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…”

in with her,” Roger says suddenly, striding towards

but he turns to me with his hand on the knob, giving

undercurrent of strong emotion. “I’m just going to…be there, all right? In case she needs anything. You two go get some sleep,” he says, his face softening. “The house is guarded – Cora will be all right with

sit with her. It makes sense. Okay?”

trouble,” he murmurs to me,

sleep,” I gasp, my voice shaky, wiping a tear from my face. “How can I sleep when someone is coming for my baby – when my sister

to sleep,” Sinclair murmurs, ushering Rafe and I into the room and closing the door behind us. Then he takes me by the shoulders and moves me towards the bed, taking the

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, disappearing into the closet and returning with a

brings his head basically eye- level with mine. “You

I’d never let anyone hurt

Again, I nod.

a hand to my face and gently cupping my cheek. “Because in

can be strong for them.”

child, and resents it, but a larger part of me…god, it needs it. It needs the simple reassurance, the warm reminder that – at my most basic level – I am cared for, and

taking the baby with me. “Tonight he sleeps in the bed with us, okay?” I murmur, laying the swaddled baby down flat on the mattress between where Sinclair and I sleep. I move all of the pillows and

he leans forward, kissing Rafe softly

is Sinclair’s eyes, open, meeting mine calmly. “You’re safe, Ella,” he whispers. “We all

Cora

in the bed in the strange room

flinch away from it

in

still thick with sleep. “You scared me.