Accidental Surrogate

Sinclair and I both gasp at the same moment, and my eyes fly open, finding his. We are both frozen in place, but then another cry sounds and we are instantly in motion, bolting through the forest, searching for our son.

“Rafe!” I cry, my voice desperate as Sinclair pulls ahead of me on his long legs. “Rafe, baby! We’re coming!”

Rafe’s cries are louder now, more solid, the sound of a real baby crying real tears. And then

suddenly something catches my vision out of the corner of my eye and I skid to a stop, turning left while Sinclair continues ahead.

And suddenly, I see –

A bassinet, of all things, sitting alone in the middle of the forest. And in it, I know, is my baby.” Dominic!” I call, wanting him back, wanting him at my side, but I don’t wait. Instead, I hurry to the side of the white basket, gripping the edge of it in my hands as I pull myself closer to it, desperately looking inside –

And then.

There he is.

My baby boy, my pup, my child–looking exactly as I knew he would be – not how I imagined he would look, but how I knew he would be.

I am breathless, wordless, as I reach for my child, who mews quietly with discontent in his little bed, swaddled in a clean white blanket. Slowly, softly, I left him into my arms, just staring at him as I hear heavy footsteps pounding behind me.

“Ell-“I hear Sinclair start, but then, as I turn, he forgets the rest of the word. He stutters to a stop, his mouth falling open as he takes in the sight of us – both of us – mother and child. But I barely spare him a glance, returning my gaze to my infant son.

“Hey, baby,” I murmur, my throat choked with my joy and my tears. “Hey, baby Rafe. We’ve been looking for you.” Slowly, I begin to rock and bounce him, soothing him, letting him feel me holding him against me, letting him know that I’m here, and I’m so sorry, and how I love him with the entirety of my being.

I hear Sinclair take a few steps closer and I tilt the still–crying baby towards him, letting my mate have a look at his son. I look up into Sinclair’s face as I hear him choke. I’m a little shocked – but honestly, not surprised – when I see tears streaking down his face.

“Hey, kid,” he starts, his voice wavering, his hand shaking a little as he reaches out his giant mitt to touch him. But before he can lay a finger on him, I see Sinclair hesitate, pulling his hand back.

laughing a little.

and staring down at our little boy’s perfect porcelain skin, his little mop of

causing him to fuss and hiccough as I shake my head at Sinclair.

reaches out just the tip of his finger and brushes it against Rafe’s

hear his heart in this throat. “We’re so excited for you. We’ve got

look up at Sinclair and fall in love with him all over again, seeing the hope and the joy and the wholeness in his eyes

the baby out towards him. “Do you want to

and shakes his

breast, secretly pleased at the refusal. I never want to put this little baby down, I want to hold him just like this forever. Instead, Sinclair takes a step closer to me and wraps his arms around both of us, encircling us with his

breaths, blinking up at us sleepily with his grey little infant

to grow up to be so big and strong,” I

we can’t wait to watch

catching. “Just hold on. Your mama’s going to carry you,

all the things my poor baby had to endure. No wonder he had been hiding, had shrunk away from me and the horrors of this world. “It will be different now – it will be safe, and good – you’re my only job now.

And as we watch, Rafe’s little hand uncurls

my face as I look between them, the two men who are the world to me. But even as I watch, I feel the dream state start to shift.

out of time,” I say to Sinclair, holding my baby tight against me,

reason to fight it. All dreams come to an end, even perfect ones like this. Hurriedly, he turns my face to his, pressing a kiss to my mouth. I savor it, the perfect contours of his lips which fit so perfectly to mine.

back to me,” he demands, his eyes serious, almost glaring into mine. “You come back to me, Ella. Wake up. As soon as

I promise. “I’m coming back to you. We both

before he can, the

Sinclair

to consciousness, the memories of the dream ringing through my mind, and spin to Ella, looking desperately for that sweet smile, the

But…

That she’s just laying still, breathing those same shallow breaths, her pulse a slow tick on the