Accidental Surrogate

“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head quickly and realizing her mistake. “I’m so sorry, Ella – I didn’t mean to scare you – he’s just…” she turns again to the monitor, shaking her head at what she sees.

“Cora!” I shout, sitting up fast and grabbing her by the shoulder. “Tell me! Now!”

Sinclair is at my side instantly, a warm hand on my back as he peers down at the monitor. Hank likewise turns his head to the screen, curious.

“The baby is just huge,” Cora breathes, in awe. “If these measurements are right…” she shakes her head, looking up at Hank. “I mean, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

Hank leans forward, considering, and then his eyes likewise go wide. He stands up and leans back, crossing his arms. “She’s right. That is a big baby.”

My breath starts to come short as I look frantically between the screen, my doctors, and my mate before finally settling on my stomach. Oh my god. Is he really huge? Was my idea that he was as big as a watermelon actually true? Is he so big that he’s going to be too large to come out, and so he’ll have to just stay in there until I explode –

–

“Don’t freak out, Ella,” Hank says, drawing my eyes up to his calm face. “It’s nothing drastic yet. Just…a big baby.”

“That’s a little bit of an understatement, Hank,” Cora says, glancing up at him. “Only a man would, say that a twelve pound baby, not even at full term, is nothing drastic

”

“I’m just saying,” Hank interrupts smoothly, professionally, keeping his eyes on me, “that the baby’s size is at this point no risk to himself or to you – which is really the important thing. Many women – even petite women, like yourself – have delivered twelve pound babies before.”

at my stomach. “But I’m sure they didn’t enjoy

his face as he looks

the screen and moving the wand around on my belly, assessing Rafe’s condition. I give her

this rate,” I fret, looking between

the baby gets too large to deliver naturally, we’ll consider a cesarian. But I think everyone in this room agrees that a natural birth

10

that screen, everything I see suggests a full-term baby ready to go. I am

moment.”

I’ve been reading up on wolf pregnancies and found that six

1/3

think that your child could be born any day now and, from what we see in the exam, we have every reason to

up straight, a thrill running through me both at the anticipation that I could meet my baby soon and that this pregnancy could be done. “Really,” I breathe, looking at them with shining eyes. “Any day

“You’ve done beautifully, Ella – your bed rest these past months has really allowed your body to heal and Rafe to grow. I’d say you’re just about as strong as any mom ready to give birth to her first baby. I think you can look to the next steps

happiness. He puts a broad hand on my cheek, bringing his face down to

to tuck my hair behind my ear.

—

with tears at my sudden happiness, my love for my mate, my

has been so full of anxiety – to be able to come into the final

don’t know what I’ve done

squeeze in return and use my other hand to wipe the tears from my eyes as Sinclair straightens up next

hand still