Accidental Surrogate

Ella

For all my bravado, my attacker’s words fill me with dread. The implications are clear, and panic is bubbling up inside me. No, no, no. I think desperately, hating myself for provoking them. If I’d kept my mouth shut would they have just killed me? Did I bring this upon myself? I open my mouth to scream as he reaches toward me, pure malice glittering in his dark eyes, but before I can make a sound, a voice rings out behind the wolves.

“Take your hands off her!” Roger appears out of nowhere, and for a moment I’m sure I’m hallucinating. Where did he come from?

He charges forward, and I watch in horror and fascination as the clothes explode off his body in shreds and his sinewy muscles vibrate and pulse with energy. Before my very eyes he transforms, bursting forth in a whirlwind of fur, fangs and claws. Where Roger stood a moment before, now there is only a huge gray wolf.

Before I know it the other men have shifted too. Three are gray like Roger, but the first man –the largest and fiercest – has red fur like a fox. Of course I’ve never seen such a terrifying fox. My mind is reeling – have I ever been this near a wolf? Have I ever even seen one in the wild? I don’t even know why I’m focusing on such things – it’s not like it matters, these aren’t actual wolves. They’re shifters, and the beasts are at least twice the size of true wolves.

My arms are wrapped around my middle, desperately trying to protect my unborn child from the beings in front of me. I’m suddenly painfully aware of how flimsy my human body is next to theirs, and while my baby might be stronger, it’s far too little to survive if anything were to happen to me.

I can barely keep track of what’s happening, my mind is fractured between primal fear, amazement as I try to process these incredible sights, and anxiety as I attempt to keep up with the unfolding events. The wolves are circling one another, growling and snarling, baring their fangs as their raised hackles and flattened ears reshape their fluffy coats. As ever, my mind finds humor at the most inappropriate of times, and I have to smother a smile as I imagine these shifters’ responses to being described as fluffy.

Stop it, Ella! Shaking myself, I push my body up against the wall, trying to flatten myself to the bricks lest one of the enraged creatures comes too close. At first I think they’ll continue stalking around each other, posturing forever, but then Roger lunges out of nowhere, and the fight begins.

My human eyes can’t keep up with their supernatural speed. All I see if tornado of limbs, punctuated by the snapping of fangs and yelps of pain. As they attack one another I try to open the door again, then visually carve out a path past them to the mouth of the alley. Unfortunately their battle is so chaotic that I don’t think I’ll be able to run past them without falling into the middle of the fray. I just have to pray the Roger is strong enough to defeat his assailants.

In the end its over relatively quickly, amazingly fast actually – given that it was four against one. Roger might not be as strong as Sinclair, but he’s clearly much more powerful than this lot. He seizes the leader by the throat, shaking him like a rag doll and sending the others running for safety. Can it really be that simple? I wonder, cut the head off the snake and the body dies? What cowards.

Roger throws the other wolf to the ground – scarlet blood dripping over the snow as he clambers to his feet and scampers off into the night, whimpering like a pup. I’m still standing there frozen when Roger shifts back, coming forward with outstretched hands, as if I’m a wild animal he’s trying to calm. “Ella, are you still with me?” He broaches gently.

Yet for some reason my body is fighting the reaction, as if it doesn’t think the threat has

can make them stop. I need answers before I

everything.” Roger promises, “first just tell me

insist, still protectively

bleeding.” He observes, reaching

feel sick to my stomach. Even as I think this, I feel my gorge rising, and turn away to vomit. Tears burn in my eyes as my

want to leave you like this

need Cora.” I need a woman, I’m coming to pieces, and no man will be able to comfort me right now. I wouldn’t normally place such a burden on my sister, but I’m afraid this scene is going to be quickly overrun with aggressive shifters, and I don’t think

sick, and lower myself to the ground in the snow, Wrapping my arms around my knees. A minute later the back door slams open, making me jump

at her. “I want to go home.” I murmur, my lower lip quivering.

one slender arm around me, then pulls out

device begins to buzz in her hand, and Sinclair’s name flashes across the screen. We both freeze, and I shake

nods in agreement, “You’ll only

he’ll be less angry if he hears sooner rather than later.” Before I can stop her, she picks up the phone. I can hear Sinclair’s deep tones through

as fast as he can. When she hangs up she looks back down at me, “It’ll be okay, Ella.” She chafes my bare arms with her hands, “We should really get you up out of

of a trance, hating that I’m worrying her. I bite back my fraying emotions, swiping at my tears. “I’m okay.” I say again,

go inside.” Cora

argue, backing away from the concerned pair.