Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“Wait, what!” I exclaim, not believing my own ears. “You got your job back?”

“It sounds like somebody very important called in some favors for me.” My sister confirms. “They even gave me a raise to compensate for my troubles.”

She doesn’t need to say more. There’s only one person with enough power to undo a command issued by Dominic Sinclair – and that’s Dominic Sinclair himself. “I can’t believe this. Why didn’t he tell me?”

“You mean you didn’t ask?” I can imagine the precise look on Cora’s face. Stunned and reeling at once.

“I mean, not after that first time.” I relate, wondering if I should have tried harder to help her. Did I misperceive my importance to Sinclair, or the power I hold now that I’m carrying his child?

“Well apparently that’s all it took.” She relates, her voice full of elation. “Thank you, Ella.”

“Don’t thank me,” I object. “I’m the one who got us into this situation to begin with.” I remind her ruefully.

“Of course you didn’t.” She refutes. “Listen, I don’t know how it happened, but either I made a mistake or…”

“Or what?” I press.

“Or someone did this on purpose.” She sounds uncertain now, as if she can’t fathom the motive for such an act. I find myself equally confused.

“Why would they?” I fret, not wanting to believe my sister messed up so badly, but not seeing any logic in the alternative.

“I don’t know.” She confesses. “But that’s not important now. It’s all going to be okay from here on out. You get your baby, I get my career… the only thing we need now is to find a way to get revenge on Mike.”

the country.” I share. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to enact any sort of plan against him when

teasing in her voice – the same one children

voice to a whisper. “If I start to seem like too much trouble he might change his mind about letting me

were an open book before, Elle.” Cora replies

fragile, too annoying to put up with. It’s exhausting.” I drag my hand through my hair. “I end up over-analyzing everything I do with him. I shouldn’t have cried, I was too sassy, too timid, too bold. It’s like walking an emotional tightrope. And the worst part is that he can read me so damned well that even when I

sweetie.” Cora

to get my bearings. Once I figure Sinclair out I’ll understand what

pregnant pause on the other end of the

I prompt my sister, knowing she wants to say

hear you talk that way.” Cora admits. “It’s like you’re still in survival mode – ‘keeping

I counter cynically, “if I don’t perform well I lose my baby. The best I can hope for if I do perfectly is visitation rights after Sinclair finds his mate, and even that could mean anything from every weekend to once a year. I don’t want to risk landing with the

and lets the matter drop. “How are you otherwise? Any morning

laugh. “I spent all morning in the bathroom…

I’ve never been happier for you to feel miserable either.” She

The more the baby makes its presence known, the more secure I

me to meet his father.” I confess.

________________

don’t know what I imagined when I pictured the elder Alpha, but the sweet man in the wheelchair was far from the imposing figure I expected. He radiated quiet strength and dignity, but he also welcomed me to his family with genuine warmth. I could see the shadow

far more at ease when we finally left his home, and I spent the rest of the day napping and reading my pregnancy books. I can’t believe how tired I’ve been, or how hungry. I expected the changes, I just didn’t think they’d happen so fast. Of course after

foster homes, all full of cruel adults and abusive parents. In my dreams I’m always running away from someone, trying to protect Cora and my other surrogate siblings. The dreams have gotten worse since I got pregnant,

takes me back to one of the worst days of my life. The sounds of my own screams and pleading tears fill my head, as dreadful images fill my vision. The next thing I know someone is shouting my name, and my eyes snap

shoulders as he tries to bring me back to reality. It takes me a minute to realize it’s him, rather than the man who’d been attacking me in my dreams. I jerk out of his hold and scramble to the other side of the mattress, curling up into a little ball and gasping for