Surrogate For Alpha Dom

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.

“Because!” I smack his shoulder, frowning at him. “He’s the child’s uncle! And his godfather! He should be here! I can’t believe you didn’t call him!”

into the

going to be as perfect as 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 well get out of bed and

and then he shifts. I watch him stand, leaning over me. Frowning, he leans over and grabs one of the pillows from the other side of the bed, quickly taking the pillowcase between his

that’s just in the movies. I’m sure Cora

sweat from my brow with the little square of pillowcase folded

next contraction not starting yet. “I feel…

softly, taking my chin between the fingers of his big hand and gazing

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

say, pressing my eyes shut

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 along with me.

passes quickly this way, with long stretches of pain followed up by a few minutes of respite. Unfortunately, those minutes are coming closer and closer together. I’m moving through this birth process fast, and I don’t have any control over it. If I could wait, just hold him in while we wait for Cora to get

seems like Rafe and

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.

something horrible in not getting me to the hospital. I hold his gaze steadily whenever I can, letting him

bag slung over her shoulder. I almost spill the glass of tap water Sinclair

she gasps, dashing over to me, almost bowling Sinclair over in her singular focus to be at my side, to

a hand to balance himself so that he doesn’t go

enture

her eyes sweeping over me. “Tell me what’s