Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

When I finally come out of my bedroom, Rafe strapped to my chest, and hurry through the hallways to the front of the palace where I asked Cora to wait for me, I find her sitting with crossed arms and a frustrated look on her face.

“Oh hey, Ella,” she says, smirking at me. “What took you so long.”

I just beam innocently at my sister, flicking my hair over my shoulder. “I don’t know what you mean, Cora. I came as fast as I could.”

“Oh,” she says, raising her eyebrows at me. “I’m sure you did.”

And then I burst into laughter as I realize that Cora – well. Cora hasn’t precisely been one to make dirty jokes in the past, has she? “Looks like Roger’s rubbing off on you,” I say, putting out a hand to help her up, which she accepts.

“He’s trying,” she says, giving me a wink and leaning down to give Rafe a kiss on his forehead. “Are you ready? Finally?”

“Oh, come on, Cora,” I say, rolling my eyes as we head for the door. “It wasn’t like it was that long of a wait.”

“Forty-five minutes! Honestly, Ella – it’s not a quickie anymore if it takes the better part of an hour – ”

“Cora!” I hiss, covering Rafe’s innocent ears and looking around at all of the people milling around at the front of the palace. “They’ll hear you!”

She laughs. “Oh, come on, Ella, they all know too. Do you know how many people asked me where Sinclair has been? I’ve been making excuses for you for well over half an hour and everyone saw right through them -”

out the front door and find Conner waiting for us. “We will cease

after I strap Rafe into his safety seat, heading directly for the Human Camp. When we arrive, I see that Sinclair has again sent a relative army

peacefully chatting, rather than standing coldly. I smile at them as I get out of the car, grateful that Isabel is

hands in his pockets and refraining from giving us a hug. I resist the

her to it. “We were getting Sarah settled this morning,” I say, smiling at both Hank and Isabel, who were updated last night

us. “I hope that it gave you both some clarity and that you’ll be able to help her in the way that she’s helped you.” She leans down to coo to Rafe now, greeting him. The baby gratifies her by

we fall into our routines, all of us wanting to help as many people as fast as we can, especially considering our delay in getting here this afternoon. I grimace when I think of my stolen hour, regretting it. Tomorrow I’ll try to

patient of the afternoon,

he asks, flipping through

“Who?” I ask, confused.

a little, watching him as he pointedly doesn’t look at me, flipping through pages which I know he’s already

Hank,” I say, purposefully keeping my voice breezy. ” She’s going to stay at the palace for awhile – for as long as she wants, really, until she decides where she wants to live. Jessica seems really happy – she met some kittens, and is going to start going

direction of our next patient. I can’t help that my smile grows a little bit as I wonder just how much Hank has been thinking about the pretty, wounded dark-haired woman whose sister we saved

that it could honestly go either way. He’s very cryptic, isn’t he? Is he asking out of

case is over here,” he says, stalking off. I look up at Conner, who grins down at me as we follow. I laugh a little, thinking that if Conner

Well.

little meddling to

we arrive at the next hospital bed, taking the charts from his hand and flipping through them even though I have no idea what they say. “You

he says, his voice

I say, looking up at him with too-wide