Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

“What do you mean I made it snow?” Cora frowns at me as she bustles around the kitchen, making mimosas. ” That’s ridiculous – you must have imagined it.”

“It totally snowed!” I protest, laughing and shaking my head at her, turning to Sinclair at the table for support.

“It did,” he says, raising his eyebrows at Cora even as he hands Rafe another slice of apple. “”The news is completely baffled by the sudden cold-snap that immediately disappeared by morning. They’re calling it the duke’s miracle.”

“What!?” Cora gasps, spinning to stare at Sinclair wide-eyed.

“That’s so cool,” Roger says, grinning at baby Jesse in his arms, who peers up at his dad with sleepy eyes.” Mom’s magic, Jesse,” he whispers. ” It’s very cool.”

“You guys are just teasing me,” Cora sighs, leaning against the counter as I turn the knob on the stove, cutting off the fire beneath the pan of eggs, sausage, and bacon that I’ve finished frying up.

“Dominic is dead serious,” I say, nodding to Cora eagerly with raised eyebrows. “Seriously, word got to the media that the nation’s beloved duchess had her baby and that night it snowed unseasonably early – people are freaking out.” I laugh a little as I starting to portion our breakfast out onto plates.

“Oh my god,” Cora says, covering her face with her hands. “I didn’t even mean to do that – do you really think it was me?”

“You tend to affect the weather when you’re emotional,” Roger says, grinning at his magical mate with a happy shrug. “I think it makes a lot of sense.”

“Oh, that’s so weird,” Cora says with a sigh, shaking her head at Roger and then at me. “People are going to start figuring out what we can do, Ella,” she says. “We’re going to need to have some sort of story.”

“I think my secrets kind of already out,” I say, giving a little grimace. ”

And why do we have to tell anyone anything? Just let the rumors fly – it’s not anyone’s business but ours.”

“Yeah,” Cora says, rolling her eyes at me before turning back to her previous task of adding the world’s tiniest amount of orange juice to nearly-full glasses of champagne. “Until they burn us at the stake for being witches or something.”

“We won’t let them do that,” Sinclair murmurs, smirking a little as he focuses his attention on Rafe’s breakfast.

it’s inconsequential, “it’s not

this and Cora, despite herself, laughs

to Roger and Sinclair first, who murmur their thanks. “I guess you’re right and it doesn’t really matter at least not until our children develop some weird gifts that end up being dangerous or

the counter, handing me a glass of mimosa and taking one for herself, raising it to all of us in a toast. The rest

fake mine, just letting the bubbles of the champagne press against my lips before putting the drink

much as I would usually love to toast my nephew’s birth with a festive breakfast

drinking are so much better. Still, it’s Cora’s day, and I don’t want to steal her thunder just yet. Not that I think she’d mind, just…one happy announcement at a

ask,

her arms and frowning over at

find his patterns soon, don’t worry. How did you

says, giving me a little smile. “I kept waking up every time

her, remembering that habit in the early days of a new baby. “You’ll get used to

and glancing over at Roger, “are already used to

sleep, Cora,” Roger says, looking at her completely unashamed of himself. “It is

she throws at him, though she smiles. I grin,

Roger says, gesturing to the baby cradled in

we know he’s not serious. Roger, like Sinclair, will certainly do his share of childcare without complaint, day or night. He’ll just tease

the baby all day,” Sinclair asks, turning mischievous eyes

the military

with me,” Roger says, grinning down at Jesse like it’s obvious. “Never too early to get the boy used to a war

admiral’s uniform with a baby asleep on his shoulder, a little barf dribbling down his back. And honestly, I don’t mind it as much as I probably should. These Sinclair dads – I don’t think they’re going to have any hesitation about incorporating their children into the day-to-day activities of

it, though, my hand passively drifts over my stomach, because I wonder quietly if the same will be true when there’s a girl in the picture. Would Roger have said the same thing – that it’s never too early for the child to get used to a

it’s not true. Because this little girl – she’s going to grow up with two big Alpha boys who are barely a year older than her, and I’m damn well going to have a word with them if they try to

passing the words discreetly into my mind but keeping his eyes

also letting him know that it’s not about anything big.