Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 471- War

Ella

The next day, Cora and Roger come over early. Roger and Sinclair head out, their faces solemn, to speak with their aids and their advisors regarding how to respond to the news we know is inevitably coming. Our reconnaissance teams told us that the Atalaxian delegation did indeed return home last night and were apparently in council until dawn.

Which suggests that at any moment now, they’ll declare war.

Sinclair, I know, is spending a great deal of time deciding how to publicly respond. I think that he and Roger right now are recording a message that will go out to the nation as soon as the war is declared. But Cora and I?

Well.

We’re just…being moms.

“Ella,” she says, sighing and holding Rafe out towards me in my closet, wrinkling her nose. “I think you precious future King needs to be changed.”

I sigh, my sweater only half over my head. “So? Go change him.”

When I pull my sweater down and settle it neatly over my stomach, I see her grinning at me, my baby still outstretched in her arms. “Nope,” she says, shaking her head. “Your baby, your diaper.”

“You’re going to regret that policy,” I say, taking Rafe from her with raised brows, “in juuuuust about three and a half months, Cora.”

“And for three and a half months, I will be diaper free!” she calls after me with a laugh as I carry my smelly baby over to his changing table in the bedroom.

Rafe grins at me, looking honestly a little proud of himself, and I can’t help but laugh as I lay him down and quickly change him. “Little Rafe,” I coo, smiling down into his perfect face and tickling his belly, “getting so big! Do you want to try an apple today? Or some avocado?”

As I finish changing Rafe, Cora comes out of the closet, changed into a comfortable set of my clothes. She came to the palace today in more formal clothing, but as soon as Sinclair let her know that she probably wouldn’t be required to appear or speak she immediately expressed her intention to change.

to where her little baby

she says, rolling her eyes and laughing as

move into the living area through the next door and settle onto the couch. “Trust me, you’ll know you’re huge when

just goes so fast, these wolf pregnancies,” she says, shaking her head. “Human moms get nine months to adjust; it’s kind of crazy that wolf

eyebrows. “I didn’t even make it to six

how long mine will be,” she murmurs, still studying her belly, smiling down at her little baby-to-be.” No way

are always exciting,” I say, resting back on the couch and holding my baby close to my chest, turning him a little so he can look at his auntie. Rafe giggles a little, the sweetest sound in the

pup,” Cora murmurs, and I laugh at her displeased tone. “I’d like to know, to have

I murmur, resting my head against my baby’s. ” And with children – and this family?” I shake my

he’s going to be in the midst of it all?” she shakes her head. “Forgive me, Ella, if

else, though, the door opens and Roger and Sinclair come through, their hands shockingly empty of tablets, phones, paperwork – any of the usual accoutrements of running the nation that

he comes to stand behind me. ” All done work

do,” he murmurs. “Budge

Roger’s lap and draping her legs over the side of the armchair on which he settles. I lean

Sinclair, finding his eyes already on me.

for the remote and presses a few buttons, turning on the

WAR DECARED

more tightly around me. I sigh, pressing myself against him, and then I dip my head again to press another kiss to Rafe’s soft

so hard to avoid it,”

“It’s a gamble – but if they win? The rewards

very hard to take it,” Roger sighs.

the top

enough,” Sinclair says quietly behind me, “that it’s

needs me to be strong for him, as he is for me. I work to put a smile on my face, to make myself feel the hope that I