Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“NO!” I scream, but the word is transferred instantly to a roar as I transition into my wolf, my

but I barely bones and body shifting in a flash. It hurts – less than it did the first time, of course – notice it because I shake myself out of my captor’s hands and am halfway across the room at once, leaping for the man who holds Rafe, my jaws gaping. He goes a little pale, taking a step

backwards and putting out a hand towards me to stop me –

But that hand, it disappears into my mouth. And I snap my teeth down.

The man’s scream pierces my sensitive ears as my teeth meet together around his wrist, as I wrench my head to the side, tossing his torn hand aside, savoring the taste of his blood in my mouth. He screams again as he looks at the bloody stump I’ve left behind, as I prowl another step

forward –

But suddenly, I feel a great blow against my shoulder that sends me staggering sideways

And then, almost at the same instant, I hear what sounds like an explosion behind me – I don’t

turn to it, my eyes fixed on the man who holds my son in his arms – but I know, through the bond,

through some other wolf instinct, that it is Sinclair.

I don’t take my eyes off the man who holds Rafe, instead finding my feet and beginning to prowl

slowly forward towards him again. He backs up, step by step, looking over my shoulders at his

colleagues as they die. I can see the progress of the battle in his expression, in the fear that comes

into his eyes, in the blood that drains from his face as he realizes that he’s not getting out of this.

room. That he’s going to die here, but not until he watches all of his friends die first.

I hear the ripping sounds my mate makes in his gigantic wolf form, the screams of the masked

men as he takes them down, his snarls and his roars, the rending sound of flesh. And each blow

rings through me like a song as I bare my teeth at the man holding my child, as I stare him down.

It doesn’t take long for Sinclair to finish. I didn’t think it would.

—

minutes – before I feel

gentle fingers digging deep into my fur until they

in this room is my mate, and only he would I let

like that.

Ella,” Sinclair says, a growl still resonating in

mate, covered in our enemies‘ blood. Something soars in me at the sight of him

Our

just a moment, and then he sees

man does so, immediately, blood dripping from his trembling arm, knowing that his cause is lost – perhaps looking for some

turns away from the man, from me, walking away from us, shushing our child and bobbing him lightly in

then, it’s just me, and this

prowl another step

his hands towards me, palms out. “Please,”

waste of

for him, my paws hitting

moments before I sink my teeth into his

with me on top of him,

leaves his eyes.

back to my mate, who stands

gore, his mouth curved up on one side into a proud

into my human body, standing up, the man’s blood still covering the bottom

and running down my neck. And then,

I stare down at my child, who cries his little scared

that echoes in

means that he’s still here,

I’ve done my job. I’ve

Sinclair

Ella and Rafe with me as Roger bursts into the room,

command them to stay with the priest – to make sure

happening up

secure, they were to come and help.

says, his eyes going wide as he looks at the blood all over our

the bedding, all the walls, even the ceiling – and at

the – how did you –”

at her, a little surprised

This is the woman who cried when she