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!”

and put my full force behind it, working to bring my baby into

pain is…agony. My groan turns into a low moan and then a shout as I push, my world turning dark at the edges. I keep

breath back in the contraction fades

“you’re almost there, Ella!

– and the shadows at the edge of my vision, they don’t

Because, I mean…I’m not passing out. This is not the darkness at the edge of my vision that I’ve felt before when I’ve felt faint. This is – what the hell, it’s real shadows curling

you…” I ask, my voice panting as I whip my head, looking around the room, “do

face, turning it towards him now, his voice

hand, looking around the room again.

voice shaking with worry. “Cora – what’s

know – ” Cora says, looking at

her voice fades out, and the room grows dark as

me, and the room becomes somehow a shadow of itself, looking like…like a room in a dollhouse, or something – only half real

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

he says, his voice low and rolling,

as he moves a few steps forward and shadows clear from him, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man with an angular face, impeccably dressed in rich fabrics, each a darker shade of black. “Congratulations,” he continues, giving me a short, teasing little bow,

– I’m in the middle of

he looks down at me with that burning gaze. ” I’ve transported you, temporarily, to a pocket realm – only taken a second of your life. When we’re

stutter, starting to get

me?” he asks, the corner of his mouth turning up. ” I’m afraid your mother has neglected you, then, if she hasn’t bothered to

I put the pieces together. My mother – goddess of the light, and the moon, and wolves frequently paired, rather unhappily, with her sometimes-paramour, the God

better term. You wolves with

now than I was before what on earth is he here for is he -is he