diff --git a/pydantic_xml/element/element.py b/pydantic_xml/element/element.py
index 2a27862..5b65a0c 100644
--- a/pydantic_xml/element/element.py
+++ b/pydantic_xml/element/element.py
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ def set_attributes(self, attributes: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
 
     def append_element(self, element: 'XmlElement[NativeElement]') -> None:
         self._state.elements.append(element)
+        self._state.next_element_idx += 1
 
     def pop_text(self) -> Optional[str]:
         result, self._state.text = self._state.text, None
@@ -295,6 +296,7 @@ def find_element_or_create(
         if (sub_element := self._find_element(tag, search_mode)) is None:
             sub_element = self.make_element(tag=tag, nsmap=nsmap)
             self._state.elements.append(sub_element)
+            self._state.next_element_idx += 1
 
         return sub_element
 
diff --git a/tests/test_wrapped.py b/tests/test_wrapped.py
index ca2dfbf..212020c 100644
--- a/tests/test_wrapped.py
+++ b/tests/test_wrapped.py
@@ -7,18 +7,54 @@
 
 def test_wrapped_primitive_extraction():
     class TestModel(BaseXmlModel, tag='model1'):
+        element0: str = element(tag='element')
         data: int = wrapped('model2')
-        attr1: int = wrapped('model2', attr())
+        attr1: int = wrapped('model2', attr(name='attr1'))
         element1: int = wrapped('model2', element())
 
     xml = '''
     <model1>
+        <element>text</element>
         <model2 attr1="2">1<element1>3</element1></model2>
     </model1>
     '''
 
     actual_obj = TestModel.from_xml(xml)
-    expected_obj = TestModel(data=1, attr1=2, element1=3)
+    expected_obj = TestModel(element0="text", data=1, attr1=2, element1=3)
+
+    assert actual_obj == expected_obj
+
+    actual_xml = actual_obj.to_xml()
+    assert_xml_equal(actual_xml, xml)
+
+
+def test_wrapped_path_merge():
+    class TestModel(BaseXmlModel, tag='model1'):
+        element0: int = element(tag='element0')
+        element1: int = element(tag='element1')
+        attr0: int = wrapped('element1', attr(name='attr'))
+        element2: int = wrapped('element2/element3', element(tag='element4'))
+        element3: int = wrapped('element2/element3', element(tag='element5'))
+        attr1: int = wrapped('element2/element6', attr(name='attr'))
+        element4: int = element(tag='element7')
+
+    xml = '''
+    <model1>
+        <element0>0</element0>
+        <element1 attr="2">1</element1>
+        <element2>
+            <element3>
+                <element4>3</element4>
+                <element5>4</element5>
+            </element3>
+            <element6 attr="5"/>
+        </element2>
+        <element7>6</element7>
+    </model1>
+    '''
+
+    actual_obj = TestModel.from_xml(xml)
+    expected_obj = TestModel(element0=0, element1=1, attr0=2, element2=3, element3=4, attr1=5, element4=6)
 
     assert actual_obj == expected_obj
 
@@ -214,3 +250,27 @@ class TestModel(BaseXmlModel, tag='model1'):
 
     actual_xml = actual_obj.to_xml()
     assert_xml_equal(actual_xml, xml)
+
+
+def test_wrapped_root():
+    class TestSubModel(BaseXmlModel, tag='model3'):
+        attr1: int = attr()
+
+    class TestModel(BaseXmlModel, tag='model1'):
+        __root__: TestSubModel = wrapped('model2')
+
+    xml = '''
+    <model1>
+        <model2>
+            <model3 attr1="1"/>
+        </model2>
+    </model1>
+    '''
+
+    actual_obj = TestModel.from_xml(xml)
+    expected_obj = TestModel(__root__=TestSubModel(attr1=1))
+
+    assert actual_obj == expected_obj
+
+    actual_xml = actual_obj.to_xml()
+    assert_xml_equal(actual_xml, xml)