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.”

reached the door to our room now and Sinclair twists the knob, pushing the door open and allowing me to enter first. I head immediately to our

here just for this reason. I anticipate many little chats in here as

I put it back on its hanger. “It’s…it’s the Atalaxians I’m worried about,” I say, giving him a

carefully. I give him a little smile and a pulse of gratitude down the bond. It means so much to

Sarah said today about what life in Xander’s household was like – it was an absolute nightmare for her, and for Jessica, and her mother. Just years of

head and look at my mate, my eyes full of sorrow. “The idea that Xander would

I shake my head, pursing my lips. “It makes me really uncomfortable, Dominic. I…I don’t

a hand upwards towards me in supplication. ” Part of ruling is dealing with people whom you intensely dislike. Atalaxia is a powerful nation no matter how much we disagree with their policies, we can’t

out and running my fingers through his dark hair as

we have no real proof, my

in a refugee camp, and we have testimony against

we did,” Sinclair murmurs, looking seriously up at me.

my fear. “I’m really not – not trying to talk you into anything,

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

I want is to build my life, and raise

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

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

say, shaking my head and covering his hand with mine. “It’s…it’s the reality though,

could be war either way,” he says,

I ask,