Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Chapter 290 – Contractions

Ella

Slowly, I breathe through my contractions, taking deep breaths in through my nose and huffing them out of my mouth. The pain is…well, I suppose I can’t say like anything I’ve felt before, can I? Not after all I’ve been through in the past five months. But it’s incredible, the way it radiates through my body, making me grit my teeth against it.

I can feel my body moving, changing along with the contractions. The pain in my pelvis, particularly, is insane, as the bones shift to make room for the baby to pass through. My eyes flash open during one particularly difficult contraction and I hear myself cry out against the pain. God, I would have thought that being a wolf made this easier – wolves seem to have a whole litter of pups without much trouble, by themselves out in the woods.

Passingly, I consider shifting into my wolf form to ease this

–

But then, suddenly, Sinclair bursts into my room, dashing for me.

“What,” he gasps, almost skidding to the side, looking me all over for what is wrong. “What is it, Ella – I heard you scream –”

“No,” I say, gasping a little as the contraction starts to come to its end. “No, it’s just the contraction – god, Dominic, these suck – ”

He shakes his head, still panicked, trying to put it all together as he kneels by the side of the bed and takes my hand. “Cora is coming, she’s close,” he murmurs. “She’ll be allowed in.”

“And Hank?” I ask, looking at my mate. “And Roger?”

“Roger?” Sinclair asks, confused.

“Yes, Dominic! Roger! I want him here as well!”

“Why?” Sinclair’s eyes are wide with wonder now.

the child’s uncle! And his godfather! He should be here! I

phone in his back pocket as I lean back on into the pillows, taking deep breaths. “I can’t

–

((

I can make it for Rafe!” I snap, determined. “And if I have to give birth in a war zone with no epidural, then Roger can damn

I hear him tapping on his phone and then he shifts. I watch him stand, leaning over me. Frowning,

the pillows from the other side of the bed, quickly taking the pillowcase between his two hands and ripping

C

the linens thing and boil water that’s just in the movies. I’m sure Cora will bring something else to

not for that,” he murmurs, leaning down and wiping the sweat from my brow with the little square of pillowcase folded in his hand. “How are you, love?

as I can against the pillows, the next contraction not starting yet. “I feel… determined,” I say, gazing up at him.

chin between the fingers

–

scared and in pain. I am strong. For him, and for Rafe, and yes – for myself

–

say, pressing my eyes shut again, my hands moving low on my stomach.

gets on his knees by my side again, steady and tense. Then, as I start to breathe in that special way Cora made me practice, he breathes

stretches of pain followed up by a few minutes of respite. Unfortunately, those minutes are coming closer and closer together. I’m moving through

like Rafe and my

helping me get ready in the moments between contractions. He helps me change into a cotton nightgown instead of the travel clothes I was wearing on the way here. He brings me two cool cups of water, one for drinking, the other for dipping more strips of pillowcase in to lay across my hot forehead. Throughout it all, my mate

horrible in not getting me to the hospital.

Cora flies into the room, panting, a medical bag slung over her shoulder. I almost spill the glass of tap water Sinclair just handed me all over myself as I give a little shriek

in her singular focus to be at my side, to look me over and assess my

a little frustrated, as he puts out a hand to balance himself so that he

enture

murmurs, her eyes sweeping over me. “Tell me what’s going