Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 490: Time Grows Short

Five and a Half Months Later

Ella

There’s a strange atmosphere in the palace today and I admit that I don’t quite no how to feel, because everything is half dread and half excited anticipation.

At least, that’s how it is for everyone else.

For me? For me it’s just a great deal of discomfort.

“Ella,” Cora scolds as I try to bend over and pick up one of Rafe’s socks from the floor. “Let me do that – ”

“I can do it!” I gasp, reaching for it –

But then I stumble and almost fall over, and Cora catches me by the shoulders.

“Enough!” she snaps, shaking her head at me. “Back to the nest! Stop getting out of it! You’re six full months pregnant, Ella – full term! For heaven’s sake, if you fall over I’m scared you’ll split like a watermelon and just spill the baby out.”

“That might be better,” I mutter, glaring at the errant sock and doing as my sister says, heading back for my bed. “This baby is big, and I’m not precisely looking forward to pushing her out.”

“Well, what did you expect,” Cora says, flipping the sock into a hamper and walking behind me to the bed. ” You decided to have babies with the most gigantic man I’ve ever seen.”

“First,” I say, holding up one finger as I sink down on to my bed and start to tuck my legs under the covers, “I did not choose to have children with that gigantic man, I chose a nice slim sperm donor for my first child -”

“Yeah well, you chose to have the second baby,” Cora reminds me, raising an eyebrow at me as she sits down on the edge of the bed.

“And second,” I say, choosing to ignore her logic, “Rafe was a little baby. It’s not my fault that this one is very content to stay in for as long as she possibly can.” I sigh, resting my head back against my pillows and putting my hands on either side of my belly.

“Poor sister,” Cora coos, reaching out to stroke my stomach as well. “She’ll be here soon enough.”

What Cora says is true I’ve been in pre-labor for a couple of hours now. I’m having mild, irregular contractions which Cora says is unlikely to be Braxton Hicks at this late stage. So, baby girl is coming soon, even if she’s taking her time about this as well.

“Remember how crazy it was?” I say softly, my mind turning to the past. ” When Rafe was born?”

“I do,” she replies. “Do you miss it?”

peek through my eyelids at her, smirking a bit. “Do I miss almost dying and fearing for my life, having to stop and give birth in a strange palace because the roads

“Well, do

a little,” I murmur, and then I laugh, shaking my head. “It

running her hand comfortingly across my stomach. “Besides, two months from now we

groan. “Honestly, it wasn’t so bad

it soaked,” she says, grinning at me, ” covered in mud, with an

on my elbows and glaring at her, “you don’t have to be her godmother

Ella,” Cora says, rolling her eyes and laughing. “Like you have any

our completely unserious fight ends abruptly when the door opens and our mates come in, our sons

arms and gives a happy little cry when he sees me. ” Mama!” he calls, raising his hands above his head

says, laughing and catching Rafe before he hurl himself to the floor in his eagerness to get to me. When they’re about halfway across the room, Sinclair puts Rafe on his feet and he totters over to the bed, absolutely breaking my

him. He bangs into the side of the bed and giggles, reaching for me, and Cora obliges him by lifting him up so that he can crawl over to me

did he get so big?” Cora murmurs,

and giving him a big kiss on the head. He’s one now. I cried the entire day of his birthday. Sinclair

Roger says, his voice a little bitter as he sits down next to Cora with Jesse in

leaning over to kiss me on

old,” Cora says,

faster for six months,” Sinclair says dryly, trying to

brown hair that’s started growing on his head. “You’ll beat that meatball someday –

at all of them. “I can’t believe you’re debating which kid is going to win a footrace,” I say,

waving a dismissive

forward to smack her on

arms around me. “But the good news is that everything’s wrapped up for now Roger and I have cleared our calendars, so now there’s nothing to do but concentrate

fun,” Roger quips. “When Cora was in labor, there were drinks – you’ve got to

smacks her mate, shaking her head at him. He flinches and then falls back on the mattress in pretend

my head on Sinclair’s shoulder. “How’s it going out there?” I ask.

to

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