Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“I’m very worried about this, Ella.” The doctor pronounces grimly. He’s just taken my blood pressure, and it’s the same high reading we recorded this morning with the home kit. “I know you’re in the middle of a campaign and you’re going through a lot, but you’ve got to find a way to de-stress. If you don’t, we’ll have to put you on bed rest.”

“Bed rest?” I repeat anxiously. “For how long?”

The doctor’s grave face speaks volume, “the duration of your pregnancy.”

Sinclair stiffens beside me, moving the hand at my nape to massage my tense shoulder muscles. “What can we do, other than avoiding high pressure situations?”

“I’m going to prescribe you some medicine that will be safe for you and the baby. Be sure to take it every day, and otherwise just keep up the things we’ve already talked about – healthy eating, regular exercise, activities you find calming or relaxing.” The doctor continues, listing off suggestions. “You can try meditation or breathing exercises, pregnancy yoga is getting very popular. Sticking to a daily routine can really help when things are uncertain and you’re going through all these changes. And Alpha, help her however you can.”

“The instructor at our parenting class advised us not to coddle our mates– is that still good advice given Ella’s risk level?” Sinclair inquires.

“Yes.” The doctor agrees, smashing the small surge of hope I’d felt to pieces. “Human or wolf, your mate needs to feel like you’re in control, especially in cases like this where so much is out of your hands. She needs you to ground her if she starts to spiral – to show her she can rely on you no matter what.”

I can’t see the logic underpinning his words, but I still don’t like it. What’s so wrong with a bit of coddling? I’ve never been coddled in my entire life. As if he can read my thoughts, Sinclair’s warm breath flutters over my neck, “Just remember how much you hated it when I kept you out of the loop, trying to protect you.”

Oh. I guess I have been coddled after all. I’m about to acknowledge this, but when I look up at Sinclair, he’s smiling at me so affectionately that my heart stops beating.“Besides,” He continues indulgently. “Just because I don’t coddle you, doesn’t mean I can’t pamper you the way you deserve.”

I find myself giggling like a schoolgirl, and the doctor steps out, clearly feeling as though he’s intruding on something even though we’re only talking. When we get home, Sinclair tucks me in for a nap and returns to work, making me promise to call on the servants if I need anything and vowing to be home as early as he can.

without Sinclair. I swear he’s becoming like my security blanket – my body won’t relax fully unless he’s with me and my nightmares always surge in his absence. I’m getting too attached to him. I think sadly, climbing out of bed after half an hour of

challenges. He’s the baby’s father – he’s going to

when he finds his second chance mate – and I have to be able to survive on my own. I can’t

he won’t find his mate at all. The voice suggests,

Ella! You can’t start thinking that way –

door to go downstairs and find an afternoon snack when one of the guards appears at the top of the stairwell.

in my tracks. “Who is it? I wasn’t expecting

“I tried to

the idea of an unidentified woman entering his home. I don’t like the idea myself – especially after Roger’s warning. “What

skin – maybe 40?” He

the heartless woman who fired me so callously after I tried to beg Sinclair for Cora’s job. “No,

came to

in her open perusal. She speaks before I can say a word of welcome. “Well, you’ve certainly come up in the world, Ella. Lord

you doing here?” I inquire, no longer feeling any need to play nice. She clearly set the tone of

picture plastered across the society section of the paper I could scarcely believe

philanthropic work. I should have realized this might happen – my social circle had been very small before discovering the

that you’ve seen that they were true, you can be

“It’s no wonder you were begging outside his gate that day. No doubt trying to get a bit of money out of him to

was asking for help on behalf of my sister – she was going to lose her job over a misunderstanding, ironically