Accidental Surrogate

Ella

I take deep breaths, working to breathe through the contraction. Sinclair is seated on the bed next to me, one hand on my lower back, the other clutching my left hand as I squeeze his fingers, hard.

“You’re doing great, Ells,” Cora says, there on my right, coaching me through it. She was the obvious choice to help me deliver my baby, even though three other doctors wait patiently behind the door to our living room, as well as a small team of delivery nurses.

It’s all overkill, I know – but, well, why not have them on hand just in case. But in the room? It’s just the three of us for now. Roger and Henry are out there too, taking care of Rafe and probably drinking brandy and smoking cigars, for all I know.

The contraction ends and my head falls back as I pant, pressing my eyes shut and working hard to save my energy. Babygirl – she’s taking longer than Rafe, which is fine, it’s just…a completely different experience. While I was physically battered last time, this time I’m just…exhausted.

I can feel Sinclair’s anxiety for me down the line of our bond, even if he tries to hide it. He releases my hand, shakes his out a little bit, and then raises a cool washcloth to my head, patting away the sweat there.

“Thanks, baby,” I murmur, turning my face to him a little bit.

“Almost there, Ella,” he replies, supportive.

“He’s right,” Cora says, bending down low to check on my progress. “We’re going to start pushing on the next one.” She raises her head and grins at me. “You ready?”

“Are you kidding?” I say, raising my head to glare at her a little. “I’ve been ready for hours.”

My sister’s smile deepens as she stands up, moving over to the door to call the delivery nurses in so that there are some extra hands to help with the baby.

“Little Princess,” Sinclair says, giving me a squeeze. “She’ll be here soon.”

“I’m going to be jealous,” I mutter, glancing at him and working hard for a joke, even though I can feel the next contraction coming on, “when there’s another girl in your life, stealing all your attention.”

“Never,” he replies, kissing me on the side of the head. “You’re always my best girl.”

“Better be,” I gasp, but then all jokes are put aside, because the contraction comes on in full force. I groan as the pain grasps me and Cora moves quickly to the bedside, helping me better position my legs as she coaches me through it.

“Okay, Ella!” she says, her voice eager. “Let’s start to push!”

so I do – I bear down, and put my full force

then a shout as I push, my world turning dark at the edges. I keep pushing, still hearing

I gasp a breath back in the contraction fades

voice excited, “you’re almost there, Ella! A few more pushes –

and the shadows at the edge of my vision, they

I mean…I’m not passing out. This is not the darkness at the edge of my vision that I’ve felt before

I whip my head, looking around

hand is on my face, turning it towards him now, his voice worried. ” See

hand, looking around the room

shaking

don’t know – ” Cora says, looking

fades out, and the room

of itself, looking like…like a room in a dollhouse, or something – only half real

the man who stands at the center of the room, who looks like he’s made of shadow itself. Except his eyes, which burn bright as coals in

voice low and rolling,

him, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man with an angular face, impeccably dressed in rich fabrics,

a great deal of pain, though my birth process is somehow…paused – I’m in the middle of it, but

pocket realm – only taken a second of your life. When we’re finished our little chat, you’ll be returned,

stutter, starting to get mad, “who are

I’m afraid your mother has neglected you, then, if she hasn’t bothered to teach you to recognize the presence of

and then my eyes go wide as I put the pieces together. My mother – goddess of the light, and the moon, and wolves frequently paired, rather unhappily, with her

he says, with a sigh, “husband for lack of a better term. You wolves with your

than I was before what on earth is he