Accidental Surrogate

“In here!” she calls, peeking out from the living room and giving me a big smile.

“Also, sorry,” she adds, grimacing a bit. “We were very rude, bursting in here like that, weren’t we?” “I’ll forgive you as soon as you give me my little nephew to hold for a few minutes,” I say, smiling and reaching for Rafe, who my sister happily hands over to me. I’m instantly gratified when he gives a squeak of happiness and reaches out his own hands, clearly recognizing me and wanting to see me as much as I want to see him.

“Yes,” Ella sighs, crossing her arms as she observes me with the baby.” Rafe makes everything better.” “That can be his slogan,” I say, grinning at the baby, “when he’s King.” Ella laughs and I turn to smile at her as Roger comes into the room after me. I shift my gaze to Sinclair, who stands behind Ella, quiet with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, looking between the two of them. “First you tell Roger not to come to the palace this morning, and then you’re bursting in here this afternoon? What’s up?” “We had kind of a crazy night,” Ella says with a grimace, moving to the couch and sitting down on it. Sinclair moves to stand by her, clearly tense and still not adding anything to the conversation.

“Oh?” I ask, sitting across from my sister. Roger sits behind me on the arm of the couch, paying close attention and sending a little pulse of wonder and curiosity down our bond. He, too, is very intrigued by this.

Ella sighs and then begins to tell me all about her evening last night – first the dinner with Calvin, and then his claim to being her mate, and then Sinclair turning into a wolf and bursting out the door, seeking to hunt him down.

My eyes go wider and wider as Ella continues.

not…into him, in that way that mated pairs are supposed to be.” “Really?” I ask, turning my head to the side. “I mean, he’s really good looking Ella – ” Roger scoffs behind me and Sinclair glowers, which makes me and Ella burst into

shrugging and reaching across the couch, clearly seeking her baby. I hand Rafe back to her and she pulls him into her lap, clearly deriving a lot of comfort from having him near. A little excitement twists in me, because I can’t wait to hold my baby just like that. “It’s not like that, Cora – I mean, I feel a very interesting pull towards him? And there are like, literal sparks in the air between us whenever we get close or our skin touches?” My eyes dart up to Sinclair now, who growls behind Ella to hear her say this detail. But she

knew before because of the intensity of my feelings and my attraction to her, but when our wolves found each other…” “There was no denying it,” I finish, giving my sister a little shrug. “But Ella,” I say, frowning a little, “why did you come here? I mean, it’s a crazy story and I’m glad to know it. But why rush across town when you’ve clearly had a rough night and very little sleep?” “Because,” she says, biting her lip a little. “We were kind of hoping that you could…ask mom.” “Oh!” I say, blinking in surprise a little. “How…how do I do that?” She shrugs a little. “You just like…call to her.” “What,” Roger says, and I look up again to see him smirking. “Like, she just puts her hands to the side of her mouth and hollers?” “Would you take this seriously?” Sinclair snaps, drawing all of our eyes to

scowls, clearly stressed, and slips in behind Ella, wrapping

breathe out a

the gift is? I just…call to her?” “Yeah,” Ella says, giving me a little smile as she leans into the man who is undeniably her mate. But…well, Sinclair had two. I guess it’s possible, would even be…symmetrical, for Ella to

family. And suddenly, all I want to do is contact mom even just to give

then a pulse within the gift, and then it burns brighter. And when I open my eyes…she’s suddenly there.

say, jumping

Because she’s just there.

she says, giving me a delighted