Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“This baby is mine.” I tell him possessively. “You can’t just tell me you’re magic and expect me to take that as proof you’re the father.”

“My senses don’t lie, little human.” Sinclair declares, leaving no room for argument. “Nor do my investigators. You’re not in any position to care for this child. Your income is too low to pay off your debts in time, and no woman who claims to be responsible would ever get pregnant in such a situation.”

“My income?” I force the words out through clenched teeth, “what income? You got me fired!”

The big man… or wolf, I suppose, blinks in surprise. “You were fired?”

“Now who’s playing dumb?” I demand wryly. “You called the Graves after I asked you to help Cora, you got me fired and ruined my reputation.”

“I did no such thing.” He insists. “I didn’t even know you were no longer employed.”

“I thought your investigators were the best?” I taunt, and I can feel myself toeing the line of his temper.

“Clearly this was very recent.” He bites back. “And I don’t blame you for becoming desperate, but you have to admit the only explanation for this,” He gestures to my tummy, “is that you needed money and hoped to extort it from me in exchange for the child.”

“I wanted this child more than anything in the world!” I exclaim, surging to my feet. “I’ve been trying to get pregnant for years and when I came to Cora I didn’t know about the identity theft or that I was going to lose my job. This was my last chance and you have no idea how hard it’s been… how painful it is to think I might have to abort it because of everything that’s happened since.” I didn’t mean to tell him so much, but the words poured out of me before I could stop them. I’ve been so preoccupied with these thoughts the last few days I clearly couldn’t keep them contained.

“Abort it!?” Sinclair rises to his feet in a blur, suddenly towering over me despite the fact that I’m still standing on the exam table’s step. “So now you’re threatening me?”

It doesn’t have anything to do with you, as you said I can’t afford to have a baby so I was trying to do the right

precious and Cora knows that. I’m sure

my hands into fists. “You’re impossible! How many times do I have to tell you that if this child is yours, it was an accident! Cora didn’t switch

“You’re a

a snake.” I snap. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you have scales

of raw power that my knees go weak. “Be careful Ella, I’m showing you a lot of lenience right now because you don’t

just told me how precious your pups are so I know you’re not going to hurt me.” To my horror, I feel my eyes burning with tears. Swiping at them angrily, I continue, “and I’ve already lost everything else

spin away so that he can’t see me cry. I don’t know what to do – I know how suspicious our situation looks. If I didn’t know better, I would think the same thing he did. It was all too suspicious, especially now that I know the truth

known it was the wrong sample. She wouldn’t have believed it would work even if we were as calculating as you seem to think. And if all I wanted was to extort your money, why haven’t I asked for it? Why haven’t

a grimace. Silence stretches between us and eventually he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m

him warily, “what sort

your price, Ella.” He mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How much do

what? The baby?” I sputter, “You want me to sell you

insists. “You don’t belong in my world. So how much is it

do I want it raised by someone who thinks of it as nothing more than a commodity!”

what you’re talking about!” Sinclair grumbles, “do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for

– not a son or daughter, but an heir – is that all it is to you? Some hypothetical legacy? I might not be able to prevent myself from losing this child now, but I’m not going to hand it over to someone who doesn’t give a damn about it beyond what it can offer them.” I state ferociously, my maternal instincts kicking into

talking about.” He repeats gutturally. “I will give this baby a life you never could, it will want for absolutely nothing! With you its best chance is to scrounge and scrape in poverty, assuming you have the decency to let it live.