Accidental Surrogate

Ella

Slowly, I breathe through my contractions, taking deep breaths in through my nose and huffing them out of my mouth. The pain is…well, I suppose I can’t say like anything I’ve felt before, can I? Not after all I’ve been through in the past five months. But it’s incredible, the way it radiates through my body, making me grit my teeth against it.

I can feel my body moving, changing along with the contractions. The pain in my pelvis, particularly, is insane, as the bones shift to make room for the baby to pass through. My eyes flash open during one particularly difficult contraction and I hear myself cry out against the pain. God, I would have thought that being a wolf made this easier – wolves seem to have a whole litter of pups without much trouble, by themselves out in the woods.

Passingly, I consider shifting into my wolf form to ease this

But then, suddenly, Sinclair bursts into my room, dashing for me.

“What,” he gasps, almost skidding to the side, looking me all over for what is wrong. “What is it, Ella – I heard you scream –”

“No,” I say, gasping a little as the contraction starts to come to its end. “No, it’s just the contraction – god, Dominic, these suck – ”

He shakes his head, still panicked, trying to put it all together as he kneels by the side of the bed and takes my hand. “Cora is coming, she’s close,” he murmurs. “She’ll be allowed in.”

“And Hank?” I ask, looking at my mate. “And Roger?”

“Roger?” Sinclair asks, confused.

“Yes, Dominic! Roger! I want him here as well!”

“Why?” Sinclair’s eyes are wide with wonder now.

“Because!” I smack his shoulder, frowning at him. “He’s the child’s uncle! And his godfather! He should be here! I can’t believe you didn’t call him!”

back on into the pillows, taking deep breaths. “I can’t believe you’re thinking about propriety while you’re giving

I have to give birth in a war zone with no epidural, then Roger can damn well get out of bed and

Frowning, he leans over and grabs one of

linens thing and boil water that’s just in the movies. I’m sure Cora will bring

wiping the sweat from my brow with the little square of

back as much as I can against the pillows, the next contraction not starting yet. “I feel… determined,” I

girl,” Sinclair says softly, taking my chin between the fingers of his big hand and gazing at me. “So

scared and in pain. I am strong. For him, and for Rafe, and yes – for myself –

pressing my eyes shut again, my

by my side again, steady and tense. Then, as I start to breathe in that special way Cora made me practice, he breathes along with

closer and closer together. I’m moving through this birth process fast, and I don’t have any control over it. If I could wait, just

like Rafe and

me throughout the process, helping me get ready in the moments between contractions. He helps me change into a cotton nightgown instead of the travel clothes I was wearing on the way here. He brings me two cool cups of water, one for drinking, the other for dipping more strips of pillowcase in to lay across my hot forehead. Throughout it all, my mate is all attention

something horrible in not getting me to the hospital. I hold his gaze steadily

bag slung over her shoulder. I almost spill the glass of tap water Sinclair just handed me all

gasps, dashing over to me, almost bowling Sinclair over in her singular focus

balance himself so that he doesn’t go sprawling on the floor. Cora ignores

enture

she murmurs, her eyes sweeping over me. “Tell me what’s going