Page 36 of The Alpha's Surrogate

Josie followed her wordlessly and Callahan settled into one of the several uncomfortable chairs in the reception. Given how much they charged here, one would expect them to provide something a little more comfortable than this.

He spent the next half hour flipping idly through the outdated magazines on the coffee table in front of him. He’d just found a sports article he considered worth the read and was a few lines in when the landline at the front desk rang.

“Hello, Alpha Callahan,” the receptionist called out, setting down the phone. “Dr. Stephanie will see you in her office now.”

He tossed the sports magazine on top of the pile on the table and got up slowly to his feet. “Thanks, Bonny. I think I can find my own way.” He gestured for her to return to her seat and pushed open the double doors.

He knocked outside the doctor’s office and entered the well lit room. Dr. Stephanie gestured for him to sit beside Josie and he nodded appreciatively, taking the proffered seat.

She flipped the pages on a clipboard thoughtfully, then looked up smiling. “The baby is doing great. Well, as well as can be expected this early in the pregnancy.” She scribbled a note on a jotter and handed it to Josie. “Take this to your pharmacy, it should help with the sickness you complained about this morning.”

Josie took the piece of paper from her, and gave her a weak smile. She tucked it into her purse and Callahan noticed that her hands still trembled slightly. Thankfully, they were clutching her purse under the table.

“So…nothing to worry about, right?” Callahan asked.

“Nothing at all,” the doctor confirmed. “She’ll need to come in more regularly as the pregnancy progresses, but for now, everything seems in order and Josie is doing fine as well.”

“Awesome,” Callahan said. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Dr. Stephanie’s eyes got a little harder than usual. “Remember, Mr. Finn, that you and Josie are not allowed to create personal relationships. It’s a nonnegotiable, as spelled out in your individual agreements, and I’d like for you to take this warning seriously.”

Callahan watched her coolly, and decided there was no point lying anymore. Plus, he figured some truth would help Josie relax a little bit. He leaned forward and locked his fingers on the desk, returning the doctor’s serious expression.

“There’s something you need to know, doc. I’ve known Josie for over a decade. We used to be friends, but we…fell out of contact with each other. She’s been living here in Whispering Oaks with me for a few weeks, and I thought it best to tell you myself.”

Dr. Stephanie frowned, her annoyance plain on her lovely face. “I heard rumors,” she said. “A tall, beautiful woman seen around town with the alpha. I had my suspicions, and you’ve confirmed them. This is not good, Alpha Callahan. This is not good at all.”

“Trust me, I was shocked to see that she was the surrogate for me,” Callahan said. “We both discussed it and decided we could go through with the arrangement. In your own words, you couldn’t have found a better surrogate for me, right?”

The doctor didn’t seem convinced. “We still have rules, Alpha Callahan, and I fear lines are beginning to get a bit blurry.”

Callahan shrugged. “Nothing’s happening, so you have nothing to worry about. I have a massive house with lots of room to spare. It made more sense than Josie having to drive four hours every time she had to see you.

“Plus, need I remind you, she’s pregnant with the heir to the pack. As the future father of the child, I want to be there as much as possible. I hope you understand.”

He held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity, daring her to oppose him. Eventually, she broke eye contact and sighed. She rubbed her forehead tiredly. “Alright then, Alpha Callahan. You win. I just hope you know what you’re doing. For all our sakes.”

Chapter 15 - Josie

“Yes, doc. I do know what I’m doing,” Callahan said, smiling charmingly at the doctor.

Dr. Stephanie drummed her pen on the table. Her eyes looked tired and for the first time, Josie realized the woman was not as young as she’d earlier thought. “Good, I trust your judgment.” She turned to Josie. “See you soon, Josie. Take care of yourself and the baby.”

Josie nodded. “I will, thank you.” She pushed her seat backward and got to her feet. She had no idea whether Callahan had told the doctor the truth intentionally, but the resultant effect was positive. Her hands had stopped trembling and her nerves felt better.

He shook hands with the doctor, then led Josie out into the blazing sun. He whistled a tune as he got into the car, his spirits high as usual. She wished she could be as carefree and unbothered as he was, but that was a luxury she could not afford.

She was overwhelmed with emotions. Callahan claimed he knew what he was doing, but did he really? What did he stand to lose if things went south? What happened if they were discovered? He lost nothing. They couldn’t take his child away from him.

She stood to lose everything, no matter what happened. She had no rights to the child, and couldn’t keep it when this was over. But if her relationship with Callahan was discovered, she would lose the money too.

She hated how much the money meant to her, but she was in a race against time. Her fear of the were-bears had returned now, and it mixed with the realization that the beautiful lie she and Callahan had told themselves was over.

With her polarizing mood shifts, the doctor’s stern warning, the were-bear threat, and her growing affection and persistent attraction toward Callahan, everything seemed ten times worse than before they had gotten tangled together.

Her hormones had also been going crazy for a while, and it all came together to make her a hot mess. She’d tried to find solace in her work, but she struggled to be productive.

It was worse because she knew she was right on the brink of a major discovery, but the more she got it wrong, the more frustrated and agitated she became. She needed a break. From everything, but mostly she just wanted to get out of her own head.

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