Accidental Surrogate

Sinclair

I roar as I stumble through the doors of the hospital, my bleeding mate clutched in my arms.

Everyone in the emergency room freezes – doctors, nurses, patients. Everyone. The noise that comes from me is unending, a demand, a plea, a threat. I am halfway between states now – my eyes filled with the wolf’s flame, my hands ending in razor-sharp claws.

She breathes against my chest, barely. Blood drips from her.

The bond – I can barely feel it, between she and I –

And my child –

I take a breath, then, glaring around the room, and open my mouth to shout again. “DOCTOR,” I cry. “Get me a doctor! NOW!”

The room collectively jumps at this, patients clearing away from the desk and heading towards the sides of the room, the nurses leaping to their feet. A doctor strides forward – one I don’t recognize – but he’s here, damn it, he’d better be good –

“Come,” he commands, stopping a few feet from us and then gesturing backwards towards the door to the treatment rooms. He doesn’t need to look any closer to know that she needs immediate care. “This way, fast.”

I stride after him as he shouts out commands on his way. In my arms, Ella is deathly pale, passed out, hardly breathing. I glance down at her, at her beautiful face, her rose-gold hair falling across it.

She’s strong – I know she’s strong –

But she’s given so much. I grit my teeth, growling, livid with the universe for asking this much of her. I will not lose her to this.

at the entrance taking lead and giving

many months?” The doctor asks, looking closely at Ella’s face as I lay

exact number of days, but

and then glances up at me. “Too soon for an early cesarian. The child…it

mine. “And she as well. You will do everything – you will move mountains, if I command it

doctor, to his credit, does not

eyes angry as

then release him. The doctor takes a step away from me and brushes off his coat, keeping his eyes on mine. “I will move mountains for her, sir,” he bites out, his voice still low. “I will do everything I can to help her survive. We owe you that. But it will not be helped by

“You dare take that tone with

then, our chests almost meeting, glaring up into my eyes. “You may be our King, sir, but I am the Alpha in this surgery. And if you want me to

but I turn my head to look at her. So

pride is not worth her sacrifice. I glare at the doctor but step away. “Do your work,” I snarl, folding my arms across my chest and stepping to the head of her bed. The doctor holds my gaze for a moment more and then

tubes plugged into her arms. The nurses cut the clothes from her poor fragile body, strip her naked so that I can see the blood thickly coating her thighs. I almost flinch away at the sight, but I refuse myself that indulgence. If she can endure it, then I can

a medical language I can’t comprehend. It’s almost more than I can do to stand still, helpless. I have basic medic experience, of course, but I know that her life is in their hands, not mine. And it kills me to realize that, to stand here and watch her fight knowing that there’s nothing I can do.

a moan. A moment later, I realize that the noise

doctor commands, stripping off his bloody gloves and turning to me. “Her uterus is torn, leaking blood at the cervix, and her organs

focusing my eyes

is apologetic as he utters his next words. “It’s not good, Sir. If it were

steps forward. “You will