The Mystical Attraction of Alpha
Chapter 284

Chapter 284

Chapter 284 – A Long 2 1/2 Months

Ella

One and a half months later, and I’m gigantic.

Gigantic.

“Five months wolf pregnant,” I mutter, stirring my yogurt with a little silver spoon, “is about thirteenmonths human pregnant.” Leaning back against my pillows, I raise the spoon to my mouth, but hesitatebefore taking a bite.

“What?” Sinclair asks, glancing at me from his spot on the bed, where he’s reading some reports on histablet. “Has it gone sour?”

“No,” I murmur, stabbing the spoon back into the cup. “I’m just afraid if I eat another bite, this baby isgoing to get even bigger.”

“Good!” Sinclair declares, grinning at my swollen belly and reaching out a fond hand to rub my babybump. “Let him get big and strong before he’s born, that way he can come out running and we can playfootball within a week.

“Absolutely not,” I snap, giving him a little glare and hoping to hell that he’s kidding. “I am not growingyou a linebacker, Dominic, so get that right out of your head.”

Sinclair chuckles and puts his tablet aside, moving lower on the bed to press his ear to my. stomachjust above where the baby has settled. “What’s that, little Rafe?” he asks, loud enough for me to hear. Itwist my lips and shake my head a little, knowing this is all for my benefit anyway. If he wanted to talk toRafe, he could just do it through his bond. “You’re perfectly comfortable in there and want to go to fullterm so you can get big and strong?”

–

I feel the baby move, then, responding to his father’s voice, pressing some extremity – a hand or a foot– across my skin, right where Sinclair’s face is. Sinclair kisses the spot where the baby presses and Ifeel a little thrill of Rafe’s happiness running through me.

“Tell him it’s not true, Rafe,” I say aloud, stroking the sides of my stomach, which looks honestly likeI’ve swallowed a giant watermelon. “Tell him you’re cramped in there, and would like to stretch out inyour comfy little baby bed.”

Rafe connects with both of us then, his emotions ringing with happiness, but, indeed, with a little …pinched feeling, with the desire to stretch. “See?” I say, raising my eyebrow at Sinclair as he looks up atme with a big smile. “He’s sick of it too. Time for baby to be born!”

“Well,” Sinclair sighs, sitting up and giving my belly one last pat. “We’ll see what Cora and Hank saythis afternoon at your checkup. Sometimes wolf babies come sooner than six months.”

“Really?” I ask, excited.

“Sure,” he shrugs. “It’s not common, but…”

“Well,” I consider aloud, “maybe since he’s one quarter moon goddess…he’ll come fast, and leave mein peace. I wonder what their average gestation period is…”

Sinclair just laughs, coming to my side and putting out his hands to help me to my feet. I accept readilyand head to the closet, eager to get out of my pajamas and head to this appointment.

I smile secretly at my mate as he heads back to flop onto the bed, continuing his work while I get ready.He’s been so sweet and supportive, even though I’ve been a bit miserable for the past two weeks, butespecially this last one. There’s been some trouble, I know, with human insurgents who are unhappy

with how well the peace talks are going. They think that humans are getting the short end of the stickand are threatening violence unless Sinclair and his teams make more concessions. I know it’sstressing him, but he still makes a great deal of time for me in his day. I’m so grateful for him, for mysweet attentive mate.

As I pull on a clean top and stretchy pants, I consider whether I complain too much about this finalstretch of my pregnancy. It’s not that it’s not that I’m not enjoying being pregnant – I have loved everyminute of feeling my little boy grow stronger inside of me, every little twist and kick, and especiallyfeeling the little messages he sends down our bond to me. He’s gotten so communicative lately, reallyresponding to us like a little baby might telling us how he feels and what he wants.

It’s all been so wonderful. It’s just…I am so uncomfortable now. I’ve always been a petite woman, andeven though Rafe was little at the start, it’s very clear that he’s Sinclair’s baby now. He is heavy, and hepresses on my back, and my ankles are swollen, and I can’t replace a comfortable spot when I sleep –even in my nest…

So, I admit that I’m a bit torn. As much as I love being pregnant, and I’m so happy and grateful for it, itin many ways feels like the end of a wonderful vacation where you start to think about how nice it willbe to go back home. I sigh and lean down to pick out a pair of sneakers but stop, suddenly, when Irealize that I can’t bend down far enough over my belly to grab them. So I straighten, glare at theshoes, and then kick them out of the closet so that they spill onto the floor of our bedroom.

When I peek out the door, Sinclair is looking towards the closet, his eyebrows raised. “Can you getthose?” I ask with a big smile. “I need you to put them on my feet. Baby says no more bending.”

My mate gives a warm chuckle and obliges me, coming to scoop up the shoes as I go to sit on the bed.“Sure thing, Cinderella,” he smirks, kneeling down on one knee and lifting one of my feet up like theprince he is. “Let’s see if the slipper fits.”

When we get to the doctor’s office, the receptionist gives us a big smile and takes us right back to aprivate exam room. I look around the crowded waiting room, opening my mouth to protest that weshouldn’t be seen before all of these women who have been so patient, but Sinclair presses a hand tomy back, ushering me forward. “I paid for this place, after all,” he murmurs, giving me a smile. “You canaccept just a little special treatment, just this once.”

–

I hesitate but then let him herd me along, looking back over my shoulder and feeling guilty. It’s true,though Sinclair brokered a deal with both Cora and Hank to have them on call for me at all timesthroughout the pregnancy. And, after Rafe is born, they’ll be our personal physicians for our wholefamily. In exchange, though, they both requested that he set them up in private practice so that theycan see refugee clients for free when we didn’t need them. Judging by the swell of people in the lobby,they seem to be taking the latter half of the deal quite seriously.

My train of thought is interrupted by the sound of my sister calling a greeting to me, rushing down thehall to wrap me in a hug. “Ella!” she says, pulling back and looking me up and down.‘ Wow, you’rehuge!”

“Thanks,” I grimace, rolling my eyes and rubbing a hand over my stomach. “Just what every womanwants to hear when she walks into a room.

Cora gives Sinclair a nod of greeting and takes me by the arm. “It’s different when you’re pregnant andvisiting your doctor who is your sister,” she says, giving me a grin and taking me into the examroom/“We get cart blanche to say whatever we want.” “If you say so,” I mumble, hoisting myself up ontothe exam table with a helping hand from Sinclair.

Cora begins the standard exam, asking me for details of how I’m feeling, if there have been any issues.I report that everything has been fine, just general pregnancy discomfort which I think is normal for the

later months of a pregnancy. She nods and listens to the baby in my belly, taking my vitals andgenerally assessing the baby’s growth. Hank comes into the room as she works, nodding warmly toSinclair and to me. When Cora is done, he performs his own basic exam of my general health as Coragets the ultrasound machine working, ready to take a look at the baby.

“I All is going well until Cora puts the jelly on my belly and starts to move the wand around, looking atRafe on the screen and taking some measurements. I’m smiling at the image of my baby, so well -formed and big and real on the screen when he was just a little blip a few months ago! But I snap myeyes to my sister when I hear her gasp.

“Ella,” she says, turning to me and biting her lip. “What,” I whisper, my eyes going wide. “What’s wrongwith my baby?”