Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

“Oh geeze,” I say when we pull up to Cora and Roger’s house in the pre- dawn morning and see that every light is on. “You ready for this?”

“Sure!” Sinclair says, grinning at me as he puts the car in park at the end of the driveway. “It will be a nice role reversal – this time Roger can be the one worried sick and I can be in the background cracking jokes.”

“Aww, sweetheart,” I say, grinning at my mate and putting a soft hand on his cheek. “It’s cute that you think you’re funny enough to crack jokes.”

Sinclair’s brows knit together as he frowns at me. “What are you talking about? I’m very funny.”

“Okay, baby,” I murmur, patting his shoulder as I turn to climb out of the car.

“I am!” he insists as he gets out of the driver’s seat and starts around the car.

“Dominic,” I sigh, hiding my teasing grin as I lean into the car and unbuckle Rafe, pulling him into my arms. “You have so many blessings. Why do you need to be funny too?”

“Because I am funny!” Sinclair says, crossing his arms and glaring at me.

“Okay!” I say cheerfully, not contracting him but moving quickly towards the front door of the house without confirming either.

“Ella!” he scoffs, striding after me.

“What!?” I laugh, knocking on the door for once instead of just striding in because I want to give Cora and Roger their privacy if they’re not ready for us. We did get here really fast, after all the roads were empty this early.

“I make you laugh all the time,” Sinclair says, still frowning down at me.

“Yes, sweetheart,” I say, grinning with mischief as I gaze up at him, “but I’m laughing at you, not your jokes.”

He growls at me, starting to get a little miffed, and I burst into laughter. Sinclair opens his mouth to protest more but both of our attention snaps forward when the door flies open, revealing a harried Roger staring at us with the fingers of one hand already tangled in his own hair.

“Come in,” he says, his voice frantic and full of dread. “I need you to talk sense into her – ”

her starting up the steps, leaning hard

as I hurry past him and up the stairs to Cora, taking the plate of toast she’s carrying out of her hand, Rafe perched on my hip. Cora smiles her thanks at me and presses her hand to

the stair lift chair?” I ask,

capable of getting up the stairs, Ella,” Cora growls as she continues to

rolling my eyes at her. “It’s just

and she. shakes her head at me. “Okay, good,” she says. “Someone sane is here. Can you please have Dominic just tie the other one up downstairs until

you please talk some sense into her, Ella?” Roger calls from the bottom of the steps, and I turn to see him standing at the bottom, looking

me just very pregnant and in the early stages

go to the hospital!” Roger insists as Sinclair closes the front door and stands at his brother’s side at the bottom of the stairs, radiating support but unable to

at her as we get to the top of

follow us up the stairs. Sinclair comes with him as Cora and I walk to

bed, where I place her toast on the side table before lifting Rafe more securely into my arms. Cora climbs

she says with a sigh after she gives Rafe a sweet kiss and musses his hair. “I’m perfectly healthy – there’s no reason to not do it at home, and I’ve got doctors coming

be safer in a hospital,” Roger says, crossing his arms as he comes into

flicking him a little glare as she settles the blankets just how she wants them. “My sister, the magical healer, is here. It’ll be fine I couldn’t

gesturing to Rafe, who gives a happy little squeak. “Or, well, a palace birth, even if it wasn’t our home yet. And everything

as he stares at me. “You

head to the side as I remember it. “Oh yeah!” I laugh

I always forget

with his hands. “He’s watched too much Little House on the Prairie,” Cora murmurs, rolling her eyes at me. “He thinks a home birth is all boiling water and screaming

and I see Sinclair clench his jaw to keep from laughing

at Roger’s turned back, but I turn back to Cora when I hear her

answers tightly, taking a

“Did your water break?”

gritting her teeth through the pain. I murmur to her consolingly and reach for her hand, Rafe

god,” I hear Roger murmur, coming quickly to my side. “Is she…is