Ella
“Your pup?” I parrot, realizing l must sound like an idiot the way l keep repeating him – but it’s all too strange and surreal, I feel like ‘m having a dream — one that may or may not be a nightmare. “What are you talking about?”
I might have been admiring his physical prowess a little while ago, but now I’m back to thinking Dominic Sinclair is just plain terrifying. I’ve known my fair share of bad men, but none of them have ever intimidatedme the way he does. lt’s like he’s superhuman, giving off waves of energy that make me want to curl up intoa little ball at his feet.
“You.” He narrows his eyes at Cora, then gestures to me. “ls this what you did with my sperm, youinseminated your friend?”
‘Of course not!” She objects hotly, though there’s a noted shake in her voice. “Yes, l inseminated Ella lastweek, but not with your sperm. She chose a donor from our client dossier.
You’re lying.” He accuses, stating the accusation as if it’s fact. “Ella clearly knew about the samples – sinceshe came to plead your case -“
“You did that?” Cora blinks at me
“Yes, but I was only trying to help. I thought he might show you mercy if he realized you would never doanything to risk your career” I apologize, “I’m so sorry, l just wanted to help.
“lt’s okay.” She tells me gently, patting my hand and turning back to Sinclair. “That doesn’t mean anything… .mean, yes I inseminated her on the same day your sample disappeared but… no – it’s not possible, yoursample was in a separate fridge…” She trails off again, looking back at the ultrasound screen with wide eyesOh my god…
What?” I inquire, beyond confused.
“lt’s not human.” She murmurs again, so quietly I can barely hear her. Suddenly she whirls around, looking upat Dominic Sinclair with true fear. “l swear, I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know how it happened!”
“Why do you keep saying that it’s not human?” I question, beyond exasperated. “What else could it be – analien?”
‘Don’t pretend like you don’t know.” The infuriated man growls. “Don’t pretend like you two didn’t plan thisprecisely for this reason.”
Cora’s hand is shaking on mine now. “Ella, when I told you about the samples, I only told you half the storyShe explains. “l had to sign a thousand confidentiality documents, because certain secrets came along with
running tests on Mr. Sinclair’s samples.”
“What secrets?” I demand, feeling as if everyone around me is speaking in code.
He’s not..” She begins, glancing at the huge man nervously. “He’s not human… he’s a werewolf.
Before I can stop myself, I burst out into laughter. “No really, what is it?”
“Really.” Cora whispers urgently. “He’s a werewolf.”
Cora” I tell her, almost certain I’m dreaming now. “Werewolves aren’t real.
i didn’t believe they were either.” She confesses, “until l started working here. This lab is as renowned as it ibecause there’s two sides of the business. Half of our bank is dedicated to shifter samples, in fact very fewhumans work here because so few are trusted with the truth
‘m starting to truly worry for my sister, “Are you high?” ask under my breat
Che’s not hiah ” cinclair rumbles drawing my attention back to his face. Now ‘m sure his eves are dlowint of liaht, The evidence is right inbe usuallw niercina areerfront of me, but my brain can’t figure out how to process it, Instead it shuts down. I feel a sudden wave otserthina is blac
When I wake, Cora is gone. I sit up on the exam table, trying to remember what happened. Of course itdoesn’t take lona for me to recall the strange events that cime to faint. because Dominic Sinclair issitting in front of me. watching me closely, His eves aren’t alowing anymore. but l remember the way they’dlit up from within, I also remember the way he’d moved faster than should have been possible to rescue JakeAt the time I wrote it off as adrenaline but now i’m not so sure.
“How are you feeling, Ella?” He asks me, much calmer than he’d seemed earlier
“I think i’m losing my mind.” I answer weakly. “This can’t be real.”
“It is real” He assures me. “Your friend should never have aareed to let vou try to entrap me when she knew the truth.”
.I just wanted a baby.” I arqut(ora didntlet me do anythina and wasn+ trwina to entrar
Please.” He scoffs, “I’ve had my men run your background, I know you’re bankrupt. Obviously you thoughtthat if you were pregnant with my child 1 would pay your debts for you. You simply miscalculated – you didn’know what you were getting yourself into, or expect Cora to lose her job for the “mistake.” The horrible marhas the nerve to use air quotes around bis final word.
That’s insane!” I hiss. “I didn’t bankrupt myself- my identity was stolen and l didn’t even know about it untiafter the insemination. I’m not an irresponsible person, or the type of woman who expects a man to solve he
problems. I would never do what you’re suggesting.
I don’t want to hear your excuses.” He answers harshly. “The evidence is against you.”
“We don’t even know that it’s your child!” I remind him. “Maybe it isn’t…” l have to give myself a shake before can continue. “Maybe it isn’t human, but that doesn’t mean it’s yours.
“l know it’s mine.” Sinclair snarls, making me tremble with instinctive fear. “l can smell it, I can sense my
bloodline in your womb.
can only gape at him. He can smell it? Sense his bloodline? lt’s like I’ve left reality and entered a differenuniverse. “This is crazy” l can feel myself sliding back into denial, “if werewolves were real. people wouldknow about it!”
Sinclair rolls his eyes and lifts a hand the size of a dinner plate. While l watch, five claws extend where hisfingernails were a moment ago. I stare at the odd and slightly sickening sight with abject disbelief. “How areyou doing that?’
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that’s your shock speaking, rather than youlintelligence.” Sinclair drawls.
I glower at him, temporarily forgetting that he’s not only a man twice my size, but apparently a lethalpredator. “You don’t get to talk to me like that just because you have money and howl at the moon.
He arches one dark brow, challenging my defiance. “ls that so?”
Yes,” I snap, crossing my arms overchest and tiltincg my chin up stubbornly. “t is.lf l didn’t know any better, I’d think he wanted to smile. I swear the corners of his mouth twitched. “You’re agutsy little thing, I’ll give you that.”
I don’t want you to give me anything.” I growl, “ want you to leave me alone.
His eyes flash dangerously, “That’s not going to happen. You’re carrying my pup.
Pup.” I say, feeling my stomach churn uncomfortably, “like., four leas and a tail?
“No.” He answers. not unkindly, “t doesn’t work that way.
Well how does it work?” i question, more subdued now. “How does any of this work?
Well in a lot of wavs werewolves are iust like hbumans ” ” cinclair eynlains leanina back in his chair hut nevetaking his eyes off me. ln fact, his gaze is so intense I’m finding it increasingly difficult not to squirm. “Wecome into the world in human form and we live most of our lives the same way. Most shifters don’t maketheir first transformationuntil thew’re a few wears oldthere – heightened instincts, sights as adults maketeRtinAIgn ae aautAraAit look. lt’s like learnina to speake doing in theearly years.”
“But how can I be pregna
For the first time Sinclair looks less sure of himself. “m actually not sure. I’ve never heard of such a thinghappening, Our society exists parallel to your own, A few people – like your friend – are occasionally let in orthe secret, but it’s only in very special cases and they never truly integrate. lt’s only when someone hascertain knowledge or expertise that’s very valuable to us.
So there’s iust like… a shadow world full of werewolves that exists right under human’s noses?” i summarize.
“That’s a nice way of putting it, yes.” He confirms.
And packs and alphas… all the things we read in paranormal novels -is that all real?”
“Well our transformations have nothing to do with the full moon, but other than that many things are correct. We’re much faster and stronger than humans, and our society is divided into packs but they’re very large. You can think of them like provinces or states in a larger kingdom.” Sinclair shares.
“Kingdom?”I ask,“Like with a king and queen and everything?”
“Yes” His answer seems strangely loaded, as if he’s omitting something very important – but I don’t know what it might be.
“Now, if you’re done asking questions, can we finally talk seriously?”
“Talk seriously?”What could be more serious than turning my entire world upside down?
He stares pointedly at my“About this baby.”
