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…”

says suddenly, striding towards the guest

but he turns to me with his hand on the knob, giving me a look so fierce it steals the words from my mouth.

Ella,” Roger bites out, his voice stern but with an undercurrent of strong emotion. “I’m just going to…be there, all right? In

sleep. She needs someone to sit with her.

trouble,” he murmurs to me, nodding to Roger – who disappears into the bedroom – and guiding me towards our own room. “You’re overwrought – let’s

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

and closing the door behind us. Then he takes me by the shoulders and moves me towards the

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

me, which absurdly brings his head basically eye- level with mine. “You trust me, right?” he asks, and,

you know I’d never let anyone hurt or take

Again, I nod.

he says, lifting a hand to my face and

you can be strong for them.”

resents it, but a larger part of me…god, it

with us, okay?” I murmur, laying the swaddled

stripping down to his underwear and climbing into the bed with us. Then, he

when, scared, I open my eyes again, looking around. But all I see is Sinclair’s eyes, open, meeting mine calmly. “You’re safe, Ella,” he

Cora

I sit stark straight in the bed in the strange room

flinch away from it – spinning to

in an armchair by the side of

he gasps, his voice still thick with sleep.