Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“Parenting classes? Already?” I ask in surprise. “I’m only a few weeks along.”

“Yes, but we only have five months to prepare, and you don’t know anything about shifter children.” Sinclair replies easily.

I’m sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray in my lap, while Sinclair sits in a bedside armchair watching me like a hawk. It’s the morning after the attack and I haven’t been allowed to move a muscle, not even to vomit on my own. I attempted to free my body from Sinclair’s strong arms when we woke so that I could make a mad dash to the bathroom, but he ended up carrying me instead – holding my hair up and rubbing my back until I was finished. In fact he’s been so attentive that he took the day off of work to stay with me, and now he’s talking about going to our first birthing and parenting courses.

“Are shifter children all that different from human ones?” I ask, feeling a wave of anxiety.

“Well they gestate so much faster that I’d expect unique developmental milestones both during pregnancy and infancy, and then there are certainly differences in ability and personality. All their senses are heightened from day one, and they’ll need to learn about our ways and society – which means you do too.” Sinclair reasons.

I frown. Suddenly I feel as though I’m way out of my depth. My child is going to be a little superhuman miracle running circles around me, will I even be able to keep up? Before I realize what he intends, Sinclair has reached out and smoothed my wrinkled brow with the pad of his thumb, a kind smile on his face. “Don’t worry, sweet Ella. This is why I want us to go to class, and we’re a team remember? I’ll always be there to teach our pup the shifter side of things, all you have to worry about is loving him.”

I can’t help but smile at Sinclair’s tender assurances, and it takes me a moment for his last word to click in my brain. “You said “him”, you did the same thing the night I was spotting – I forgot until just now.” I share, eyeing him curiously. “Is that just hopeful thinking because you need an heir… or do you know something I don’t?”

Sinclair smirks, grazing his knuckles over my cheeks. “I expect there are a few things I know that you don’t.” He teases. “But yes, it’s a boy. I knew the moment I felt the mental link.”

“Really?” I gape, my hands naturally gravitating to my flat tummy. Sometimes it still feels terribly surreal that there’s actually a life growing within me, and now – to think I have a son, it’s almost too much to take in. I feel tears in my eyes, and Sinclair grins, brushing them away with the pad of his thumb.

He confirms. “We’re going to have

He catches me with a chuckle, squeezing me tightly and

“you smell me all the

him, repeating the same explanation he’s given me a hundred

to tell me this is also because of the pup, but he doesn’t. Instead he emits a soft purr. “The baby likes it when we’re close this way.” He tells me, and I realize our bodies are

like you do.” I admit, pulling away at long

my body, and suddenly I feel a rush of cold air. I almost want to wrap myself back around him, just to get that luscious

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you’re good at that!” I exclaim, looking over at Sinclair’s station. Our first assignment in parenting class is properly diapering an infant (using a doll to stand in of course). There are eight other couples joining us, all at varying stages of their own pregnancies. Having diapered many children through my nannying days, I was confident that I could ace this part of the course, but I wasn’t prepared for Sinclair

“In my line of work you have to kiss a lot of

as far as diapering the babies they kiss. In fact I expect most of them probably pawn off the less pleasant duties of parenthood onto their wives – if they ever lift a finger at all. “Maybe, but it’s more than that – isn’t

to take credit for this. Instead a mischievous glint appears in his eye. “Hey, how about we

to be overheard. Everyone here thinks I’m a wolf, and I’m doing my best not to give away my

He challenges, waggling

off this silly taunt, but I’ve never been one to back

flashes me a wolfish grin. “Ready,

change complete with wiping and powdering, before sliding the baby doll over a clear diaper and doing up the tabs. Naturally Sinclair finishes about

comes over to us with her arms crossed over her chest, “Parenting is not a game, you two. Honestly Alpha, I should