Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 422- Bath Time

Ella

“Cora,” I scold, frowning, “you know I don’t’ feel that way – ”

“Well I know you’d never say it,” she protests, sighing. “But I do get that this union between a wolf and a human that, symbolically, it’s important. And even if you’re not disappointed that it could be…disappointing.”

“I want you to have the mating ceremony you want, Cora,” I reply, steady in my truth here. “Especially in the case of something as important as this.” I give her hand a little squeeze before pulling mine away. “But if you’d like to consider a middle path…maybe you could let me show you what I was thinking?”

She turns her head to look up at me, surprised. “You’ve been…planning?”

“Just a little,” I say, unable to keep the eagerness out of my voice. “Just late at night when Sinclair is asleep and I can’t sleep, or I get up to feed Rafe – ”

“You’ve been loosing sleep over this!?”

“No!” I protest, but then I hesitate. ” Well, not much.”

“Ella!”

“Just – can I show you what I was thinking!?” I plead, “sister to sister!? And then, if you hate it, you can say no.” A wide grin comes to my face then. “But I think you’re going to like it.”

Cora gives a big sigh, leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes. ” Fine, Ella,” she says. “But this is not a yes.”

“I didn’t think it was!” I say, newly excited. Because honestly…it’s gorgeous, and I can’t wait to show her my plans.

evening, Sinclair immediately looks up at me from his casual position on

sleeping to my chest. I put my hands on my hips. “What’s so

his gigantic self and standing up from the bed. Then he slips his hands into his pockets and smirks as he looks me up and down. “I just didn’t realize

when I see myself in the mirror. “Oh my god,” I murmur, leaning in to get a good look at the very real layer of dusty dark brown grime that’s covering me from head to foot. “Honestly, why did they let me into the palace

groan when I see our contrast in the mirror – him the perfect Alpha King, clean-shaved and pressed – and me, a messy

light layer of brown dust. “Oh my god!” I exclaim again, immediately beginning to ruffle his hair and moaning as a

won’t hurt him,” Sinclair chuckles, reaching out to unstrap the baby from me. “Dirty in

take the baby from my arms. “Honestly, if this is what we look like after just an afternoon, imagine how those

lot of attention to it,” he replies, holding the baby away from him a little as he carries him over to his little baby bath. “Hopefully all of the people will be out of those terrible camps and in

away from the warmth of my body,

should just take him and let him sleep dirty honestly, I can’t stand to hear him cry

murmurs, smirking at me and laying the baby down in his bath. “Let him cry a little for once he’s the happiest baby in the world, it doesn’t mean you’re doing

sigh, watching the little pieces of baby clothing disappear into the basket, “he’ll probably be too big to wear those by the time they’re clean. He grows

the warm water and prepares to start bathing him. Rafe still fusses unhappily but reaches for his father’s

shower for myself. I continue talking to Sinclair as

the wedding,” I call over my shoulder, starting to

” But yeah, Roger told me pretty

reaction, and Sinclair shoots me a little look

not mad,

what I mean I know that you’d never be mad at them for wanting a different kind of mating ceremony. But…does it mess up your