Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 344-“All right,” I say, keeping half an eye on trouble and sister-trouble as I look around the room at my assembled team. “We’re here today to make a concrete plan regarding our next moves against the Cult that attacked our pack and attempted to kidnap my child. Everyone here has been briefed on the events that occurred yesterday. I applaud your work in coming up with the information we need to make the next best step we can. But now it’s time to act. Dad?”

I turn the group’s attention to him, eager to hear what he has to say regarding the reconnaissance that we assigned teams to complete yesterday and last night.

“Right,” my father starts, leaning forward in his chair and glancing over his papers, though I know he’s memorized every word on them. “Our capture of a Dark Priest yesterday morning resulted in a great deal of new information, if not yet definitive answers regarding how to stop these attacks. However, one of the most significant pieces of information that we’ve gathered came in last night.”

I listen while my father speaks but keep my eyes on everyone in the room, wanting to judge my men’s physical reactions to the information. I know that we’re going to need to put together an assault team at some point, and I’m going to want the best and most engaged on it. At my father’s last line, everyone seems to perk up a little, but I spot a few men whose eyes burn with a particular hunger at this turn.

“Last night, there was significant consideration of the fact that, while Ella and Dominic shifted into their wolves to attack the men who came for Rafe yesterday, the attackers themselves did not shift. I want to particularly applaud Conner O’Mally for noticing this particular fact.”

All eyes move, then, to a bulky red- haired young man who nods humbly, even when a slight blush at the recognition colors his pale cheeks. I nod at him, marking him mentally as one I might want by my side.

“At least one of the men,” my father continues, “would have had to stay in his human body in order to carry the child, of course. But the others continued the assault without shifting which, as we all know, is unique. And put them at a particular disadvantage.”

Ella catches my eye here and we raise our brows at each other. We were caught up in the moment, of course, but I feel, quite suddenly, a little stupid that neither of us noticed this. It’s true – considering the numbers we went up against, it should have been a more difficult fight and it would have been, had they shifted.

my grandson yesterday, that they were, instead, a distraction meant to get Dominic and Roger out

nods a little, considering this fact and the entire room listens eagerly, on the edge of

now to a slim dark-haired young man down the table, “Simon suggested an alternative. Simon?” Henry invites, “if you

put on the spot but responding ably to the pressure. “The men who came into the bedroom, according to reports,” he nods politely to my mate here and she smiles at him, “moved with incredible speed and were able to break glass that they should not have been able to

now, wanting her input. Does

and how they came through the window. It is difficult to describe but…it was not

sharp nod in thanks and she smiles at me in return. I can’t help the little smile that twitches at my

hard to keep a straight face around her. Roger’s right – I let her get away

back to Simon, giving him a nod and inviting him to continue. As he begins I consider that he’s a little too small for an assault team,

common practice, but there are certain enclaves where priestesses worship remote ones, monasteries really – where priestesses actually bind their wolves in order to differently access the magic that would allow them

of us shift uncomfortably in our chairs. It would be …incredibly painful, and isolating, I consider, to choose to

the idea, snapping at it. I run a mental hand down his black fur, assuring him

do you know this,” Roger asks, sharp but curious.

a moment, perhaps a little