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 -”

say as we step out the front door and find Conner

strap Rafe into his safety seat, heading

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

kept you?” Hank says, coming closer to us and smiling his greeting but – characteristically – keeping his hands in his pockets and refraining from giving us a hug. I resist the urge myself, knowing it would just

but I step forward and beat her to it. “We were getting Sarah settled this morning,” I say, smiling at both Hank and Isabel, who were updated last night on everything we know about

be able to help her in the way that she’s helped

to the children’s hospitalization tent, as both Isabel and Hank identified important cases which need my immediate attention. There, 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

third patient of the afternoon, I’m surprised when Hank

she’s all right?” he asks, flipping through the

“Who?” I ask, confused.

Jessica,” he adds, a little bit of an afterthought. I smile a little, watching him as he pointedly doesn’t look at me, flipping through pages which I

wants,

me, in the direction of our next patient. I can’t help that my smile grows

cryptic, isn’t he? Is he asking

down at me as we follow.

Well.

there’s a little meddling

though I have no idea what they say.

his voice dry. ” Old

I say, looking up at him with