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

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

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

to sit with her.

of my brother–in–law and, seeing them, Sinclair wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, trouble,” he murmurs to me, nodding

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

the shoulders and moves me towards the bed, taking the

“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 soft nightgown, which he slides gently over my head. That done, he quickly dips down, lifting Rafe and

basically eye-

let anyone hurt or take Rafe, yes?

Again, I nod.

hand to my face and

so you can be

is talking to me like a child, and resents it, but a larger part

my mate and tuck 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 flat on

into the bed with us. Then, he

asleep 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 whispers. “We all are. Go to sleep.”

Cora

in the bed in

my side and flinch away from it

just…Roger, starting awake in an armchair by the side of

with sleep. “You scared me.