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.

rooms that evening, Sinclair immediately looks up at me from his casual position on the bed – looking down at his tablet, still

sleeping to my chest. I put my hands

the bed. Then he slips his hands into his pockets and smirks as he looks me up and down. “I just didn’t realize I was mated to someone who spends their days toiling

I ask again, confused, and Sinclair, laughing, nods towards the bathroom. Both irritated and interested at once, I hurry in and gasp when I see myself in the mirror. “Oh my god,” I murmur, leaning in to get a good look at the very real layer of dusty dark brown grime that’s covering me from head to foot. “Honestly, why did they let me into the palace looking like

see our contrast in the mirror – him the perfect Alpha King,

dust. “Oh my god!” I exclaim again, immediately beginning to ruffle his hair and moaning as a little

him,” Sinclair chuckles, reaching out to unstrap the baby from me. “Dirty in those

bad, Dominic,” I murmur, helping him take the baby from my arms. “Honestly, if this is what we look like after just an afternoon, imagine how those people are

a little as he carries him over to his little baby bath. “Hopefully all of the people will be out of those terrible camps

a little now that he’s away from the warmth of my body, starts to cry

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

the world, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.” Then, as I begin to

I sigh, 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 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

them together, before I turn and start the water in the shower for myself. I continue talking to Sinclair as I climb into the hot

starting to

” But yeah, Roger told me pretty much the

mad?” I ask, turning to see his reaction, and Sinclair shoots me a little look

course I’m not mad,

you’d never be mad at them for wanting

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