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?

towards Sinclair as my eyes 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 swaddling, holding

“it was a dream, Ella

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

I breathe, moving my own hands so that they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow, and search for him. And it’s

I can feel 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.

again, feeling my whole body relax. I open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair

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

for a long minute as tears

all just…it’s 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 in the dream state to get here. It is hard on me,

where else I’d

the doctor,” I hear Roger murmur, and then his

room.

call, opening my eyes and reaching my other hand 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 down her own cheeks.

I feel so weak but there is

back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift, I gave it back to you,” she stumbles, not really

“Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave

”

–

–

of course I gave it back to you I didn’t

want it?!” I almost shout, frantic and frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our mom –

”

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

to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as soon as

agreeing to these terms, wiping the tears off of her

—

comes in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one of my normal

quickly scans my face, his 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 behind them, scanning them for new information. “It

was…” I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not

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

says, turning back to the monitors. “Whatever it

up further and wincing as a sharp pain spikes through my back. Sinclair

“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

doctor scolds, turning towards me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You

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,