Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 412 – The Writer Ella

“Nah,” I say, leaning in to stroke a hand over Benny’s hair, “I can’t shift right now now. I have to go and help some other kids.”

Still suspicious, the boy takes his hand from mine and crosses his arms over his chest. “Tell me your name. When my mom comes back, I’ll ask her to look you up on the internet. Then we’ll know whether or not you’re a wolf.”

Laughing, I tell him my name, and then I look around the tent. “Where is your mom, anyway?” I ask. “I’d like to meet her.”

The little boy is quiet for a moment and then he shrugs. “She’ll be back any minute.”

“Oh,” I say, and then I feel my heart ache a little bit inside of me, though I do my very best to keep my voice cheerful. “Did she just step away? When’s the last time you saw her?”

“Coupla days,” Benny murmurs, looking down at his blankets for a second. I glance up at Isabel, who has come close and was listening. She grimaces and then nods, confirming my suspicions. This little boy hasn’t seen his mother for a long, long time.

“Okay,” I say, reaching out and stroking a hand over his hair. “I’m going to do some work, okay? But I’ll come back and visit you in a little bit, all right, kiddo?”

“Okay!” he replies, instantly cheerful and smiling up at me. “Will you turn into your wolf then?”

“We’ll see,” I reply, laughing and giving him a wink. Then he waves to me as I stand up and move to Conner to instantly take Rafe into my own arms, hugging my baby close and passing him all of the love I have in my heart down the bond to him.

Because I honestly feel as if I could spend the rest of the day crying if I allow myself to think too hard about Benny, who was just quietly suffocating in his bed while he waited for his mother to come back.

Hank catches my eye and comes closer, glancing at Benny as he does.

“Will he survive?” I murmur, pitching my voice low enough so that the boy can’t hear me.

“After what you just did, Ella?” Hank asks. “Yeah. He’s going to make it. But he needs more than just medical help,” Hank continues. “You know that.”

ever heard it do before. “Tell him we need to triple everything. Or

My eyes return to Hank, though I’m very surprised to see him smiling

into his pockets. “Look who’s just become a

straightening my shoulders and starting to look around

me towards the next patient. “The perk is being able to do this. And to order your mate to send thousands of dollars of supplies at the drop of

work, seating myself in the waiting chair next to a little girl with cuts and bruises all over her arms and face. “Hi, sweetheart,” I

evening passes predictably. Cora and Hank consult with the doctors and nurses already working here to determine the work that I should do, and I heal, and Conner guards Rafe, and Theo and Anthony guard

we’ve helped dozens of children, and even brought some back from a very dark place. I look around the room, exhaling a satisfied breath, but I blink when I notice a very real change in the

team, and had barely noticed me. I am, after all, the smallest person here and had a baby strapped to my chest. The people had watched our every movement with narrow, suspicious eyes, always waiting for the next shoe to drop – for us

now, after a long day

is gone, and now many eyes are wide with wonder, trained on me as I move through the tent. I blush a little and duck my head, tucking

my sudden change

murmur, feeling awkward. I Cora looks around and then laughs. What, did you not expect all

little.

are, Ella,” she says, laughing at me again. “I mean, do you need me to start making it rain

my voice and stepping closer to her. “I mean…I’m just a girl. I’m just

Ells,” Cora says, patting my cheek

my lips, but then I glare at her a little. “Well, you’re a weird hybrid soon-to-be wolf mom who is probably like, a duchess or something, once Sinclair gets all the titles figured

me a wink and moving forward on to the next case.

” Because

arms a little kiss on the cheek and then sit down in the chair waiting

affinity between them

hands to her stomach and frowning. “I

sick, she’s got some kind of bacterial infection that’s increased to the point where it’s