Accidental Surrogate

Ella

Sinclair and I wake up late the next morning and frankly I’m grateful that everyone let us sleep in. We had to get up to feed Rafe, of course, but even with that? It’s the most sleep I’ve gotten in a long time.

“Morning,” I murmur, turning over to Sinclair and slinging a leg up over his hip, feeling just… ridiculously relaxed for someone who fought off a pack of kidnappers in her bedroom yesterday.

Sinclair doesn’t say anything, just growls a hungry little greeting and pulls my naked body closer to his, rolling over me a little so that I can feel the delicious weight of him on top of me as he kisses my neck, my shoulder, and then my mouth. “We’re skipping breakfast,” he murmurs, sliding his hand leisurely down the length of my body, “I have different idea for how we can spend

the time

”

“Noooo,” I moan in protest, my stomach audibly growling in support. “I need fooooood!”

Sinclair laughs and pulls away from me then. “Am I not sustenance enough for you?” he asks

pretending to be offended. “Here,” he says, offering his arm, bulging with muscles, “take a bite. It

will keep you going.”

I bare my teeth and lean forward towards it, making my mate laugh, but then I just press a quick kiss to the arm and push him away, reaching for the baby who is starting to fuss in his cradle at

the sound of our voices.

“As delicious as you are,” I call over my shoulder to Sinclair as I lean down to scoop Rafe into my arms, “the baby and I need pancakes.”

“Then pancakes you shall have,” Sinclair murmurs, yawning and crossing to the little metal

bathroom door in the corner of the room. “But I hope that you are aware that these will be bunker

pancakes,” he adds, twisting the nob and pushing his way through, “by which I mean plain toast.”

I laugh, nodding to indicate that that’s fine by me, and then I spend a few sweet minutes alone

with my son, talking softly to him while I feed him his own breakfast, taking my time looking

over, admiring his little face and his thick thatch of black hair, mussed from sleep.

that this will surely be a busy, complicated day. But

it end badly?

Sinclair

in the morning we gather in the conference room at

we have brought with us, but honestly I’m proud of them. Many worked through the night to develop our reconnaissance, to make a plan.

as I realize that they were working, losing sleep, while I was relaxing and…well, doing a

a little, in some of the privileges of being in charge – even if my constant instinct is to work, and to push, and to keep going. Ella and Rafe need my attention as well, just as much as my business and political life. And, considering what Roger and

Dominic,” my father murmurs to me as he rolls up to my side, his voice quiet enough that no one is likely

I ask,

before placing some paperwork on the table and beginning to sort through it. “You think I can’t read the

We still

on my father’s shoulder, grateful for him. Roger comes over to us and gives us a sharp little nod, which

bodily movements we all have in

a little out of the loop, but I shake my head at him a little to

just shrugs it off, leaning in

dad came up with last night.

when Cora and Ella come

everyone they encounter, Ella showing off the baby to

little cups

says, his eyes wide as he looks at the girls.

and our mates,

you not see the issue here?” he gestures towards

disturbed that I don’t, I shake my

hand down his face swiftly in a mix of worry

for this, since you’ve been a

your life

a significant look and I shut my mouth,

arms over my chest but letting him

Dom,” he continues, speaking quickly, “Ella’s amazing, and I love her, but you let her get away with things that you wouldn’t let anyone get away

I protest, but he

–

is and I’m not calling your judgement into doubt – but I have had the privilege of getting

my eyebrow at Roger, but he ignores