Accidental Surrogate

Ella

I haven’t been sick for a few days now, but when I see Roger standing on the other side of the door I immediately turn to one of the ornamental vases in the hallway and empty my stomach. Cora rushes forward to help me, glancing uncertainly at Roger as she pulls my hair back from my face.

I know that Sinclair and Roger are on better terms since the wild hunt, but I also know that their peace is very tenuous. Sinclair hasn’t decided whether or not he truly trusts his brother yet, and though Roger has been helpful bringing intelligence from the Prince’s camp, he could easily be playing the double agent for both sides – and now he knows my deepest, darkest secret.

This is so bad. I think frantically. He told the Prince that Sinclair hadn’t marked me, what if he tells him this too? Forget the blackmail – Roger is more dangerous to me than some bitter ex-employer could ever be!

I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth, straightening with a pitiful moan. I look over at Roger, finding his expression a combination of confusion and concern. “You’d better come in.”

“Ella, I’m sorry.” He begins hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to startle you, and I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I came over to check in with Sinclair and… well it wasn’t difficult to overhear your conversation.”

“I know, I know – your shifter hearing is very acute.” I grumble. “Trust me, I’m learning just how out of my depth I am every day.”

“I don’t understand.” Roger admits, following me into the sitting room. “How is this even possible?”

I sit down, graciously accepting a glass of water from my sister. “Listen, I’ll tell you the truth, but only if you promise me that this conversation stays between us. I know you’re been helping us lately, but I’m going to be honest – I’m not convinced you’re actually on our side.”

“That’s fair.” Roger admits, looking drawn and pale. “After what I did… I know I don’t deserve your trust, or your forgiveness.”

“Well I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what would happen if this information got out. The only people who know are servants of this house, and my doctor. Not even Henry knows the truth, because if this becomes public information Sinclair’s campaign will be over. The Prince will become King, thousands would die under his tyranny – including me and your nephew.” I remark pointedly, holding my hand to my baby bump. “I don’t care what kind of sibling rivalry you have, or how strongly you think you should have Alpha – if you endanger my baby’s life, you won’t only have Sinclair to deal with – I’ll kill you myself.”

my aggression. In truth I’ve shocked myself, but those primal Mama Bear instincts that started coming out at the ball are back in full force, and I

very spirited for a human. I can see why Sinclair picked you.” He stares me in the eye, holding the contact as he makes his next promise. “And you have my word that I’ll take

nod, feeling a bit more relaxed now. “But you’re wrong if you think Sinclair picked me. This all started as a

accident?” Roger repeats, his brow knitting

the mix up at the sperm bank. Of course, her confession only leads to more questions, about why I went to the sperm bank in the first place, and how we figured out Sinclair’s sample had been used instead of the donor I chose. When he hears about Mike, I’m amazed to see how outraged

Roger presses, after we move past the Mike of it

“The surveillance cameras were disabled in the lab – before the samples were switched. And of course we don’t

is the first I”m hearing

them to hire me back, but the investigation didn’t actually move away from me as a suspect until they

I could even understand someone erasing them after

Roger questions, aghast. “I mean no shifter I

don’t know how it was possible – and honestly I don’t care. This baby is a miracle for me whether it’s a human, or a wolf.” I shrug, though in truth I feel quite uneasy. “But it does make me nervous to think someone might have done this to us. Even if they knew I could conceive, what was

pure, but I also don’t see an opportunity for malice either. How does you having a shifter baby

weirdest crime in history.” I express, absolutely

labs and the security rooms, and who else knew you had Dominic’s sperm?” Roger asks, obviously

of his men on it as well, but as far as I know, no one has ever been

“with everything else going on, I sort of forgot about all this,

“So what happens after the baby comes? You mentioned losing its scent. Has Sinclair talked to you

think of everything he must have overheard. “Afterwards I can step back from the public eye and… I don’t know, we’ll take it from there. If he has plans he hasn’t talked to me