Surrogate For Alpha Dom

Home with Baby Ella

I hear Sinclair sigh heavily next to me, murmuring “Ella…”

But I ignore him, my eyes fasted on Hank, who blushes a deep red at the door and looks down at his shoes. I don’t say a word, though, or make this any easier on him. Instead, I wait patiently for an answer.

“Cora is,” he murmurs, awkward, “very special to me…

“I would imagine so,” I reply, my voice harder than I think I expected it to be. “She’s a very special person.”

Hank sighs and raises his eyes seriously to mine. I hold his gaze steadily.

“I’m very serious about Cora,” he says evenly. “I want to build a life with her. But we are moving…slowly. We both want to make sure that this is right.”

My heart warms when I hear him say that he wants to build a life with her, but still – what does that mean? I hold my baby closer to me and shift in my seat.

“And do you want to have childre-”

“Ella!” Sinclair bursts in, his voice angry, a hand on my arm.

“What!” I cry, turning to him with a frown. “It’s a legitimate question!”

“It’s none of your business!” He hisses back to me, his eyes wide and appalled.

–

my sister’s business is

My frown deepens as I open my mouth to object to my mate business, after all – but Hank clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

his eyes flicking between

end. I sigh, nodding, as Sinclair speaks.

doctor,” he says with finality, letting Sinclair know he’s free from my interrogation. “We’ll look forward to

leaves the room, my

admonishing. I look

children they can’t have. If Hank also isn’t on

processes this information. “And what’s Cora’s page about kids?” he asks. “Does she want

didn’t let me get information that

little, staring into space and considering it. “Actually, I don’t know…” He brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either

to not talk to each other about

trouble does,” Sinclair sighs, leaning back on the chair. “I

on his little head. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whisper to him. “I’ll teach

to counter me. He knows it would be a waste of

of us exhausted by the activities of the day. But Cora finally gave us the go–ahead when Rafe’s final set of tests came back clean and we

I see the variety of gift baskets and flowers waiting for us. “Oh,” I say, fascinated, moving forward to look at them all. Then

his eyebrows also raised in interest as he checks some tags on a few of them. “ They look to be presents from friends and well–wishers. See?” He points to one filled with hand–drawn cards set neatly around a fluffy teddy bear.

them…” I bite my lip against the sudden rush of feelings, overwhelmed by all the love in the room when I’ve

quickly, taking me by the shoulders and moving the baby and I towards the stairs. “We’re way too tired

the stairs, a steady hand on my back. “Rafe’s first teddy – we have to

will be there in the morning,” Sinclair says, steady,

I sigh, nodding to his wisdom and allowing myself to be shepherded upstairs. When we reach the door to our bedroom, though, my eyes fill with tears again as I look up at my mate.

to be there for me. “What is it this time? What’s wrong?”

for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own little bed. It’s just…” I shrug, not really knowing how to put all of my emotions into words. “It’s

my body against him –

me. And that every moment of it – even one as simple as