Accidental Surrogate

#Chapter 274 – Bonded

Ella

My head feels…so heavy. I groan, trying to move my hands up so I can press them against my temples, but I can’t move them.

“Easy,” I hear him say beside me and instinctually I turn towards his voice. Where –

“Easy, Ella,” he murmurs, his words thick with emotion. “It’s all right…”

I peel my eyelids apart, then, confused at the effort. It’s like I haven’t opened my eyes for weeks…

My vision comes back to me slowly, the room around me coming into focus with effort. I blink rapidly, looking around at Sinclair, and Cora, and Roger all standing around me, peering at me with worried faces. I feel very suddenly like Dorothy, when she wakes up from her trip to Oz.

“What?” I murmur, my voice thick and my throat scratchy. Suddenly anxious, I try to sit up, pushing at the bed beneath me but –

What the hell were all these wires, tied to my arms?

“Easy, trouble,” Sinclair whispers, pressing his hand to my shoulder, keeping me down. My body responds to his command, relaxing backwards as I look up at him. But…

“Where am I?” I ask, staring at him, and then I press my eyes closed. It’s all just too much.

“You’re in the hospital,” I hear my sister explain. “After the gift, at the temple…”

But her voice fades, almost as if I can’t hear it. I feel my heart start to pound, my breath ratchet up as my memories start to come back to me. Of being on the temple steps of Cora there, and what we learned about each other of Sinclair’s warm arms around me –

–

–

–

And then, nothing – and then clouds – and Sinclair again, and my baby –

Oh my god, where was my baby?

“Where is Rafe?” Then I start to look all around me, searching for

hurriedly, “it was a dream, Ella – we met him in

on the swell of my stomach then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here, I

own hands so that they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back

him, my ties to him. My bond with my baby. I reach out to him, sending all the love I have in my heart down our bond, and feeling a little pulse back. He hears me. He tells me he knows. He’s holding on.

say again, feeling my whole body relax. I open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy.

rush of air, grasping one of my hands and lowering his head

a long minute as tears start to slide down my

a lot to take in in just a few minutes. To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling

there’s no where else

and then his footsteps move to

room.

other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as

tears that are

I think so?” I feel so weak but there is also…a warmth, a stillness in me that feels… I frown, looking up at her. “Did you…do something to

little and running her hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift,

my bed. “Cora!” I scold.

”

–

–

– you were dying – of course I gave it back to you I didn’t even want

from a Goddess –

”

to me, and my eyes snap to him as I feel suddenly guilty and a little childish, arguing with my sister like this in front of him, especially when I’m clearly so sick. I look up at him, my eyes apologetic, and I see his face instantly soften. “Please, Ella,” he begs.” You’re so weak – and she saved you

nodding up at him and then turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her.

she laughs, agreeing to these terms, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. “Whatever you say,

—

my own, when the Doctor comes in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one of my normal doctors – but he certainly seems to know

expression worried. “I have to say, I’m shocked to see you awake –” He quickly grasps my wrist, feeling for a pulse and turning towards the monitors

I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not precisely

and I just shrug. Sinclair stands stoically beside me, still holding my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he observes, a little humor in his voice. The doctor’s face screws up further with confusion but then he simply exhales quickly

the monitors.

spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me, clearly working to figure out what’s

to himself. “Better, if anything, than he was the last time I was in here.” “Good,” I say, almost under my breath, pleased to have

doctor scolds, turning towards me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You have days yet in this hospital – tests,

now. But he slowly shakes his head too, letting me know he agrees with the doctor. “I want you