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.

crowd again bursts into cheers, charmed – I know – by their little Prince,

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 it, and

has his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and

the private little room at the front of the great hall, and Henry and Cora and Roger come in smiling

for them – instead, I can only look up at my mate, my Alpha, my King, my love for him shining and beaming down

my waist pulling me close, Rafe snuggled between us. Sinclair uses his other hand

till you see me later,” I murmur,

asks, quirking an eyebrow

us, “that I promised to show you what I look like in nothing but this

reverberates in his chest, and my King lowers his head, and he kisses me. And I stand on my toes and kiss him

of our citizens are celebrating out on the street – but there are certainly hundreds of people

were invited to celebrate with us, along with many of our most honored

the attention. Sinclair and I spend hours turning to each new person who comes forward to greet 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

result, of course, is that after three 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 Sinclair’s hand,

bursts into a grin as I turn to see little Benny from the human refugee camp rushing towards me at the head of about five children, some of

time as I crouch down and open an arm to welcome him into a

an invitation to the children’s home about a week ago encouraging some caretakers and children to attend, but I hadn’t received any word back. I look over Benny’s head and smile warmly at the

were a Queen,” Benny says, frowning up at my crown after he pulls back from

I say, wrinkling my nose

studying my crown curiously. Then he turns to look at Rafe,