Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 292 – Big Alpha Baby

Ella

I’m gripping my sister’s hand, gritting my teeth and groaning through the first of my pushes, when the door bangs open again. I don’t open my eyes – can’t look –

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Quite frankly, at this particular moment I don’t care who the hell it is if it’s Hank, or Roger, or insurgents coming to kill us – all I care about is the horrible, tearing pain within me as I work to bring my baby into the world.

I moan, throwing my head back against the pillows as I pant, feeling the pain subside a little bit.

“How is she?” I hear Hank ask, and I open my eyes to see him there next to me. I try to give him a little smile, failing a bit. “Hello, Ella,” he says softly, his voice warmer than I’m used to. “You look like you’re doing great.”

I murmur my thanks to him as he turns his attention back to Cora, getting a full report, and I shift my gaze to Roger, who stands awkwardly across the room.

“Roger,” I say, putting my hand out to him, inviting him closer.

“Hello, Ella!” he calls, awkward. “Happy…happy birth. Or whatever.”

Sinclair starts to laugh quietly. “Come over, Roger,” he demands and Roger sighs, hanging his head and deliberately choosing not to look at me as he comes to stand with his brother. ” What,” Sinclair asks him as he arrives at his side. “More of a cigars in the waiting room kind of guy?”

“Yeah,” Roger agrees, giving his brother a little glare. “I’d say that’s much more my vibe.”

wanted you here,” I say to him, giving him a tired little

Roger says, his voice kinder now as he meets my gaze. “Just….when

the bed for this one, cursing a little at the lack of stirrups and the soft surface of the mattress that makes it harder for her to see what’s really going on. Roger tries to muffle his groan

next to my head. ” You’ve moved quite quickly through this, Ella,” Hank informs me as the contraction ends and I pant, working to catch my breath. “This is rare, even for a wolf birth. But you should be in the final parts of it

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back at him but note, interestingly, that Cora rolls her eyes at him a little bit when he says this. I have no idea what that could mean is there trouble in paradise? – but honestly,

continues for a few rounds, of me huffing and pushing with all of my might during the contractions and then resting, as best I can, in the short spaces between them. I can feel my baby moving inside me, progressing along. It’s hard, agonizing work, but my sister calls encouragement to me and my mate is by my side

a little gasp. “Okay, he’s almost here!” she says, and the cheer in her voice is a balm to my agonized body. I look at

next contraction and, when it comes and Cora tells me to, I push – absolutely

here, Ella! Just a couple more to bring forward his body

feel the contraction end, and I look to Cora for

the pain

the doctor’s do their work. Inaction and the passing of responsibility to another – no matter how much they outstrip him in their expertise – has

hesitates, “it’s okay, Ella – he’s almost born – but…” She and Hank hesitate and exchange glances again, then looking down at the baby. I struggle to sit up, to

head at me, leaning forward to press me back

my eyes fixed on Sinclair. “Please, you have

back and I see that her face

the past few pushes. Which is sometimes

some worry,” Hank continues, “that because he’s such a large baby,

I gasp, suddenly horrified. Sinclair goes

hurriedly. “Lots of women experience this with large babies. It’s called shoulder dystocia –

confused, baffled, horribly worried.

Cora says, though her worried voice belies her words. “We’re trained for