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?

fly open, desperate. “Where is Rafe?” Then I start to look all around me, searching for him – he’s here, he has to be, I remember him, my little baby, wrapped in white

a dream, Ella – we met him in

then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course

baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow, and search for him. And it’s hard, it’s distant, but…

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

my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair and nod. “Okay. Yes. He’s

exhales a huge rush of air, grasping one of my

that for a long minute as tears start to slide

back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling in the dream state to get

where else I’d

get the doctor,” I hear Roger murmur, and then his footsteps move

room.

for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as I take her hand. “Are

laughing through the tears that are falling

think so?” I feel so weak but there is also…a warmth, a

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

“Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave it to you

”

–

–

were dying – of course I gave it back to you

and frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our mom – I worked so hard to get

”

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 with it – it can’t possibly matter –”

him and then turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a

laughs, agreeing to these terms, wiping the tears off of her cheeks.

—

smiling at my sister, holding my mate’s hand tight in 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 –

shocked to see you awake –” He quickly grasps my wrist, feeling for a pulse and turning towards the monitors behind them, scanning them for new information. “It shouldn’t be possible…” he mutters, his brows drawn together. “Earlier today…”

up at Sinclair. “Not precisely a medical

then, looking towards us confused, 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

he says, turning back to the monitors. “Whatever it

Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me, clearly working

tucked in amongst the larger ones. “He’s fine,” he mumbles, almost 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 my suspicions confirmed. My baby and I… we are going to make

incredibly

then, my eyes pleading. I know that if I ask him, if I want it enough, he’ll pick me up and carry me bodily out of this hospital right now. But he slowly shakes his head too, letting me know he agrees with the doctor. “I want you home as well, baby,” he murmurs, “both of