Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 58: Chapter 58
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Ethan’s siblings were a lot. He insisted there were only five; three sisters and two brothers. I was pretty sure there were three times that many.
I tried to keep track of names and faces. The youngest was Elise, she was the one who had knocked on my door. She hugged me when I came out and dragged me by the hand to the dining room. She was fourteen, the same age I’d been when the Rogues attacked and hurt my mother.
Then there were the twins, Eli and Erma. They were sixteen, and if I didn’t know they were twins I’d never have guessed. Eli was quiet and withdrawn. Erma was a livewire who seemed capable of circular breathing. I didn’t know how else she could keep up such a constant stream of friendly chatter.
Ernie was the other brother, and at eighteen the youngest member of the pack to have a pup. He excitedly showed me photos of a little girl with ribbons in her pigtails and a smiling woman who must be her mate. I smiled and told him they were beautiful and fought not to cry. I didn’t even have a photo.
The last sibling was Ethan’s oldest sister, Estelle. She was my age, twenty, and utterly beautiful. I was afraid her elegance would make her cold and distant like my stepmother, but she was every bit as warm and welcoming as the rest. She was also a mother, with a two year old twin sons.
Estelle took me aside while Eli and Erma set the table. She said she knew about my pup, and she’d make sure no one pestered me. She also promised that I wouldn’t be confronted with the babies until I was ready to see them.
“I don’t want you to hide your pups,” I said. “I couldn’t ask that of anyone.”
Estelle patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, I understand. I lost my first. I wasn’t ready to see my own youngest sibling for…for a while. Give yourself some time.”
I nodded, feeling sick with guilt. My baby wasn’t dead, they were stolen. My pain was nothing like Estelle’s. But I was grateful for the offer. I didn’t think I could look at those happy babies and not sob.
Dinner was wonderful. I’d been so nervous, but everyone was friendly and seemed genuinely happy to have me there. The food was delicious and filling. I found out that they didn’t have kitchen servants like at my old manor. Everyone took turns.
“Technically it’s Erma’s turn,” Elise said, “but we wanted you to feel welcome and actually, y’know, enjoy dinner. So Eli took an extra turn. He’s the best cook.”
“It’s wonderful,” I told him. “I’ll be happy to take a turn, too. I used to work in the kitchens sometimes.”
“That is so sweet of you,” Estelle said. “You and I can share a turn, if you like.”
I nodded.
Eli spoke up, voice soft and shy, “I baked a cake. If you’d like dessert,” he said.
“Oh, I didn’t know you’d baked!” Ethan said. “Tessa, you have got to have a slice of cake. No, have two, we need to get some meat on your bones.”
All the siblings agreed that I was far too thin despite the fact that I still felt like a blimp. The belly hadn’t gone away yet. I accepted the cake and it was every bit as delicious as the other told me it would be. I took a second slice and made Eli blush from how much I praised it.
After dinner, Ethan showed me around the manor. It was about the same size as Alpha Arthur’s, but it felt more alive somehow.
“You don’t have servants,” I noted.
“No,” Ethan scratched the back of his head. “My parents didn’t approve of making weaker wolves serve the alphas. We do employ gardeners and archivists, though. None of us got a green thumb. I think little Elise might become an archivist when she’s a bit older, though.”
“Your parents,” I said. “They weren’t at dinner.”
“They’re gone,” Ethan said, “They have been for a long time. Since Elise was a baby. We raised her together.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Ethan shook his head. “It’s all right. It was an accident; a car crash.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
“It’s why I sponsor the hospital,” Ethan admitted. “At the time, we didn’t have one, and the other packs didn’t want to accept another pack’s alpha into their territory. I dont know if they could’ve been saved but, well. I didn’t want it to ever happen to another member of my pack.”
I wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t know what to say, so I just held him. He hugged me back for a moment and then straightened.
“Would you like to see our library? It’s very nice, my great grandmother had it built.”
“I’d love to,” I said.
The library was amazing. it covered two stories of the manor, with shelves lining an open balcony and rolling ladders spaced around to help reach books higher up. There were tables for studying, several of which were occupied by wolves I recognized as some of Ethan’s guards. There were little reading nooks in odd corners, with plush chairs and reading lights, and a few odd little nests of pillows and blankets set near the windows.
“I can tell you’re going to spend a lot of time in here,” Ethan said.
“Our library was always my favorite place,” I admitted. “The archivists were always kind and Eva didn’t bother me there. She thought the place was boring.”
“I believe it. She doesn’t strike me as much of a literary type,” Ethan said.
I opened my mouth to defend her, and then realized I didn’t have to. In fact, I could agree. I didn’t have to save face for the Alpha Daughter anymore. I could be honest.
“She’s really not,” I said. “I honestly don’t think she ever reads for pleasure.”
“Wow. What’s she do when it rains?” Ethan asked.
I shrugged. Mostly she bullied me. I didn’t want to think about Eva anymore.
“Your siblings are really very nice,” I said, trying to hide a tiniy burn of envy. My only sibling hated me.
“They’re great,” Ethan said. “When Mom and Dad died and I realized I had to be their caretaker and their alpha, I thought it was too much. But Estelle stepped up and helped. And, um. Leo. Leo was there for us, too.”
“It’s okay that you’re his friend,” I said. “I still care for him. I don’t know why. I should make a clean break of it.”
“Hey, you feel how you feel,” Ethan said. “And Leo will straighten out. You’ll see. He was just emotional about the pup. He’ll look at the evidence again. He will. And he’ll realize he made a mistake.”
“I don’t want him to,” I admitted. “I don’t want to go back.”
“And you don’t have to. But I don’t want you living with the stigma of being cast out, either. Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.”
“You sound so confident,” I said.
“Because I am,” he said.
“And your siblings don’t mind that I’m cast out? That I’m half human? That I let you claim a pup that wasn’t yours?” I asked.
“They’re a little confused about that last part,” Ethan admitted, “but they figure you were in a bad spot and I wanted to help out. Which is the truth. And no, Tessa, they don’t care about any of that because I don’t care about any of that. They want you to feel welcome. Because whether or not we end up mates, you’re part of our pack now. You’re family.”
I choked up a little at his words, and excused myself to go unpack my things. Not that I had much to unpack. I just needed a few minutes to myself. It all felt so unreal.
I tried to keep track of names and faces. The youngest was Elise, she was the one who had knocked on my door. She hugged me when I came out and dragged me by the hand to the dining room. She was fourteen, the same age I’d been when the Rogues attacked and hurt my mother.
Then there were the twins, Eli and Erma. They were sixteen, and if I didn’t know they were twins I’d never have guessed. Eli was quiet and withdrawn. Erma was a livewire who seemed capable of circular breathing. I didn’t know how else she could keep up such a constant stream of friendly chatter.
Ernie was the other brother, and at eighteen the youngest member of the pack to have a pup. He excitedly showed me photos of a little girl with ribbons in her pigtails and a smiling woman who must be her mate. I smiled and told him they were beautiful and fought not to cry. I didn’t even have a photo.
The last sibling was Ethan’s oldest sister, Estelle. She was my age, twenty, and utterly beautiful. I was afraid her elegance would make her cold and distant like my stepmother, but she was every bit as warm and welcoming as the rest. She was also a mother, with a two year old twin sons.
Estelle took me aside while Eli and Erma set the table. She said she knew about my pup, and she’d make sure no one pestered me. She also promised that I wouldn’t be confronted with the babies until I was ready to see them.
“I don’t want you to hide your pups,” I said. “I couldn’t ask that of anyone.”
Estelle patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, I understand. I lost my first. I wasn’t ready to see my own youngest sibling for…for a while. Give yourself some time.”
I nodded, feeling sick with guilt. My baby wasn’t dead, they were stolen. My pain was nothing like Estelle’s. But I was grateful for the offer. I didn’t think I could look at those happy babies and not sob.
Dinner was wonderful. I’d been so nervous, but everyone was friendly and seemed genuinely happy to have me there. The food was delicious and filling. I found out that they didn’t have kitchen servants like at my old manor. Everyone took turns.
“Technically it’s Erma’s turn,” Elise said, “but we wanted you to feel welcome and actually, y’know, enjoy dinner. So Eli took an extra turn. He’s the best cook.”
“It’s wonderful,” I told him. “I’ll be happy to take a turn, too. I used to work in the kitchens sometimes.”
“That is so sweet of you,” Estelle said. “You and I can share a turn, if you like.”
I nodded.
Eli spoke up, voice soft and shy, “I baked a cake. If you’d like dessert,” he said.
“Oh, I didn’t know you’d baked!” Ethan said. “Tessa, you have got to have a slice of cake. No, have two, we need to get some meat on your bones.”
All the siblings agreed that I was far too thin despite the fact that I still felt like a blimp. The belly hadn’t gone away yet. I accepted the cake and it was every bit as delicious as the other told me it would be. I took a second slice and made Eli blush from how much I praised it.
After dinner, Ethan showed me around the manor. It was about the same size as Alpha Arthur’s, but it felt more alive somehow.
“You don’t have servants,” I noted.
“No,” Ethan scratched the back of his head. “My parents didn’t approve of making weaker wolves serve the alphas. We do employ gardeners and archivists, though. None of us got a green thumb. I think little Elise might become an archivist when she’s a bit older, though.”
“Your parents,” I said. “They weren’t at dinner.”
“They’re gone,” Ethan said, “They have been for a long time. Since Elise was a baby. We raised her together.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Ethan shook his head. “It’s all right. It was an accident; a car crash.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
“It’s why I sponsor the hospital,” Ethan admitted. “At the time, we didn’t have one, and the other packs didn’t want to accept another pack’s alpha into their territory. I dont know if they could’ve been saved but, well. I didn’t want it to ever happen to another member of my pack.”
I wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t know what to say, so I just held him. He hugged me back for a moment and then straightened.
“Would you like to see our library? It’s very nice, my great grandmother had it built.”
“I’d love to,” I said.
The library was amazing. it covered two stories of the manor, with shelves lining an open balcony and rolling ladders spaced around to help reach books higher up. There were tables for studying, several of which were occupied by wolves I recognized as some of Ethan’s guards. There were little reading nooks in odd corners, with plush chairs and reading lights, and a few odd little nests of pillows and blankets set near the windows.
“I can tell you’re going to spend a lot of time in here,” Ethan said.
“Our library was always my favorite place,” I admitted. “The archivists were always kind and Eva didn’t bother me there. She thought the place was boring.”
“I believe it. She doesn’t strike me as much of a literary type,” Ethan said.
I opened my mouth to defend her, and then realized I didn’t have to. In fact, I could agree. I didn’t have to save face for the Alpha Daughter anymore. I could be honest.
“She’s really not,” I said. “I honestly don’t think she ever reads for pleasure.”
“Wow. What’s she do when it rains?” Ethan asked.
I shrugged. Mostly she bullied me. I didn’t want to think about Eva anymore.
“Your siblings are really very nice,” I said, trying to hide a tiniy burn of envy. My only sibling hated me.
“They’re great,” Ethan said. “When Mom and Dad died and I realized I had to be their caretaker and their alpha, I thought it was too much. But Estelle stepped up and helped. And, um. Leo. Leo was there for us, too.”
“It’s okay that you’re his friend,” I said. “I still care for him. I don’t know why. I should make a clean break of it.”
“Hey, you feel how you feel,” Ethan said. “And Leo will straighten out. You’ll see. He was just emotional about the pup. He’ll look at the evidence again. He will. And he’ll realize he made a mistake.”
“I don’t want him to,” I admitted. “I don’t want to go back.”
“And you don’t have to. But I don’t want you living with the stigma of being cast out, either. Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.”
“You sound so confident,” I said.
“Because I am,” he said.
“And your siblings don’t mind that I’m cast out? That I’m half human? That I let you claim a pup that wasn’t yours?” I asked.
“They’re a little confused about that last part,” Ethan admitted, “but they figure you were in a bad spot and I wanted to help out. Which is the truth. And no, Tessa, they don’t care about any of that because I don’t care about any of that. They want you to feel welcome. Because whether or not we end up mates, you’re part of our pack now. You’re family.”
I choked up a little at his words, and excused myself to go unpack my things. Not that I had much to unpack. I just needed a few minutes to myself. It all felt so unreal.
End of Surrogate for My Brother-in-law Chapter 58. Continue reading Chapter 59 or return to Surrogate for My Brother-in-law book page.