Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Chapter 422- Bath Time

Ella

“Cora,” I scold, frowning, “you know I don’t’ feel that way – ”

“Well I know you’d never say it,” she protests, sighing. “But I do get that this union between a wolf and a human that, symbolically, it’s important. And even if you’re not disappointed that it could be…disappointing.”

“I want you to have the mating ceremony you want, Cora,” I reply, steady in my truth here. “Especially in the case of something as important as this.” I give her hand a little squeeze before pulling mine away. “But if you’d like to consider a middle path…maybe you could let me show you what I was thinking?”

She turns her head to look up at me, surprised. “You’ve been…planning?”

“Just a little,” I say, unable to keep the eagerness out of my voice. “Just late at night when Sinclair is asleep and I can’t sleep, or I get up to feed Rafe – ”

“You’ve been loosing sleep over this!?”

“No!” I protest, but then I hesitate. ” Well, not much.”

“Ella!”

“Just – can I show you what I was thinking!?” I plead, “sister to sister!? And then, if you hate it, you can say no.” A wide grin comes to my face then. “But I think you’re going to like it.”

Cora gives a big sigh, leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes. ” Fine, Ella,” she says. “But this is not a yes.”

“I didn’t think it was!” I say, newly excited. Because honestly…it’s gorgeous, and I can’t wait to show her my plans.

looks up at me from his casual position on

sleeping to my chest. I put my hands on my hips. “What’s so

as he looks me up and down. “I just didn’t realize I was mated to someone who spends their

my god,” I murmur, leaning in to get a good look at the very real layer of dusty dark brown grime that’s covering

to stand behind me. I groan when I see our contrast in the mirror – him the perfect Alpha King, clean-shaved and pressed – and me, a messy ball of dirt

in a light layer of brown dust. “Oh my god!” I exclaim again, immediately beginning to ruffle his hair and moaning as a little puff of dust

to

if this is what we look like after

as he carries him over to his little baby bath. “Hopefully all of the people will

a little now that he’s away from the warmth of my

out to him. I hesitate, wondering if I should just take him and let him sleep dirty honestly, I can’t stand

baby down in his bath. “Let him cry a little for once he’s the happiest baby in the world, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.” Then, as I begin to

baby clothing disappear into the basket, “he’ll probably be too big to wear those by

Sinclair says, tickling Rafe’s naked belly, proud, as he turns on the warm water and prepares to start

the water in the shower for myself. I continue talking to Sinclair as I climb into the

wedding,” I call over my shoulder, starting to shampoo my

he replies. ” But yeah, Roger told me pretty much the

his reaction, and Sinclair shoots me a little look of

course I’m not

hair. “That’s not what I mean I know that you’d never be mad at them for wanting a different kind of mating ceremony. But…does it mess up

to see him taking a washcloth and using it to gently clean the baby, making soft, warm noises to little Rafe as he does. Rafe, tired, lets his father know his protest, but my