Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

I’m up very early the next morning, my mind instantly on poor Sarah, poor Jessica, somewhere in the palace, probably worried about what on earth is coming next.

I slowly pull my body from its warm place at Sinclair’s side, grimacing as I try not to disturb him as much as I can – he’s so cute, my big tough Alpha, all vulnerable and sleeping and

“Just go, Ella,” he murmurs, his eyes still shut. I laugh a little, softly –

Because of course he felt me go every sense is attuned to me, to my safety. his

“All right, Dominic,” I murmur, leaning in to press a very soft kiss to his mouth. “But you stay asleep.”

“Noo problem,” he whispers, and then turns over as I roll to my side of the bed and quickly stand up. I give him a little glance over my shoulder – admiring the tanned muscles of his back for just a second – before leaning down to pick up my little baby.

Rafe is, as he usually is, awake and quiet, waiting for me to come and get him as I always do.

“Lovely little baby,” I murmur to him, nudging him with my nose as I take him over to his changing table to get him started for his day. “How did I get so lucky as to have such a good boy? Not even crying in the morning, so his mama can rest.”

Rafe gives a happy little squeal that makes me laugh, but it also makes me glance over my shoulder at my mate- because I don’t want to wake him. But Sinclair stays still, his shoulders moving gently with his soft breathing. Good – I want him to get his rest.

I change Rafe as quickly as I can and then take him into our gigantic closet to feed him while I pick out my clothes for the day. When Rafe’s finished eating I’m about to put him into his car seat so that I can take a shower, but a dark shadow falls over me.

“Give him here,” Sinclair murmurs, and I turn to smile at him as I hand the baby over.

“How did you know?” I ask, curious.

“Baby told me,” Sinclair says, smirking down at Rafe.

“What!?”

give me a kiss on the cheek. “He didn’t want to go in

I peer at my son,

giving a little shrug. “When you go to put him down, he calls for me instead of crying, like a human baby would. Not that amazing – just a… different way of letting his parents know what he wants and needs.” Then he heads back to the bed with the baby, probably to check his phone and relax, while I take my shower and get dressed. When I come out,

is that we’re the first ones in the sunny breakfast room in which we’ll be meeting Sarah and Jessica. I tab my fingers on the table, staring at the

it,” he murmurs, looking down at his phone, where he’s fielding about a thousand messages from the hundreds of ventures he’s

small living area on the far side of the room and spread out a little blanket for us so that

believe it. And he’s so bright, and sweet, and cheerful – god, I can barely believe that he’s mine. He’s fulfilled

over to blow a raspberry on his little belly. “Do you know how cute you are!? And

a little squeal of affirmation and I feel a pulse down our bond – a little

down on the floor next to him, bringing my face close to his and letting him reach out his little pudgy hands to touch my cheeks and my nose. As he does, I smile so hard it

little and then laugh when I see Sinclair standing above us, his arms crossed over his chest in mock anger. “I don’t know

laugh harder,

giggles up at him. ”

that he

so that he can run his lips over the skin of my neck. “Just make sure you always keep me at the top of your list of men you love,

eyes. And we’ll see how well you do at that once you have a daughter

pretend she’s

and the soft tickly feeling of his lips on my skin. “Oh sure,” I say, sarcastic, “you’d just love that. A little girl trapsing around with Rafe and Cora’s son, getting into all the messes that boys do? There’s no part of you that would overreact to her being in any kind of danger as she played boys’ sports, participated in boys’ activities, learning

your daughter? She

back a little to look into his face. “Your daughter would be strong enough to handle that, to handle

he looks at me, truly hears my words. “Trouble,” he growls, lifting hand to my cheek and resting his forehead against mine, ” you’re