Accidental Surrogate

Ella

The sound of gunfire rings out around us and I feel Sinclair lurch to cover me in the suddenly- still car. Trembling, I try to peek out from beneath his arm as he curses vehemently, his body tense over mine.

The gunfire ends and Sinclair moves, jolting back to the driver’s seat and hitting the gas, spinning the car and heading away from the bullhorn that’s suddenly blasting words in our direction.

“What’s happening?!” I shout, begging for information, doubled over in pain as my body continues its contractions, not caring about the fact that we’re suddenly, apparently, in a war zone.

“The insurgents,” Sinclair growls, glancing over his shoulder. “Picked f**king tonight to push forward with their rebellion – god damn it –”

I glance over my shoulder as well, suddenly seeing a road block in the middle of the street with figures standing behind it, wearing masks and holding guns.

“Humans?” I ask, desperate. “Who don’t want peace?”

Sinclair nods sharply, spinning the car around the city’s center square. I look around suddenly – hadn’t known where we were my eyes fixing on the temple, the palace, these familiar places I haven’t seen in weeks – since

Quickly, I dismiss the thoughts from my mind, not letting myself go there. “Can we go back? Can we get out of it?”

“No,” he growls, speeding across the square and skidding to a stop in front of the palace. “They’ll have us boxed in by now, and they saw my face. God damn it, I should have seen this coming. They’ll come after us now – we have to get you inside.”

With that, Sinclair jumps out of the car, coming quickly to my side and pulling my door open. I step out and he lifts me quickly into his arms, charging forward to the palace. There are guards waiting at the door who look at us with shock and surprise.

“Alpha,” the guard says. “We weren’t expecting

“Let us in,” Sinclair growls, barely stopping to let his command register and ready to burst through the door if the guard doesn’t open it in time, which, fortunately, he does. “Barricade this entrance all of the entrances – get as many guards here as you can, and let no one in except at my command. Is that clear?”

The guard nods quickly, all business, ready to follow through on Sinclair’s commands. As soon as we’re in the dark palace, though, I open my mouth, letting out the sharp cry I’ve been holding back. This contraction – it’s horrible, sharper than the others, and fast –

“Sinclair,” I pant, looking up at him. “The baby is coming – we have to get to a hospital"

He shakes his head at me, looking horribly repentant as he pounds up the wide marble stairs. I’m sorry, baby,” he says. “We can’t go anywhere until we know it’s safe.””

look around, not recognizing what part of the palace we’re in now. But, apparently, Sinclair knows where he’s going, throwing his shoulder into doors and bursting through them until, quite

he says, grimacing a little, apology still in

aloud, still panting as pain for just

urgently, taking my hand. “I need to go organize those guards, make sure that you are safe,

get here?” I gasp, looking up into my mate’s eyes, seeing the hesitation and doubt there. “Cora is across town – and I don’t know where Hank is – and we don’t have

“But I have to go just for a few minutes – you text Cora, tell her where to come ” Sinclair pauses now, his eyes sweeping over me. “Ella, my love, will

want him absent for a minute – but I know that without him

on my face. “We’ll be fine.” I move my hand to my belly again, worried, suddenly, as I realize that Rafe can feel my anxiety – an anxiety beyond that which a new mother feels when she goes into labor. My poor baby – he’s already

too, feels my guilt. But he leans forward, placing a steady kiss on my forehead, and whispers “I’ll be right back. Right back, Ella.” I nod, and then he’s striding away from me, leaving me alone here in this sumptuous

it all. My contraction has ended, so I’m not currently in pain, but I feel my breathing ratchet up anyway as I look around this gigantic dark room, at the

with the panic of it all, and thick fat tears squeeze themselves from my eyes. God

the

hands shaking, I pull my phone from the emergency bag and begin to text my sister, letting her know that the plans have changed. Almost as soon as I send the text, though,

“Hello?”

is going on, Ella?” Cora’s voice furiously demands, “You need to get to the

explain, my voice shuddering.

it, Ella, I’m going to kill him,”

gasp, desperate

for getting

not his fault,” I growl, willing to defend Sinclair

all gets sorted out, okay? I’m sure that Sinclair will have troops there in a few minutes – a

to me at the idea. But then, I start to feel the pain rising again in me.

she asks, impatient. I can hear her moving around, objects clattering in the

come here

you at the

–

I insist. “I need