Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 208 – Isabel Comforts Ella

Ella

Four days. Four days since Sinclair’s car was bombed in West Vanara, and four days since I last heard his voice.

I refuse to believe he’s gone. I know the others have given up hope, but they don’t know my mate like I do, and they don’t have our bond. I don’t know where he is or why we haven’t heard from him, but I know he’s out there somewhere. If the doctor would just let me out of this bed I’d go find him myself.

Unfortunately he’s keeping me under lock and key, and a roster of babysitters have been assigned to watch me. Honestly it’s insulting, but I suppose my first few escape attempts might have given him cause to worry. The first time I slipped out past my guards I made it all the way down to the second floor before Philippe caught up with me and hauled me back. The second time, I only made it down the hall, and the third was dead in the water before I could even finish making a rope out of my bed sheets. That was about the time the bossy wolves who seem to think they can tell me what to do now that Sinclair is… out of reach… decided I needed constant supervision.

I know everyone is trying to be patient with me, novelebook.com but they’re dealing with their own grief too, and the doctor frightened them about my condition. If they would just listen, I would tell them that the best possible solution for my stress would be to find Sinclair and bring him home. Nothing will help more than having him with me… but they won’t listen, so I’m stuck here – lying around in my nest and banned from working.

“This is stupid.” I complain, glaring at Isabel. “Shouldn’t you be in the nursery?”

‘The King thought my experience dealing with whiny babies made me ideally suited to look after you.” Isabel responds coolly. “And James is with the pups.”

I glance at her curiously. “How’s that going? You and James?”

Isabel shoots me a withering look. “Why don’t you worry about yourself, Princess.” Though many people now address me seriously with this title, from Isabel it’s pure derision. “You haven’t slept, you haven’t eaten or washed your filthy hair. If you truly believe your mate is out there, then you might want to pull yourself together so he doesn’t have to come home to a hot mess.”

so rested from my long sedation that staying awake wasn’t even a challenge.

did?” Isabel arches a brow. “You don’t care that the others

at my lap. “But you’ve lost a mate, you know

he was gone and no room for hope.” She glances at me with an unreadable look in her eye. “If I were

do exactly the same

ask…” her face shutters as soon as the words leave my lips, novëebook.com but

in her voice from sharing these basic details makes me regret asking this of her. “Our baby, Sophie, was only a month old, and we were both exhausted and overjoyed. Daniel was absolutely besotted with her, and in a lot of ways, he was better with her than I was. I had a really difficult birth and my body was wrecked. Nothing seemed to go right, not breastfeeding

scream, and then we saw rogues racing towards us. Daniel pushed the baby into my arms and told me to run… I didn’t realize in the moment that he meant to stay and fight, to hold them off so we could get away. I thought he was going to be right behind us, but all my instincts were to protect Sophie, so I ran. Then I felt it. I felt our bond shatter and fall away, as if my own soul was slipping from my body.” Isabel shares, tears streaming down her cheeks. “And when I turned back… I saw him lying on the ground with his throat ripped out, a rogue still standing

out of it. It wasn’t until a couple of months later, when Sophie woke me up in the middle of the night.” Isabel sighs, “I hadn’t been… I’d wanted her so badly before she arrived, and then with all the difficulties and losing Daniel – I wasn’t the mother I should have been, let’s just say that. But that night I went

hated myself for neglecting her, for letting my grief make me forget what a miracle she was. Everything turned around that night. I finally became the

I fear this loss was too recent. I already know what happened anyway… Isabel made it, and her daughter did not. “I’m so sorry, Isabel.” I profess, cuddling her close, tears in my own eyes.

“You gave me the

each others arms, and then the baby kicks in my womb, thumping his foot against Isabel’s side. To my surprise Isabel smiles and reaches out

ask you

the phone call with Dominic, I was worried about upsetting the baby. So I tried to cut myself off

Isabel replies knowingly. “It’s a lesson every parent has to learn: that having you is better for them, even if you’re upset.” She grimaces, “and it tells you just how traumatizing losing a parent truly is for a pup… How much they need you, rely on you to guide

to bond with an adopted child that way?” I ask, thinking