Accidental Surrogate

The Crowd’s Approval Ella We move immediately to the grand hall of the palace, where we met our delegates a few nights ago. Sinclair and I wait quietly in a little room off the side of the entrance for everyone from the first room to move to their chairs in the second, where there are already thousands of people waiting. While there was only room in the first chamber for a small selection of our population, the grand hall is much larger.

And it’s packed.

I squeal a little bit with excitement as I peek through a little velvet curtain that covers a window on the door, excited to see so many people gathered to celebrate with us. I lift Rafe so he can see too, but then I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see my sister’s beaming face.

“Ella!” she laughs as I squeal and wrap my free arm around her. She wraps her arms tight around me, rocking me back and forth. “I’m so happy for you both,” she murmurs into my shoulder, laughing a little. ” Unanimous! It’s unprecedented!” “Happy for all of us!” I laugh, pulling back to grin at her a little. Rafe reaches for her, happy, and Cora gives him a kiss and a cuddle, but doesn’t take him from me. Not yet.

I glance behind Cora to see Roger happy at Sinclair’s side, their father with them. They’re speaking with a couple of the Royal aids, who are showing them something on an ipad.

“What is that?” I ask.

“Oh,” I say, my expression suddenly falling with worry as I glance towards the door. “Is that…safe?” “No, the crowds are all really happy,” Cora says, her eyebrows going up. There aren’t a ton of humans, but those who are there are celebrating.” She takes a moment to smile at me softly. ” They’ve done a lot of analysis and polling, Ella, and they say that the humans were largely convinced to support Sinclair’s reign because of you.” “What?” I ask, confused. I mean – I haven’t even been in the public eye for long – “Yeah,” she says, nodding eagerly. ” They know that you cleared out the refugee camps and got all of those people help – and they love your story orphan girl, who found her mate by chance, and didn’t even know she was a wolf? And they don’t

it’s all for Sinclair – ” “No,” she says, serious now. “It’s real, Ella. Wolves and humans alike – they

to know that I love them and I’m going to help them. But beloved? That just seems- “Ready?” Sinclair says, coming over and looking between Cora and

to hear, “we can take it all, Cora!” Cora and I burst out laughing at this clear joke, but Sinclair just glares at his brother and shoves him on his shoulder. “Don’t

go first, and then me second, and then Cora will take Rafe and she, Roger, and Henry will go down the long aisle to the front of the room, where the

all, and Henry emphasized how important it was for us to let the world see us as dignified, serious people who take our responsibilities with the gravity that they deserve. And I agree with him – as much as our family likes to joke around and tease, I know

we all pull

briefs. I exhale a deep breath and stand behind him, passing Rafe to Cora after giving him a kiss on the cheek. The baby grumbles a little but goes to her

begins to speed up as the door before us opens and

forward, moving slowly and deliberately into the room to walk down the long aisle to the throne he has claimed

the door, not letting the people see me yet – as was planned – and, when the count reaches the two-minute mark – meaning that Sinclair