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.

on his chest and shoving him back. Though I’m

laughing and falling back

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

Cora a peck on her cheek. “We’ll figure it all out

look. “Really, we will.” And then she takes Roger’s hand

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 his head to give me a kiss on the cheek.

tight against him. “They’re idiots for

the things that

always be easy for them,” I sigh. “Not like it was for

I can feel him shake his head against the back of my neck. “You almost died

his arms and looking sincerely up

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

it was always

looking calmly down into my eyes. “But their love is

to me. “Like ours.

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

both of them.”

pass with that seeming like a very real

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

To see the tiny little touches he

ear, to see the way she turns her

his dark, wry little jokes.

takes me by the shoulders and gives me

must go back to

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

need you!”

”

need me,” she says, taking her hands

trying to keep me in a little love bubble with Roger so

something.”

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

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

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 that requires me to actually

go deal with all of

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

ask, glancing up at her.

hand to her forehead and shading

need to be a big girl and

forward and rubbing her on the arm in what I hope is a comforting