Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 486 – The Goddess’ Light Ella

The pool we approach is wide and expansive – more of a large pond, or even a lake, really, shining below the open sky. I tilt my head curiously at I look at it, remembering Cora describing the pool as small and well tucked away in the forest. This one…

Well. Maybe it’s different every time, for every child, every pair of godparents. I look up at the moon and smile, thinking fondly of my mother and all the blessings she’s given us. And also how she can sometimes be…a little bit tricky.

“Ready?” Sinclair murmurs.

“Almost,” I quip, stepping close to him and lifting myself up on my toes, tilting my chin up for a kiss. He smiles and bends his head, pressing his mouth briefly to mine.

“Ready now,” I say, grinning at him.

Sinclair takes a moment to look at me in the moonlight, running a hand over the length of my lose hair, and then we step forward to the edge of the pool.

“Goddess,” he murmurs, not bothering to raise his voice – he knows she can hear him. “We bring to you, tonight, this child our nephew Jesse. So that he may begin to know you.”

“We wish to show him your light,” I say, repeating the words that Henry taught me as part of the ritual, a little shiver running down my spine as I do. ” And in doing so, let you see him and bring him into the spirit of your grace.”

I smile as the light reflecting off the pool grows brighter, insubstantially at first but bolder as the moments pass. Mom – she’s here, and she’s ready to meet Jesse.

“Here you go, baby,” Sinclair murmurs, holding Jesse out so that I can reach over and quickly untuck his swaddling. Then, with the baby safe in my mate’s broad hands, Sinclair and I step forward to hold Jesse out over the pool, basking in the light of the moon.

I smile as I look down at Jesse, as the moonlight pools over him. He kicks his little feet and fusses for a moment, frowning a bit up at the sky before giving a little laugh. I can’t keep myself from laughing a little bit too, smiling down at my spunky little nephew, loving him so much already.

first nephew, the child of his brother and best friend. “His parents, Cora and Roger, have asked us to

tucking myself close to my mate’s side, a thrill running through me. How many babies have been dedicated to the Goddess with these words, been welcomed into wolf culture? How many

there’s no time to ponder these questions, because as I gaze at the baby something begins to stir

breath, and am swept away

by his side at almost every moment is another little boy

the moments as they fly past a camping trip, gathered around the fire with Roger and Sinclair, slightly older but so happy – a birthday party with Jesse’s face brightly lit

of the vision, to study them each independently, to get the

– will fly by, and if I spend my time trying to hold onto the pieces I’ll miss it

I start to realize that next to Jesse and

her brother and her cousin at all times, laughing with them, fully engaged

pillows of a couch, fully exhausted with their arms and legs thrown over each other like exhausted

my stomach right now. She’s there, and

cousins, and

able to see through the blurr of

their early twenties, all dressed in black and gathered around a fire somewhere, in a room with stone walls that looks out over a dark landscape. They’re chatting and laughing, their cheeks ruddy and healthy, tired but happy. Jesse –

to see it – but who looks like

I shake my head

are, they’re there together. I shake my head, not understanding, because they certainly don’t look like they’re at college, not dressed like that. But wherever they are …well, they’re happy, and they’re together, and it’s more than I could ask

with stars – a darkness