Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

I can’t help it, not at all. I burst immediately into tears. The crowd, when they realize what’s going on and when I think they see my over-emotional reaction to it – begin to again shout their approval. Sinclair laughs when he sees me crying, shaking his head at me as he returns to my side with the little crown in his hands.

“Well, if you didn’t want me to cry!” I say, stamping my foot lightly, “you should have told me!”

“Nah,” Sinclair says, smiling at me, his voice soft but somehow still audible over the cheers of the crowd. “This is way better. It was worth it to see your face.”

“Okay well,” I say in a rush, wiping hastily at my cheeks before raising Rafe a little so that he’s sitting straight up in my arms, looking up at his father with a happy smile. “Get on with it! I want to see how he looks!”

Sinclair laughs at me, shaking his head, and the crowd quiets, eager to hear what their King will say.

“Rafe Sinclair,” my mate says, looking seriously at his son. But Rafe frowns and waves his hands at him, confused by the seriousness of his voice, which makes Sinclair instantly laugh and have to start over.

The crowd laughs along with us, pleased, I think, to see their serious King look so human, to see how much he loves his son.

“Rafe Sinclair,” my mate tries again, his voice lighter this time, and Rafe lets out a little squeal of joy that threatens to make me cry again. Sinclair grins, leaning over a little. “I crown you as my Prince and my heir, to ascend to this throne when it is your time to rule. I promise to raise you to understand this responsibility, to grow to be a good man, and to deserve it.”

And then, when I think my heart will burst with love, Sinclair gently places the little crown on Rafe’s tiny head.

I watch eagerly to see what Rafe will do and then I burst into laugher when he reaches his pudgy hands up touching it experimentally, trying to get a grip on it so he can pull it off.

away and the crowd again bursts into cheers, charmed – I know – by their

my head up to him, and he bends a little and kisses me, warm and real and true. I lose myself to the kiss, loving him so much I can hardly bear

shoulders, and he’s leading me back down the aisle, and we’re waving to

room at the front of the great hall, and Henry and Cora

can only look up at my

little Queen,” he murmurs, an arm around my waist pulling me close, Rafe snuggled between us. Sinclair uses his other hand to tilt my chin up towards him. ” You look just as good in that

me later,” I murmur, feeling a

quirking an

say quietly, wanting to keep it between us, “that I promised to show you what

and he kisses

completely open the majority of our citizens are celebrating out on the street

each of the foreign delegations were invited to celebrate with us,

us, to congratulate us, to shake our hands and tell us about their excitement for the future of the nation. I do my best to give each of them my full attention and to match

hours of the party I’m totally exhausted. But the ballroom is still packed with people, and our job isn’t nearly done, so I squeeze

I turn to see little Benny from the human refugee camp rushing towards me at the head of about five children, some of whom I recognize from

time as I crouch down

but I hadn’t received any word back.

a Queen,” Benny says, frowning up at my crown after he

that makes sense,” I say, wrinkling my nose at him.

replies, turning his head and studying my crown curiously. Then he turns to look at Rafe,