Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

Cora and I stand silently in the garage of the bunker, watching our mates pack their cars in preparation for their assault. Rafe is in my arms, fussing unhappily, and Henry has rolled his chair up on Cora’s other side, likewise watching tensely.

“It will be finished tonight,” Henry says, nodding confidently. “I know it. The boys will finish this.”

“I hope you are right, Henry,” I sigh. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep sending him off like this.”

Henry looks up at me, sympathy in his eyes, but I can’t return his gaze – I’m too overwhelmed. Instead, I look down at my little red baby, who is now crying unhappily in my arms.

Minutes – I know we’ve got minutes left until Roger and Sinclair leave. And I can barely take it.

“Come here, mini trouble,” Sinclair murmurs, and I jump a little as I realize that he’s close to me now, reaching out for the baby. I was too lost in my thoughts. I look up at my mate, my eyes filled with tears, and silently hand over the baby in to his waiting arms.

He doesn’t turn his attention to Rafe, though, instead putting out his other arm to wrap around me. I rest my head against his chest, looking away from him. But my eyes just fall on Cora and Roger, saying their own goodbyes next to me, and I can’t take that either.

So I turn my head in the other direction, pressing my eyes shut.

“It will be okay, Ella,” Sinclair whispers to me, the baby going quiet in his arms, as he always does, “I promise you, it will be okay.”

“I know you’ll do everything you can, Dominic,” I whisper. “I trust you – it’s just the rest of the world, and what it has in store, that I can’t trust.”

He nods, understanding, and then presses a kiss to my hair, pulling away too soon.

strap of his bullet-proof vest and

of his fingers beneath y chin. And I stare up at him, my my beautiful, tender, ferocious mate. I’m coming back to you. Tonight. And then

better,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at him. “Or I am going

baby back to me. Then he presses a kiss to my mouth, tells me he loves me, and turns towards his car. Cora moves close to

Ella,” she says. “The big

turn to

a smile as she holds the hope for both

garage and drive away. Predictably,

little kitchen and sink down around the table. The bunker isn’t totally quiet – there’s

assault team, or those members whose skills lie more

people around, but still, I know that the three of us feel like we’re the only people in the world right now, so united are we in our misery. Or, well, four people, if we’re including Rafe. But I sigh

pocket of his wheelchair and coming out with a deck of cards. “That this is a moment that calls for

little. “Nothing says distraction like a couple hands of high- stakes poker,” she quips. I smile at her, knowing that Cora loves cards. She’s clever and precise enough with them to be a bit of a

say, leaning forward a little eagerly. “Now that the boys are gone, let’s gamble away all their money,” I say, perking up myself at the idea.” Show them what they get for going off to war without

we sit, a little smile playing at his lips. “What shall the buy in be, ladies? Half a million? Each of my sons’ first-born

not both?” I

to shame and earned not only a million dollars but also apparent

go,” I sigh, pretending to hand the sleeping baby off to him. ”

puts up a hand. “I’ll let you maintain ownership for now,” he laughs, pulling the cards towards him to put them neatly back in their box. “I know you’re fond of him, after all. I’ll call for

says, looking down at her still-flat tummy. She cocks her head to the side and smirks