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.

as we move down the hall, the doctor who first met us at the entrance taking lead and giving commands left and right. They move quickly, efficiently, bringing forward machines and tools as we approach a bed at

The doctor asks, looking closely at Ella’s face as I lay her down on the bed as gently as I

the exact number of days, but frankly

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

grabbing the man by his coat and bringing his face close to mine. “And she as well. You will do everything –

to his credit,

me, his eyes angry as

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

my lips pull back from my teeth in a snarl as I close the distance between us. “You dare take that

eyes. “You may be our King, sir, but I am the Alpha in this surgery.

throat then, but I turn my head to look at her. So small – so

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 does as I say, getting down to the business of

her breathe, wires and tubes plugged into her arms. The nurses cut the clothes from her poor fragile body, strip

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. As I watch,

see a heartbeat on the screen. My stomach drops and I hear a moan. A moment later,

need to take her in,” The doctor commands, stripping off his bloody gloves and turning to me. “Her uterus is

growl, focusing my eyes

hesitates, glancing at her, and then quickly nods. “There’s a heartbeat,” he says, turning back to me. His voice is apologetic as he utters his next words. “It’s not good, Sir. If it were anyone else, I’d…I’d instruct my team to let

at him, taking two instinctual steps forward. “You will save them