to give

too,” he says, holding me tight against him.

the things that held them back in the first

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

his head against the back of my neck. “You almost died like, four times since we’ve been together. How is

say, turning in his arms and looking sincerely up

especially that I was a wolf too, then…” I shrug,

least with us, it was always smooth sailing.”

looking calmly down into my eyes. “But their

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

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

both of them.”

like a very real possibility. Cora

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

To see the tiny little touches he places on

to see the way she

his dark, wry little

then, on day six, Cora takes me by the

back to

on my neck

need you!”

”

need me,” she says, taking her hands back and folding her arms across

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

something.”

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

not changing my mind, Ella.

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

to go deal with all of that! Okay?”

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

I ask, glancing up at her.

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

But I need to be a big

forward and rubbing her on the arm in what I