Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Chapter 497- Bonded Power Ella

I give Ariel one last kiss for luck and exhale a deep breath, focusing my eyes on Henry as I lean back against my mate, who wraps a supportive arm around me.

“Actually, Ella,” Cora says, and my eyes dart to her. She smiles and me from across the couch, her arms wrapped around her baby on her lap. ” I’m the one who has news first.”

“Oh,” I say, my eyes going wide as I shift a little to direct my attention to her now. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know – ”

She shakes her head, dismissing my apology as Roger comes to perch on the arm of the couch behind her. She reaches up a hand and he takes it, giving her a little squeeze.

“Um, we contacted mom this morning,” she says quietly, apology all over her face. “To…to ask about what the Dark God could have possibly been up to. I’m sorry we did it without you – I know you would have wanted to be there -”

“No,” I breathe, even though I am a little disappointed. “I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to see her anyway, right?”

“Yeah,” she says, cocking her head to the side. “Unless we go to the temple, it is sort of a…one-on-one experience, isn’t it?”

“But we can go,” Sinclair murmurs behind me, supportive, “if we don’t get the answers you need – ”

“It’s okay,” I say, nodding to everyone around the room. “I get it – you don’t need to be so gentle with me. I was completely knocked out from giving birth and we needed information fast. It’s okay. So…” I flick my fingers at my sister, smiling at her. “Please, divulge. I’m dying to know.”

“Well,” Cora says, laughing a little and glancing up at Roger. “Mom was not happy to hear that her boyfriend visited you.”

“Really?” I gasp, a little delighted at the immortal gossip.

“Really,” Cora confirms, her eyes going wide as a grin overtakes her face. “She figured that he knew about you, but she had no idea that he’d go so far as to bestow a gift on the baby behind her back.”

“Behind her back,” I repeat, shaking my head. “Wow. So? Did she say it was… dangerous?”

the balls to go that far,” Cora says, laughing and giving a little shrug. “Or, well, those weren’t her precise words – but that was the sentiment. That he’s just trying to get her attention and let her know that he’s pissed – but that he knows better than to truly

Ariel who lays cuddled in my arms,

shaking her head. “But she… she said she can’t make him take it back, Ells.

sense,” I sigh, hoisting my baby up closer. “Well, at least

grumbles behind me. Clearly,

and studying the baby as best he can. “The texts are old, but there are some that report on gifts given by both the Goddess and the Dark Lord. What is interesting is that they seem to be reliable – there is one text in

a little. “Well, that’s interesting. Would I be able to

says nodding, “and sent to you as soon as

the ‘gifts’ the Dark God has given?” Sinclair asks, his voice heavy and

and the home – assigning mates, healing the body, changing the weather to ensure good crops.” He nods to Cora and

voice a little annoyed in

“prefers…more sweeping magics. Not things that can or should be used every day. Things

myself holding my breath

the world?” Sinclair asks,

the moon’s shadow before the sun for days on end, only relenting when

go silent

bold enough to break the

hell, Ariel,” he breathes, leaning forward to stare at his

shake my head as Cora and Sinclair and then Henry start to laugh as well. I shake my head at my brother-in-law, so grateful for him and his strange sense of

up straight and running his hand through his hair, looking at his niece with wide eyes. “She’s the littlest of all of us

trying to shake the tension out of my shoulders. “It could be… something smaller. Maybe he’s just trying

Roger murmurs, and I grin as Cora turns to smack him for speaking such blasphemy about our mother and a deity. Roger just wrinkles his nose at Cora as he grins and grabs his arm where she hit him, pretending that the blow stung when it clearly

at the family. “So, she is the Alpha now.” Ariel, betraying my confidence, just gives a sleepy little mew, her eyelids fluttering shut as she snuggles

of

her cousin,” Roger says, looking between the boys – Rafe toddling around on the floor and Jesse in Cora’s

the group. “Does it…I mean, they all have gifts from mom, right? But will her being strong make the

his head and considering his grandchildren

bonds work, right? I mean, Cora and Ella are

offended, and turn to glare at my mate over my shoulder. ” Excuse me, Dominic, but you have benefited many times from my