Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

I see a yawn stretch over Cora’s face and immediately start to get to my feet. “You’re exhausted,” I say, “we’ll let you get some rest – ”

“No,” Roger says, suddenly a little frantic again. “You guy can’t leave what if – what if the baby cries and Cora sleeps through it – I have no idea what to do ”

I laugh at my brother-in-law and shake my head at him. “We’re not going far, Roger,” I say, pressing myself to Sinclair’s side as he, too, stands up. “We’re going to sleep across the hall after we make sure Henry gets home safe. You’ll be able to shout if you need anything.”

“Oh, thank god,” Roger murmurs, slumping back against the pillows and putting a weary hand over his face.

“So dramatic,” Cora says, rolling her eyes but laughing anyway. I grin at my sister and then move to her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek and blowing one to the sleeping Jesse, my new perfect nephew.

“You guys sleep tight, all right?” I say. “And really – we’re here if you need us. Or even if you want us to take the baby in the rolling bassinet – he can sleep in our room – ”

“We’ll be fine, Ella,” Cora says, rolling her eyes at me now.

“They do this all the time in hospitals, take the baby to the nursery so the mom can get some sleep! I could

“Stop trying to steal my baby,” she laughs, flapping a hand at me, “just because you miss having a newborn.”

“I do,” I sigh, again clutching my hands beneath my chin. “They’re so cute and tiny then…”

“Come and take your meatball, Ella,” Sinclair says on a laugh, holding out my perfect little Rafe to me. And I laugh too, taking Rafe in my arms and holding him tight against my chest.

“You’re perfect too, Rafe,” I say, kissing his head, “no matter how big you get.”

And then Sinclair and I call our soft goodnights over our shoulder and close the door behind us as we pass out of the room, letting my sister and her mate have a peaceful night alone with their new baby.

in the hall, I fall back against the wall with

time,” Sinclair says, stopping and grinning at me as I

what, six months!? I love the newborn stage! I love the first night, when you can’t sleep because you can’t bear to close your eyes and stop looking at

says, stepping forward and running his hand over my hair. I grin up at him, nodding fervently. “Luckily,”

swatting at him a little and covering one of Rafe’s ear with my spare hand. “Not in front

the hall. “We have sex in front of the baby all

my shoulder, pretending to be more bothered than I am as

to me in the dark of the room and pulling me to

I murmur, my voice low and throaty. ” Because we have competition now for best Sinclair parents. And I am not losing

says, laughing his dark little laugh. “We’ve got them beat

know, right?” I say, wrinkling my nose at him. And my mate

I’ll make sure dad

say, giving him a quick thumbs up and a wink. Sinclair nods to me, smiling, and heads out the door,

tiny shriek of joy. ” You got a new cousin

as I carry him over to the little

“But if you like your new cousin more than your new little sister, just because you have some weird kind of bond?” I look at

me, babbling as I

my arms. “And

up as he plays with some of his soft blocks and I lay quietly by his side, talking to him and giving him a cuddle whenever he looks for it.

starting to pull off his blazer as he comes to

sitting up a little. ” We

to bed, pulling off his shoes and slipping into the bed fully dressed so he can be with his little family sooner. I smile when I see his eagerness, knowing he feels precisely the way that I feel: that this is our happy place, when we’re all cozy together with no great pressures

sleepy?” he asks.

a little shrug. ” But, we should wait until Rafe falls asleep