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 the bed – looking down at his tablet, still doing work, as usual – and immediately

frowning, my baby strapped sleeping to my chest. I put my hands on my hips. “What’s so

standing up from the bed. Then he slips his hands into his pockets and smirks as he looks me up and down. “I

murmur, leaning in to get a good look at the very real layer of dusty dark brown grime that’s covering me from

to stand behind me. I groan when I see our contrast in the mirror – him the perfect

Rafe, who is likewise covered 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 explodes into

chuckles, reaching out to unstrap the

him take the baby from my arms. “Honestly, if this is what we look like

his little baby bath. “Hopefully all of the people will be out of those terrible camps

from the warmth of

should just take him

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 strip out of my clothes, Sinclair takes off Rafe’s little outfit as well,

watching the little pieces of baby clothing disappear into the basket, “he’ll probably be too big to wear those by the time they’re clean. He grows

straight he does,” Sinclair says, tickling Rafe’s naked belly, proud, as he turns on the warm water and prepares to start bathing him. Rafe still fusses unhappily but reaches for his father’s

is, seeing them together, before I turn and start the water in the shower for myself. I continue talking to

starting to shampoo my hair. “I don’t think she’s into it,

But yeah, Roger told

turning to see his reaction, and Sinclair shoots me a little

not mad, Ella

you’d never be mad at them for wanting a different kind of mating ceremony. But…does it mess up your plans at all? For the coronation, and

smile 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 heart swells with the patience I see in my mate as he washes his baby, explaining softly to him that he’s sorry he has to take a bath so late at night, but mommy got him all filthy doing her humanitarian