Surrogate For Alpha Dom

Ella

One and a half months later, and I’m gigantic.

Gigantic.

“Five months wolf pregnant,” I mutter, stirring my yogurt with a little silver spoon, “is about thirteen months human pregnant.” Leaning back against my pillows, I raise the spoon to my mouth, but hesitate before taking a bite.

“What?” Sinclair asks, glancing at me from his spot on the bed, where he’s reading some reports on his tablet. “Has it gone sour?”

“No,” I murmur, stabbing the spoon back into the cup. “I’m just afraid if I eat another bite, this baby is going to get even bigger.”

“Good!” Sinclair declares, grinning at my swollen belly and reaching out a fond hand to rub my baby bump. “Let him get big and strong before he’s born, that way he can come out running and we can play football within a week

“Absolutely not,” I snap, giving him a little glare and hoping to hell that he’s kidding. “I am not growing you a linebacker, Dominic, so get that right out of your head.”

Sinclair chuckles and puts his tablet aside, moving lower on the bed to press his ear to my. stomach just above where the baby has settled. “What’s that, little Rafe?” he asks, loud enough for me to hear. I twist my lips and shake my head a little, knowing this is all for my benefit anyway. If he wanted to talk to Rafe, he could just do it through his bond. “You’re perfectly comfortable in there and want to go to full term so you can get big and strong?” –

I feel the baby move, then, responding to his father’s voice, pressing some extremity – a hand or a foot – across my skin, right where Sinclair’s face is. Sinclair kisses the spot where the baby presses and I feel a little thrill of Rafe’s happiness running through me.

it’s not true, Rafe,” I say aloud, stroking the sides of my stomach, which looks honestly like I’ve swallowed a giant watermelon. “Tell him you’re cramped in there, and would like to stretch

of us then, his emotions ringing with happiness, but, indeed, with a little …pinched feeling, with the desire to stretch. “See?” I say, raising my eyebrow at Sinclair as he looks up at me with a

Sinclair sighs, sitting up and giving my belly one last pat. “We’ll see what Cora and Hank say this

ask, excited.

shrugs. “It’s not common, but…”

goddess…he’ll come fast, and leave me in peace. I wonder what their average

just laughs, coming to my side and putting out his hands to help me to my feet. I accept readily and

even though I’ve been a bit miserable for the past two weeks, but especially this last one. There’s been some trouble, I know, with human insurgents who are unhappy with how well the peace talks are going. They think that humans are getting the short end of the stick and are threatening violence unless Sinclair and his teams make more concessions. I know it’s stressing him, but he still makes a great

a clean top and stretchy pants, I consider whether I complain too much about this final stretch of my pregnancy. It’s not that it’s not that I’m not enjoying being pregnant – I have loved every minute of feeling my little boy grow stronger inside of me, every little twist and kick, and especially feeling the little messages he sends down our bond to me. He’s gotten so communicative lately, really responding to us like a little baby might telling us how he

―

so wonderful. It’s just…I am so uncomfortable now. I’ve always been a petite woman, and even though Rafe was little at the start, it’s very clear that he’s Sinclair’s baby now. He is heavy, and he presses on my back, and my ankles are swollen, and I can’t find a comfortable spot when I sleep – even in my nest…

so happy and grateful for it, it in many ways feels like the end of a wonderful vacation where you start to think about how nice it will be to go back home. I sigh and lean down to pick out

peek out the door, Sinclair is

big smile. “I need you to put them on my feet. Baby says no more bending.”

up the shoes as I go to sit on the bed. “Sure thing, Cinderella,” he smirks, kneeling down on one knee and lifting one of my

to the doctor’s office, the receptionist gives us a big smile and takes us right back to a private exam room. I look around the crowded waiting room, opening my mouth to protest that we shouldn’t be seen before all of these women who

but then let him herd me along, looking back over my shoulder and feeling guilty. It’s true, though Sinclair brokered a deal with both Cora and Hank to have them on call for me at all times throughout the pregnancy. And, after Rafe is born, they’ll be our personal physicians for our whole family. In exchange, though, they both requested that