Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

I began to wish I could be Dr. Angel all of the time. She was valued for her skills, and had everyone's respect. Even Leo treated her with deference.
Tessa the maid was nobody. Dr. Angel was a respected healer. She was the person I'd always dreamed I could be, and it was hard to return to my real life.
Leo's behavior towards me as Tessa the maid was confusing at best. He kept me close, even removing me from my shifts in the library. He had me work as a kind of secretary in his office. I sorted mail, organized paperwork, and tended to other minor tasks under his speculative gaze.
I appreciated the lighter workload. Leo's attention was unsettling, though. I knew he still suspected I was involved in Zane's betrayal.
Leo was never overtly hostile towards me. He remained coldly polite at all times. It hurt, in comparison to his warmth when he thought I was Eva and the honest respect I enjoyed as Dr. Angel.
Leo's cold suspicion was occasionally broken with moments where he would stare at me with open longing. One time he caught my shoulders and leaned in towards me. I was certain he would kiss me. I froze, both longing to accept the kiss and knowing I should push him away.
In the end I just stood there, trembling, and Leo backed off with an apology. He didn't look at me for the rest of the day. He just handed me work to do and buried his head in his paperwork.
That was the pattern for several days. If I was in the manor, I worked for Leo, never out of his sight unless he was out on patrol. Then I was free to spend time in the library.
Every few days, I went on “dates” with Ethan. Most of those dates were, of course, actually spent as Dr. Angel. Although Ethan did insist on taking me out to dinner every time.
Ethan also kept his promise to arrange for Dr. Angel to have an office in his hospital. I assumed it was just for show. It would help with the illusion that Dr. Angel was a real, separate person.
But he had it furnished just like every other doctor's office. I had a place to keep the texts Dr. Lee loaned me. I had file cabinets with files on my patients. I even had my own desk and my own desktop computer.
The office became a refuge. It was mine, in a way that my bedroom had never been. No one could come bursting in to order me around or threaten me. The door locked and I had the only key.
If I could have come up with a good reason, I would have lived in that office. But everyone assumed Dr. Angel had her own home with her own pack. It would have raised too many questions.
So I spent most days as Leo's personal maid, some evenings on Ethan's arm as his new mate, and as much time as I could manage as Dr. Angel. Somehow I still found time to search for my mother, although I'd found no new leads.
And my nights were mostly my own. Eva was pretty spooked by Zane's imprisonment. She spent a lot more time around Leo, acting the part of the dutiful wife and Luna.
I finally had time to get enough rest. And yet I was just as exhausted as before, because Leo's pup would not settle down and let me sleep. As soon as I lay my head on my pillow at night, the pup would bounce and flip as if they were holding their own private dance party in my womb.
My healing abilities soothed the pup when they were distressed, but this wasn't distress. They were just active. So all I could do was pat my belly and speak softly and stare at the ceiling, sleepless.
One night, though, as I finally drifted off, there was a frantic knock at my door. Before I could decide if it was worth it to ignore whoever it was, Eva kicked the door open and rushed inside.
“Tessa, wake up. Leo's wolf has gone crazy again!” Eva grabbed me by the arm and nearly dragged me out of bed.
“Wha-” I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and staggered to my feet.
“Hurry up, you lazy brat, go calm him down before he kills someone!” Eva shoved her nightgown at me and pushed me towards the door.
I changed gowns and ran, tossing my discarded gown to her. I barely remembered to spray my neck and wrists with her preferred perfume. I did forget the makeup, but at that point it hardly mattered. The scars were gone, so we were nearly identical once more.
I was confused by Eva's panic, though. I'd faced Leo's wolf, back at the clinic. He wasn't vicious, only protective. I couldn't imagine him hurting anyone. Well, anyone besides the Rogues.
I reached Leo's room and knocked on the door. He practically tore it off the hinges and dragged me inside. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck. I knew the wolf was in command; Leo was never so grabby.
“It's all right,” I murmured, stroking his hair and holding him close. “I'm here. I'm right here.”
Leo whined deep in his throat. I held him and muttered soothing nonsense until his arms loosened and he stepped back.
“You left,” he said.
“I...” I didn't know what to say. Eva had left, and sent me. Why would she leave and then come back?
“I scared you,” he whispered.
“Startled me,” I corrected. “I just needed a moment. I'm sorry.”
“No, you can leave,” he said. “Any time. If you... if you're scared of me, you can go.”
He swallowed hard and looked away. He was giving me a chance to run. I wasn't about to do that.
I stepped up next to him and wrapped my arm around him.
“I am not afraid of you,” I insisted.
It was the truth. I was afraid he would learn the truth, yes. I was afraid of how angry he would be. I was afraid what would happen to my mother. I was afraid he would be hurt.
I desperately did not want to hurt this man.
“Eva...” he whispered.
I somehow managed not to wince. Instead I leaned up and caught his face in my hands.
“Kiss me,” I demanded.
Leo was only too eager to obey. He held me to his chest and kissed my cheek, my nose, and finally my lips. I hummed into the chaste kiss for a moment before I deepened it.
I indulged myself in the spine melting kiss for a little while, and then took his hand and drew him into the bedroom.
“You're sure?” he asked, nodding to the rumpled sheets.
I wasn't sure what had happened between him and Eva, but I nodded. “I'm sure.”
He smiled and drew me into the bed. He tucked the blankets over me, and then wrapped himself around me. I snuggled down in his hold.
With their father right next to them, the pup calmed. For the first time in a while, I was able to slip into sleep as soon as I laid down. My eyes drifted shut as Leo gently stroked my hair.