Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

I sigh, closing my eyes for a second. “I forgot all about the Atalaxians,” I murmur.

“You’ve had a long day,” Sinclair replies, even though that’s not really an excuse. Not for a Queen, who needs to balance it all. I take a moment to collect my thoughts before opening my eyes and looking at him again.

“What I want,” I say quietly, “is a big team to go solve a lot of the overarching problems with the refugees. Doctors, lawyers, social workers anyone who can help us start to patch the big problems there, to get these camps functioning not as a holding space but as a system that helps people get back to their lives, or start new ones.”

I think more on his question of how long I think this will take. “But once that’s done…” I shrug a little, “I won’t need such a big team, once that’s accomplished. But I still want systems in place that help people, and I want to run them. Would that be…possible?”

“I think it’s very possible,” Sinclair says seriously, reaching out a hand to stroke my hair. “And I think it’s very good of you to want to do it. When do you want to start?”

“Tomorrow,” I say, my eyes going wide. “I need to go to the Human Camp – I need to see if anyone there needs to be healed immediately, especially the children – ”

Sinclair laughs, shaking his head at me. I make a little squeak of protest at his wanting to delay me, but he shakes his head, letting me know that I’m misinterpreting him. “I’ll make sure you have the bodyguards to do it, first thing in the morning. The lawyers and social workers – they’ll take a bit longer. Is that all right?”

“Yes!” I breathe, suddenly incredibly excited. And then my eyes fill with tears again as I smile at my mate, as I scooch closer across the gigantic bed until our baby is frankly squeezed between us, wanting to be close to my mate and our child at the same time. ” Thank you, Dominic.”

“Of course, Ella,” he says, kissing me on the forehead. We stay like that for a long moment, passing love between our bond in a steady loop, each of us connecting with Rafe so that he feels it too. He gives us a contented little burble in reply.

“Although Ella,” Sinclair murmurs, making me look up at him.

“What?” I ask, curious and a little worried. “This time?” he says, leaning in to hold my gaze, making sure he hears me. “You’re taking your phone.”

And I laugh, nodding and tucking my head under his chin, perfectly happy and excited about our new plans. Okay, love,” I sigh, content. “I’ll take my phone. I promise.”

Cora

that evening as I unlock the door to our little house – but even if I’m almost too exhausted to feel my own feet beneath me, I can’t help but

Ella and Sinclair gave us this house, that it’s

day passes, and we feel more and more

to settle in. That this

I smile down at my belly, running a hand over it even though I’m not showing at all. Because in a couple of months,

I lose my breath a bit, I’m so happy. But

be at my side. He reaches me almost in an instant, pushing the door shut behind me in the same moment that he wraps and arm

I do so – because this, too, feels a little unreal, especially after

did I get

inch, his arms still wrapped around my waist. “I was surprised you weren’t home when I

my head a little. “It was…a crazier day than I thought it

and then taking my hand, leading me into the

to put them into a bowl for me as I sit down at the table and continue. “There were so many children there who needed help. Ella healed

to hear it. But I’m surprised that I didn’t know that it was so bad that so

say, starting to slurp up the noodles eagerly, so hungry that I’m unable to help myself from being messy. But in my heart, I know Roger couldn’t care less, so I allow myself to dig in and indulge. “I guess Sinclair didn’t have all of his information systems in place to give him all the

and I hear a little hesitation in

I reply, continuing to eat as I look up at him. “Tomorrow, if we can. But to the human camps. There’s just… so much to do. So many people who need immediate help – and Ella really can provide that immediate care that other doctors can’t. And she needs

because he knows Ella’s personality well enough by this

I ask, putting my fork down and waiting. Because I know there’s something he’s not saying. Roger just sighs and looks

shaking my head a