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.

says, his eyes flicking

an end. I sigh, nodding,

know he’s free from my interrogation. “We’ll look forward to

scowl as Hank leaves the room, my eyes on

look into his

thinks he wants children they can’t have. If Hank also isn’t on the

this information. “And what’s Cora’s page

that he didn’t let me get information that

know…” He brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either

pillows. “If they’re all too stupid enough to

Sinclair sighs, leaning back on the

smiling down at my baby. Then, I kiss him on his little head. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whisper to him. “I’ll teach you my troublesome ways. And then we’ll torture daddy together.”

but doesn’t bother to counter me. He knows it would be a waste of

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 happily headed

“Oh,” I say, fascinated, moving forward to look at them all. Then I look up at my mate. “Did you do all this?” I ask, my eyes wide.

on a few of them. “ They look to be presents from friends and well–wishers. See?” He points

with sharp tears. “Oh, I miss them…” I bite my lip against the sudden rush of feelings, overwhelmed by all the love in the room when I’ve been so distracted – I haven’t even kept

taking me by the shoulders and moving the baby and I towards the stairs. “We’re way too tired for this – if you get into

me up the stairs, a steady hand on

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

allowing myself to be shepherded upstairs. When we reach the door to our bedroom, though,

but wanting to be there for me. “What is it

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

my soul as much as mind as he confirms this. I know, he says, simply. And so I rest my body against him – against the warm, steady bulk of

really, that this is all a dream to me. And that every moment of it – even one