The Surrogates: The 5 Book Paranormal Pregnancy Romance Box Set

by Angela Foxxe

  Turning and grabbing the handle to the door, she pushed it open but felt that the door was locked. Horrified, she immediately knew that she had been weeded out. Claustrophobia started to sink in and she was certain that this was the end of the line. There was no escape and she was going to be sent home packing. Her heart pounded and she felt lights glittering all around her as she felt like the walls were coming in on her. She was going to go home a failure and her dad was going to rub her nose in it forever.

  “Please wait while processing is fulfilled,” a soft electronic voice said to her.

  There was a moment of relief, but it was short lived. She felt the panic return as she listened to the doors around her opening and she just waited for the axe to fall. It was only a matter of time before they came for her. She knew it. Sitting down on the short bench, she waited for the door to open and an attendant to escort her back to the locker room.

  But no one came.

  After five minutes, the lock on the door clicked and she was free of the tiny room. Stepping out into the common room, she looked around and saw that there were only six of them. The black woman, the olive skinned woman, the redhead, the punk looking woman, the silver haired blonde, and herself. This was it, she had made it to the next round and she was going to be in the final three.

  Her nerves returned, but she was also feeling like she was on cloud nine right now. She was going to do this. Whatever the next test was, she was determined to blow it out of the water and show all of them that she was a force to be reckoned with. There was no way that she was going home.

  An attendant took them into the next room and she found herself in a large classroom that immediately made her nervous. The white desks and white chairs were labeled for each of them to sit down and wait for their commands. Tasha found the desk that was waiting for her and she sat down, looking at the desk and realizing that the top of the desk was a screen.

  “You will be given two hours to answer the following questions to the best of your ability,” the soft, electronic voice instructed them. “Should you find an answer that you do not know the correct response for, please answer to the best of your ability. Your answers will not directly influence the outcome of your results. Cheating or failure to comply will result in immediate termination from the examination. The examination will begin at the ring of the bell.”

  Tasha watched as the top of the desk started to move on silent hydraulics until it was tilted comfortably for her to look at the screen that came on. She was thoroughly impressed by all of this and as the screen came on, she waited for the bell.

  When the bell rang, Tasha was in a whirlwind of strange questions that came at her with the speed of her own ability. When she was done answering one question, she would be given another. Having danced through college and high school before that, she was confident in her abilities. She worked through each question, trying to find the best answers for each of them and trusting her gut. She knew that testing came through with a person’s confidence. But the whole process was strange. Some questions would be scientific or mathematical, while others would be grammatical or based on her comprehension, but then there were stranger questions that really didn’t fall into any kind of category.

  Whatever they were looking for with this test, she was going to give them an accurate reading of it. She guessed that psychological profiles, intelligence, and comprehension abilities were all included. They were monitoring everything that they could with this.

  Finally, when the two hours were up, she felt like her mind had exploded and she was left with nothing but her own nerves and anxiety to keep her company. She looked up and watched as the tops of all of the desks slowly descended to their normal positions and they were free to stand up and stretch.

  She immediately rose and began to stretch, feeling like she had been stuck in that chair for an eternity. Everyone in the room exchanged nervous glances with one another, shaking their heads at how exhausting and ridiculously difficult this entire day had been.

  An attendant entered the room and drew their attention like an explosion appearing out of nowhere. “You may proceed down the hallway to the room marked with your name for the final phase of the test,” the attendant said in her soft, kindly voice. She smiled at all of them. “Those of you who will be passed on to the final test will be given the time allowed to continue on to the final phase of the examination.”

  Tasha didn’t like the sound of that.

  Nervous as she always was, she waited until all of the others left the room and she followed them down the hallway until she found the room that was marked with her name. She looked at the red letters of her name and pressed her thumb to the lock and listened as it beeped and allowed her access.

  *

  In the room, she noticed that there was nothing but white walls all around her and a white floor spread out in front of her, enclosed with a white ceiling. There was absolutely nothing in the room except for a row of shelves on the far side of the room. There was something horrifying and unnatural about the room and she immediately knew that this was the last part of the test. There was something deep inside of her that told her that she was in the final three and that this was where it was all going to end.

  Her palms were sweaty.

  There was a moment where everything seemed impossible. How was she in the final three? She had seen the state of the other women and there was nothing about her that stood out or made her think that she had what it would take to beat every one of them out, well, at least nine of them out of this spot.

  There was something deep inside of her that made her feel like she was floating on cloud nine, but this was by far the most intimidating portion of the process. There was no hiding now. There was only success and if she failed, then she was out for all her work. Being the runner up was being the first loser and she still wouldn’t have her five million dollars. No, there was only one choice right now and that choice was succeed at all costs.

  So, whatever this final test was, she knew that she had to succeed. This was where she would have to shine the most and that was what she was going to do. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the wall and approached it. There were eight shelves and there were twelve items on each of the shelves, every one of them unique and equally strange. She looked at all of them, trying her hardest to figure out what it was that she was supposed to do.

  Sure, she could do a whole bunch of things with these items, but what was the exact thing she was supposed to do? Looking at the items, she studied each of them for a few seconds before moving on to the next one. There was no reason or order for the items, much like the knick knacks that a grandmother might collect on a shelf in her home to keep on display for those who stopped by to visit her. Everything from a pen to a feather, there was no real value to any of the items either. Afraid to touch them, she looked at a few of the more curious items, like the credit card that was sitting on the shelf and something that looked like a diamond, but she very much doubted that it was that.

  Of all the things that were nestled on the shelves, there was something that stood out to her more than anything else. It was several minutes before she actually moved on the object, fearing that if she touched something it would trigger an expulsion of her from the competition. After several minutes, Tasha came to the final conclusion that there was no one who was going to come and take her away. There was no one who was going to explain things to her and she was going to be left with this room until she did something.

  Since there was no one in this room that was going to be giving her any answers and she had relatively few options, she looked at the mirrored, backlit wall with the eight shelves and took a deep breath. Her eyes moved to the final item on the shelves that she had looked at the most with a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  She reached out for the item and her fingertips touched it. The handle was rough, textured with little raised diamonds and the metal was cool under the touch. As her fingers slithered around the handle, feel
ing the weight of the item as she picked it up and held it tightly, it was the first time she’d held a gun in her hand. It was a powerful feeling and she realized suddenly why so many men found them sexy and appealing. She could get used to the weight and the strength that pulsed through her as she held it firmly.

  The lights went out in the room. Only the backlight of the mirrored wall with the shelves remained and in the broken mirror she saw her reflection, staring back at her nervously as she waited for whatever was going to happen. Her pulse quickened. There was something that was really wrong with this entire test, but as she stood there in the gloom of the room, she could hear the lock clicking and the light from outside the room pouring through, silhouetting the figure that stood in the doorway.

  The lights flicked back on and she saw that it was Mr. Grayson and she knew that she had failed the test. He walked into the room, carrying his briefcase with him, looking like the devil holding a contract that would purchase her soul and send her back out into the world without anything to show for it.

  “We’re done here,” he said to her, without a drop of emotion in his voice or a single expression on his face.

  It was the most haunting moment of her life and she wasn’t sure what it even meant. She took a deep breath and followed him as he opened the door and moved out into the hallway again. Leaving the gun on the shelf, she walked out of the room and looked around. There was no one present.

  So this was what happened when you got eliminated.

  She followed Mr. Grayson as he walked to the end of the hallway where yet another elevator was waiting for them. Stepping inside, she felt like she was going to die from the tension. He didn’t say a word and he acted like the tension didn’t even bother him at all, like he was immune to it.

  When the doors opened, he stepped out of the elevator first and Tasha realized that they were much higher up than she had anticipated. She could see across the floor where the skyline of New York was visible, waiting for her to behold in all of its glory. She took it in and wondered if this was where they gave her the stuff she’d left in her locker and sent her packing back to Idaho.

  “This way, please,” Mr. Grayson stopped and saw that she was taking in the view of the city. It was almost like he was annoyed by her need to look at the city. Flinching at the sound of his voice, she immediately followed him and tried to keep up. She followed him into an office and watched him gesture for her to take a seat in a chair across from a black and glass desk where he sat down with a heavy sigh.

  He looked up at her as she sat rigid, waiting for the axe to fall. “Dear god, relax, Ms. Roland.”

  “Did I pass the application process?” She asked him, feeling numb all over.

  “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t,” he said, looking at the document in front of him. “I suppose that congratulations are in order.”

  She let out a sigh of relief, but her mind hadn’t caught up with her body’s reaction. “I made it?” She asked again, just to make sure.

  “Yes,” Mr. Gregory said to her.

  “What was the significance of the last test?” She asked him, furrowing her brow. “Why the gun?”

  “I’m not at liberty to discuss the nature of the tests,” Mr. Gregory said, sliding a tome of a document over to her. “Unfortunately, now the real work begins.”

  Chapter Three

  “What is this?” Tasha asked, looking at the massive document that was larger than any book that she had inside of her own home. It was massive and intimidating to behold. As she held it in her hands, she saw that there were dozens of tabs for her to sign, initial, and date for him.

  “This is the final contract for what you’re going to be engaging in,” Mr. Gregory said with a very serious tone in his voice. “Let me express that your silence has already been sealed and that everything you go through now is in honor of the contract you previously signed. There is no backing out of this, Ms. Roland. No matter what you hear me say, you will have no opportunity to walk away from this point. Are you aware of that?”

  “Yes,” Tasha felt a sinister gloom in the air when he said that and she didn’t like the feeling in the sinking pit of her stomach. Maybe she should have reconsidered this before she signed the previous document, but that was behind her.

  “Good,” Mr. Grayson said, clearing his throat. “Now, the bank account that you gave us is correct?”

  Tasha nodded to him.

  Turning the monitor of his computer screen, which looked like nothing more than a thick piece of glass, she saw on the screen that her bank account, its records, and all of her transactions were visible. She noticed that there were seven digits deposited into her account. “Your money has been deposited and you have officially been paid for your services,” Mr. Gregory said to her. “If you would like, there are several investment opportunities that Matterhorn Company offers investors looking to put their silent money to good use.

  For the next nine months, I would suggest you make that money grow for you. But, I’m not a financial advisor. Should you like to speak with one, you will be given access to the best Matterhorn has to offer.”

  Tasha nodded. Sure, why not.

  “Will I be able to touch the money today?” Tasha asked him nervously, not wanting to sound too greedy. “Or will I have to wait until after the birth to have access to the money?”

  “You have access to it immediately,” Mr. Grayson assured her. “However, as was previously discussed in the application process, you won’t be leaving the care and hospitality of the Matterhorn group through the duration of the pregnancy. You will be given a luxury penthouse here on the top floor of the tower where you’ll have your own access to professional cooking staff, fitness instructors, entertainment of your choosing, and fashion designers willing to make anything you’re interested in wearing. Your safety and comfort are officially our top concern, as is the privacy of your surrogacy. You will not be allowed to leave the tower, but I assure you that you will not be bored at all.”

  Suddenly, everything felt claustrophobic. She thought that she was going to have access to the city and be able to explore New York City while she was here. Now she realized that she was going to be stuck here without any way of seeing the city beyond her windows.

  “Why is it so private?” Tasha asked out of her own curiosity.

  “There’s the rub,” Mr. Grayson said to her. “One last time, let me remind you that you cannot breathe a word of what you see, experience, or learn here.” Tasha nodded to him. “Very well,” he cleared his throat. “The Matterhorn Company is owned by the Matterhorn Group which is a trust designed for a group of individuals who are like-minded and brought together through ancient bloodlines that stretch back to the period of the Middle Ages. During the formation of the Free Mason guilds, others saw that there was safety in numbers, especially when nobility and the holy church could destroy you in a heartbeat. In their own archaic circles, the Matterhorn Group is known as the Matterhorn Clan.”

  “Are they like a family?” Tasha had visions of carrying a baby from some noble bloodline that stretched back to the Renaissance or even farther. It made her feel excited.

  “More like a series of families,” Mr. Grayson said. “Tell me, Ms. Roland, are you someone who would consider themselves an open minded individual?”

  Tasha shrugged. “I’m not religious, if that’s what you mean,” she answered.

  “It’s not,” Mr. Grayson clarified. “Do you believe that there is more at work in this world than what science or reason can explain? I suppose, I’m asking if you have a capacity for wonder.”

  “Sort of,” Tasha shrugged again. That was hard to explain or to even figure out. When was the last time she was blown away by something that seemed magical or beyond the limits of her understanding? She had always been smart and she had always found that there were explanations to things.

  “That’s a gilded no,” Mr. Grayson said, typing on a silent keyboard and turning his monitor to face him again. She couldn�
��t make out anything definitively through the frosted back of the monitor, but she could make out pictures being pulled up.

  “Honestly, I don’t care if you don’t believe me at this point. The contract is signed and you’re stuck with nut jobs at the worst, at the best however, you’ll understand that the world is a lot larger and stranger than you previously believed.”

  When he spun the screen around, Tasha saw something that she wasn’t ready to comprehend or really understand. What she saw was the image of a very large lizard with wings, standing larger than a car. It was the sight of something that was immense, with a long neck and fangs protruding from its clenched eyes, staring with cold eyes at people running in the distance. There was smoke and fire around it, but the fact that this was in the open made her question if it was from a movie or an elaborate hoax. Maybe this was the true final part of the test.

  “Are you familiar with the term: Shifter?” Mr. Grayson asked her.

  “No,” Tasha placed the tome of the contract back on the desk.

  “The Matterhorn Group members transform from humans into these large, well, they’re dragons, obviously,” Mr. Grayson said, clearing his throat. “There are others, of course, those who turn into wolves, bears, large birds, and other various animals. After all, you’ve known about their existence since you heard your first werewolf story or your first Halloween that you can remember. The fact that you didn’t believe them is your fault, not theirs.”

  “If this were true, we’d see it on the news,” Tasha informed him. “We’d read about it on the internet.”

  “Oh no you wouldn’t,” Mr. Grayson smiled deeply and wisely at her. He was privy to some secret knowledge that she wasn’t and it ate at her. “You see, the Matterhorn Group has been around since the First Crusade was launched against the Holy Land. Their wealth is beyond comprehension as it is with most of the other clans. They’re a global organization and entity that spans from America to Asia. But, as for the internet, well, that’s another story.