Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 419 – The Threat of War

Ella

Cora and Roger stay in the meeting room for a little breakfast as Henry escorts Sarah and Jessica from the room, wheeling beside them as they discuss some preliminary plans for Jessica’s schooling and Sarah’s own desires and ideas about her future life. I smile as Sinclair and I walk slowly behind them, Rafe curled protected in the curve of his father’s arm. I wave to my new friends as they and Henry take a left when Sinclair and I have to go right, towards our rooms.

And then, as we make the turn and are finally on our own, I huff a little sigh. Sinclair, as always, notices.

“What’s wrong, little queen?” he murmurs, moving closer to me as we walk. “I thought you’d be happy with the result of that. You did a good thing for her and, I imagine, will keep doing so. Plus, we got some very useful information about Xander.”

“Was it anything we didn’t already know?” I ask, looking up at him with a frown.

“A few things,” he murmurs, giving a shrug. “But more importantly, she’s a witness we will be able to charge Xander, formally, with…well, I guess we’d need a lawyer to spell out specifically which crimes he committed in switching sperm at a sperm bank and then attempting to kidnap the resulting child.”

Rafe gives a little burble right at that moment, making me laugh and smile over at him – my sweet baby, almost as if he knew he was being talked about.

“Well, that’s something,” I murmur, considering it. “Will we charge him, though?”

“I’m not sure,” Sinclair says. “Not that I want to let him off the hook for everything he’s done – we just…need to figure out the best way to go about it, especially as he’s now with the Atalaxians.”

Sinclair twists the knob, pushing the door open and allowing me to enter first. I

sitting down on a chaise lounge that I had placed in here just for this reason. I

and sighing as I put it back on its hanger. “It’s…it’s the Atalaxians

a little smile and a pulse of gratitude down the bond. It

pair of comfortable folded pants, “that I’m not sure we should be…messing with them. I mean – you heard everything that Sarah said today about what life in Xander’s household was like – it was an absolute nightmare

pull a t-shirt over my head and look at my mate, my eyes full of sorrow. “The idea that Xander would go to the Atalaxians, hat

pursing my lips. “It makes me really uncomfortable, Dominic. I…I don’t want anything to do with people

dealing with people whom you intensely dislike. Atalaxia is a powerful nation no matter how much we disagree with their policies, we can’t just…ignore them, or give them the cold

my fingers through his dark hair as I look down into his face, and then down at my baby. “Everything I’ve heard about them, Dominic, suggests that they’re participating in…atrocities, serious crimes against

we have no

testimony against Xander now. If

did,” Sinclair murmurs, looking seriously up at me. “What

down at him, sighing with my worry and my fear. “I’m really not – not trying to talk you into anything, Dominic, or persuade you one way or another. I just…I know that to not oppose tyranny is in some ways to accept it, support it. And if we have the

go to war over it?” he asks, quiet but genuine.

to build my life, and raise my child, and live peacefully

that piece at the expense of others? Would I allow innocents to suffer so that I can sleep

clicks his tongue in sympathy, raising a hand to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing my skin. “I’m sorry, love,” he sighs. “That wasn’t a fair question – you have all good points, and I gave you the one ultimatum that would

head and covering his hand with mine. “It’s…it’s the reality though, isn’t

be war either way,” he

I ask, my stomach