Accidental Surrogate

Ella

Forty–five minutes later, I back out of the bedroom, snicking the door shut behind me. Then, I stand up, closing my eyes and exhaling a long breath.

“Is she all right?” a voice hisses, right behind me.

I leap about a foot in the air, managing to muffle my shriek as I spin to see my mate standing about six inches from me, looking down with a worried expression. I smack him, hard, against the chest – more to get my adrenaline out than to actually hurt him – and glare up at him, mad at him for scaring me like that. Sinclair just blinks at me, waiting, my smack having had no effect on him at all.

“Back up,” I whisper, putting my hands on his wide, muscled chest and pushing backwards. “She’s asleep, finally – where is the baby?”

“He’s here,” Roger says, standing at the end of the hall with his godson in his arms. I smile, a little, at the sight as I move forward with my arms open. Roger quietly passes my baby to me and I smile down at my son, something in my body that has been anxious without him in the same room as me finally coming to rest.

“Seriously, Ella,” Sinclair says, looking back towards the closed door of our guest room. “Is Cora okay?”

“I don’t know,” I say, looking towards the door anxiously. “Leon came back about ten minutes later, offering a sedative so she could sleep. I told him to give it as long as it wouldn’t give her bad dreams. Or any dreams.”

“Did she…say anything?” Sinclair asks, still facing the door.

I frown up at him, a little annoyed by his singular focus on information. “You know she’s your sister too now, Dominic,” I snap, my own emotions a bit on edge. “You could show a little more concern for her welfare, and not just see her as a source of information.”

Sinclair swiftly turns his attention to me, anger and frustration immediately on his face, but then he softens “I’m sorry, Ella,” he says, sincere. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know her health and safety are my first priority. I was just curious if you learned anything new.”

I sigh, stepping forward closer to my mate, leaning my body against him. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I

“You’re tired, and stressed,” he murmurs against my hair. “You haven’t had any sleep in about forty -eight hours…”

with her,” Roger says suddenly, striding towards

start, but he turns to me with his hand on the knob, giving me a look so fierce

to do anything, Ella,” Roger bites out, his voice stern but with an undercurrent of strong emotion. “I’m just going to…be there, all right? In case she needs anything. You two go

someone to sit with her. It

my eyes fill with tears at the sweet sincerity of my brother–in–law and, seeing them, Sinclair wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, trouble,” he murmurs to me, nodding to

voice shaky, wiping a tear from my face. “How can

me by the shoulders and moves me towards the bed, taking the sleeping baby from my arms and placing him

baby leaves my arms. “Just for a moment,” Sinclair murmurs, turning back to me and – to my surprise – beginning to undress me, tugging my shirt up over my head and arms and then sitting me down on the mattress, tugging off my leggings. When I’m in my underwear he leaves me for a moment,

now,” he says, kneeling down in front of me, which absurdly brings his head basically eye- level with mine. “You trust me,

I’d never let anyone hurt or

Again, I nod.

says, lifting a hand to my face and gently cupping

be strong

like a child, and resents it, but a larger part of

my feet in underneath the blankets, taking the baby with me. “Tonight he sleeps in the bed with us, okay?” I murmur, laying the swaddled baby down

to his underwear and climbing into the bed with us. Then, he leans forward, kissing Rafe softly on the head before laying his own head back on the

around. But all I see is Sinclair’s eyes, open, meeting mine calmly. “You’re safe, Ella,” he whispers. “We all are. Go to sleep.” And so, comforted,

Cora

instant, and I sit stark straight in the bed in the strange room looking around –

my side and flinch away from it – spinning to see

surprise, it’s just…Roger, starting awake in an armchair by the side of my

he gasps, his voice still thick with sleep. “You scared me. Are you