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.

else,” he says, his eyes flicking between Sinclair and I now, clearly

questioning is at an end. I sigh, nodding, as Sinclair speaks.

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

scowl as Hank leaves the room, my eyes on my baby.

admonishing. I look into his eyes,

because she thinks he wants children they can’t have. If Hank also

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

bristling that he didn’t let me get information

and considering it. “Actually, I don’t know…” He brings his eyes back to

the pillows. “If they’re all too stupid enough to not talk to each other about it, then I am going

leaning back on the chair. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected any different.”

in response, 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

laugh in his chair, but doesn’t bother to counter me. He knows it would be a

us exhausted by the activities of the day. But Cora finally

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

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

reaching for it, my eyes suddenly filled 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 up with everyone as well

towards the stairs. “We’re way too tired

looking over my shoulder at it as Sinclair guides me up the stairs, a steady hand on my back. “Rafe’s first teddy

the morning,”

shepherded upstairs. When we reach the door to our bedroom, though, my eyes fill with tears again as I look up at

fingers, exhausted but wanting to

my voice trembling a little, looking between him and the baby. “Just…we’re bringing him home for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own little bed. It’s just…” I shrug, not really

he says, simply. And so I rest my body against him – against the warm, steady bulk of him, grateful – again – to have a mate who understands me so completely. Who doesn’t think I’m crazy

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