Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 467 – Asking Mom Cora

“All right, Ella!” I call as I troop down the stairs, dressed for the day, Roger following behind.

“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.

eyes go wider and

with a shrug. ” Honestly, I don’t think he’s my mate, Cora. I am not…into him, in that

to the side. “I mean, he’s really

scoffs behind me and Sinclair glowers, which makes me and Ella burst into

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,

behind Ella to hear her say

you meet your fated mate, your wolf knows it, and you’re like…very attracted to them. Like, tear your clothes off attracted to them.” She pauses for a moment,

For the first time?” I look over my shoulder to

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

she says, biting her lip a little. “We were kind of hoping

I say, blinking in surprise a little. “How…how do

shrugs a little. “You

I look up again to see him smirking. “Like, she just

snaps, drawing all of our

her mate and scooting forward on the couch. “You come sit here with me. It was just a joke,

and slips in behind Ella, wrapping his arms around her. My heart goes out to him as I watch him tuck his head against hers, because as much as Ella says Calvin is not her mate? I can

not asking why I want it, but I just want him close. “So, like,

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 have a fated mate

I burned up the bond when

to do is

a few minutes, but suddenly I come to a very steady place within myself, where my gift glows with

Mom?

a pause, and then a pulse within the gift, and then it burns brighter. And when I open my eyes…she’s suddenly there. The goddess, transparent, incorporeal, in my living