Accidental Surrogate -“All right,” I say, keeping half an eye on trouble and sister-trouble as
I look around the room at my assembled team. “We’re here today to make a concrete plan regarding
our next moves against the Cult that attacked our pack and attempted to kidnap my child. Everyone
here has been briefed on the events that occurred yesterday. I applaud your work in coming up with the
information we need to make the next best step we can. But now it’s time to act. Dad?”
I turn the group’s attention to him, eager to hear what he has to say regarding the reconnaissance that
we assigned teams to complete yesterday and last night.
“Right,” my father starts, leaning forward in his chair and glancing over his papers, though I know he’s
memorized every word on them. “Our capture of a Dark Priest yesterday morning resulted in a great
deal of new information, if not yet definitive answers regarding how to stop these attacks. However, one
of the most significant pieces of information that we’ve gathered came in last night.”
I listen while my father speaks but keep my eyes on everyone in the room, wanting to judge my men’s
physical reactions to the information. I know that we’re going to need to put together an assault team at
some point, and I’m going to want the best and most engaged on it. At my father’s last line, everyone
seems to perk up a little, but I spot a few men whose eyes burn with a particular hunger at this turn.
“Last night, there was significant consideration of the fact that, while Ella and Dominic shifted into their
wolves to attack the men who came for Rafe yesterday, the attackers themselves did not shift. I want to
particularly applaud Conner O’Mally for noticing this particular fact.”
All eyes move, then, to a bulky red- haired young man who nods humbly, even when a slight blush at
the recognition colors his pale cheeks. I nod at him, marking him mentally as one I might want by my
side.
“At least one of the men,” my father continues, “would have had to stay in his human body in order to
carry the child, of course. But the others continued the assault without shifting which, as we all know, is
unique. And put them at a particular disadvantage.”
Ella catches my eye here and we raise our brows at each other. We were caught up in the moment, of
course, but I feel, quite suddenly, a little stupid that neither of us noticed this. It’s true – considering the
numbers we went up against, it should have been a more difficult fight and it would have been, had
they shifted.
“There was speculation,” Henry continues, “that these men never intended to take my grandson
yesterday, that they were, instead, a distraction meant to get Dominic and Roger out of the room so
that the captured Priest could escape – which he did.”
My father nods a little, considering this fact and the entire room listens eagerly, on the edge of our
seats.
“However,” dad continues, looking now to a slim dark-haired young man down the table, “Simon
suggested an alternative. Simon?” Henry invites, “if you would?”
“Okay,” Simon says, leaning forward, I think a little put on the spot but responding ably to the pressure.
“The men who came into the bedroom, according to reports,” he nods politely to my mate here and she
smiles at him, “moved with incredible speed and were able to break glass that they should not have
been able to break, which was installed recently against just such an assault. The obvious conclusion
here is that the attackers called upon the magic that the members of this Cult are known for in order to
aid them in their mission.”
“Ella,” I say, breaking in and turning towards her now, wanting her input. Does this line up with your
memory of the event?”
“Yes,” she says, sitting up and looking around. “It was incredible how fast they entered and how they
came through the window. It is difficult to describe but…it was not something the average wolf could do
unaided.”
I give her a sharp nod in thanks and she smiles at me in return. I can’t help the little smile that twitches
at my lips then, though I usually work hard to keep all of my emotions off my face while I work.
She’s just so…cute. Damn, but it’s hard to keep a straight face around her. Roger’s right – I let her get
away with more than anyone else.
I ignore these thoughts and turn back to Simon, giving him a nod and inviting him to continue. As he
begins I consider that he’s a little too small for an assault team, though he’s clearly clever. I make a
mental note to assign him more rigorous tasks to see how he does.
“One potential explanation for this,” Simon continues, “the lack of shifting, as well as the use of magic –
is rooted in my understanding of how certain priestesses of the Goddess operate. It is not a common
practice, but there are certain enclaves where priestesses worship remote ones, monasteries really –
where priestesses actually bind their wolves in order to differently access the magic that would allow
them to communicate with their wolf and transform into it.”
“Oh,” Cora says, clearly surprised, though she’s the only one who responds aloud. The rest of us shift
uncomfortably in our chairs. It would be …incredibly painful, and isolating, I consider, to choose to turn
away from the wolf that lives inside me and forcibly bind him. An act of cruel self- flagellation that, I
know, every other wolf in this room shudders to consider.
Inside of me my own wolf bares his teeth at the idea, snapping at it. I run a mental hand down his black
fur, assuring him that I’d never do it.
“How do you know this,” Roger asks, sharp but curious. “I’ve never heard of this practice.”
“Um…” Simon says, looking down at the table for a moment, perhaps a little embarrassed. “My
mother…lives in one of these communities. I was born there.”
My eyebrows raise in surprise. I hired Simon three years ago, selected him for his intelligence as well
as his hard work and potential. We did a thorough background check on him and while I knew he came
from a remote region, I was unaware of his unique connections to a priestess of the Goddess. I make a
mental note to have a further discussion with him, both about his background and about transparency.
But still, even as part of me rankles at not having all the information, another part of me understands. If
practices like this exist, they surely happen in remote communities that would otherwise be shunned.
Perhaps Simon kept his secret because he didn’t want to expose his mother, or have his fellow workers
mark him as a misfit.
I catch Simon’s eye and nod to him, warm enough to let him know that he did right by telling us but firm
enough for him to understand that we will be having further conversations about this. Simon holds my
gaze and nods in return.
Then, I turn back to my father. “This is significant, if true,” I say aloud. I know what I think it means, but I
want his opinion before I voice it, so I nod to him, giving my dad back the floor.
“The consideration here,” Henry continues, “is that we may have a significant advantage over these
priests if we attack in a large force. If we are facing cult members who do not have access to their
wolves, even if they do have access to magic, there is a good chance that the sheer physical force of
us could be overwhelming. My suggestion would be to move fast, now, before they figure out what we
know.”
I nod, agreeing, pleased that my own thoughts are aligned with my father’s. We move tonight, as soon
as we can,” I declare. “Roger and I will take lead.”
“Absolutely not,” Ella growls, and I turn to see my little rose-gold mate standing up and looking at me
fiercely. “I will not allow it.”
Everyone freezes, awkward, not knowing what to do. Honestly, it’s the first time they’ve seen anyone
counter me. But then again, it’s the first time Ella’s come to the table.
Ella and I glare at each other, locked in a stare from which we are both determined to never back down.
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