Free The Bear's Surrogate: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance by Angela Foxxe Page A

“Just hang on!”
    Her abdominal muscles felt as if they were splitting in half.  Rachel gritted her teeth trying not to cry out in agony as her body contorted in the icy bilge water inside the boat.  Her stomach suddenly bulged out in a grotesque manner, and settled down, giving her the appearance of a woman roughly fifteen weeks into her pregnancy. 
    Rachel struggled back onto the flat board seat of the boat. Her pregnant stomach protruded over her wet khaki pants.  Brand new angry red stretch marks marred her skin from the sudden surge of growth from the baby within her.
    She felt the bottom of the boat grind on the shallow gravel shoal as they approached a small island.  Rachel perked up; it seemed vaguely familiar somehow.  That tall rock in the distance, this was the island she pointed out to National Geographic!  Why was she back here?
    Igor cut the engine and stepped out of the boat into the icy water.  He held his large hand out to help Rachel disembark.  She grabbed the offered hand and carefully stepped out of the boat.  She felt a bit unwieldy due to her sudden growth, but Igor was there to steady her.  She waddled slightly through the shallows to the rocky beach and noticed tufts of white fur everywhere.
    Igor dragged the boat onto the beach with his massive strength and turned it over.  He then went and found some loose boughs and covered the boat as best as he could to hide it from prying eyes. 
    She looked up at Igor who shook his head and kept guiding her through the woods.  “You need to come this way,” he said gruffly.
    Rachel nodded in silence as she followed the grim man through the dense evergreen forest of the island she had heard about not so long ago.   She hadn’t explored this side of the island, and it seemed that there were more paths than the one she came in on.   
    She heard yips and barks in the immediate area, causing her to cling to Igor as they went deeper into the woods.  “Shh, they won’t harm you this time,” he assured her.  “They know this place is sacred.”
    That confused Rachel even more as they neared the base of the large rock.  There was a triangle shaped cave and inside, the large white bear who had helped her when she injured her ankle!
    “Come, he won’t hurt you, and you know it,” Igor said as he roughly grabbed Rachel by the arm and forced her to approach the great ursine.
    The large bear looked at her with sorrow in his ice blue eyes as he shook his massive head in denial.  Rachel felt a twinge of recognition, beyond knowing that this bear had assisted her in the past.  It felt as if she should know him on a more personal basis.
    Igor stood behind her, blocking her escape as she approached the exhausted looking bear.  She held out her hand instinctively to show this great animal she wasn’t a threat.  The bear snorted at her and turned around, as if he was insulted by the gesture. 
    “Valemon, you know she has no idea,” Igor said to his cousin.  Rachel startled and looked at the large man.  “Now, if you’ve rested long enough change back and let’s go home.  Hans has betrayed us finally.  The time has come.  Also, your pet here is fat with your cub; it’s ripping her guts apart.”
    Valemon took in Rachel’s pale countenance and shook his massive body.  Igor removed the backpack he brought with him and opened it up. He pulled out a large blanket and some clothes. He tossed the blanket over the massive form of Valemon.  
    A loud growl type groan emerged from the blanket as it shifted around and shrunk, then it shifted into a human yell as the blanket covered the large human form of Valemon. 
    “My apologies,” he said weakly to Rachel.  “I have not told you the entire truth, and for that I beg your forgiveness.”
    She stood there at the mouth of the cave, completely speechless at what she had witnessed.  She was trembling as the massive Valemon approached her with his arms outstretched.  He drew her in for a