The Bear's Surrogate: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance Read Online Free

guess.  Pregnancy can have sudden complications after all, and having someone who knows the local language would be great if I need to go to the hospital in a pinch.”
    Valemon sighed in relief.  She was taking it better than he thought she would.  She was a very attractive woman.  He did well in finding her.  He stood up and reached out his hand.  “I’m off to my lawyers now.  It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope that you enjoy the duration of your contract with me.”
    Rachel reached out and took his huge hand in an attempt to shake it and felt a shock of desire jolt through her as the flesh of their palms made contact.   Her eyes widened as she looked up at the massive man.  “Yeah, I hope so, too. I think I will,”  she stammered out. 
    A smile brightened up the large man’s face as he realized what she was feeling.  “I’ll see you here tomorrow, same time.” He smiled as he exited the establishment. 
    Rachel sank back down on her chair, shaking like a leaf.  She secretly hoped that it wasn’t through artificial means that she’d get pregnant.  The man was everything she had hoped for her first time -- quiet, kind, and handsome as fuck. 
    She finished her coffee, grabbed her crutches and hobbled back to her flat.  She felt the beginnings of some early cramps signifying the start of her period.  No time like the present to keep track of things, she thought to herself.  At least that way, she’d know when to schedule things.
     
    *
     
    Rachel packed up the items in her flat as she prepared to move to Valemon’s manor in the countryside.  She figured she would be living there for the better part of a year, so she might as well bring her meager belongings with her.   She hobbled around on her plastic boot while carrying a cardboard box full of her earthly possessions.  A few mementos from her parents who had died in a car crash when she was a teen, some trinkets from meaningful times in her life, and an old Polaroid camera she refused to part with.  It was her first ever camera.  Her father gave it to her for her fifth birthday.  She smiled fondly at the memories.  Even though the film was dreadfully expensive at the time, her parents made sure she always had a full cartridge ready to go.
    In another box, carried by Valemon, were countless old photo albums, filled with all her early photographic pursuits.   He put it down and took the box from Rachel’s arms. “You need to stop doing things,” he growled.  “You’re still healing from whatever happened to you, and I don’t want you incapacitated any more than you already are.”
    Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, I’ll just pack and you can lug, then. Really, I’m not totally handicapped, you know.”
    “I know that, but I don’t want you falling down the stairs.” He ducked through the doorway with an armload of boxes.  The giant man was capable of carrying at least two boxes at a time, doing the work for both of them.
    Rachel sat down on the metal and vinyl chair that came with her furnished flat.  She was silently grateful for Valemon’s help in moving her effects.  Honestly, all the activity was hurting her ankle and she was about to take another ibuprofen to ease the dull throb. 
    He entered the flat once again and gave her a shy smile as he scooped up the remaining boxes in his enormous arms.  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was attracted to this tall, beautiful woman.  He wanted to keep it businesslike, but the more he spent time with her, the less likely that was going to happen.  He even called to cancel the appointment at the fertility clinic earlier that day, opting to do things the old-fashioned way; it would be more fun at least, for both of them.  The artificial process, he found, was too cold and clinical and might put the woman off, if that was her first-ever experience.
    He packed the remaining few boxes in his SUV and closed the back.  He then turned to go back into