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 between Sinclair and I now,

end. I sigh,

he’s free from my interrogation.

leaves the room, my eyes on

says slowly, admonishing. I look

to know, Sinclair. She’s not with Roger because she thinks he wants children they can’t have. If

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

still bristling that he didn’t let

back to me,

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

on the chair. “I

little head. “Don’t

bother to counter me. He

fallen by the time we finally get home, all three of us exhausted by the activities of the day. But Cora finally gave us

I say,

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. “This one’s from James and Isabel…”

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

shoulders and moving the baby and I towards the stairs. “We’re way

teddy bear!” I cry, looking over my shoulder at it as Sinclair guides me up the

in the morning,” Sinclair says, steady, yawning. “Now?

door to our bedroom, though, my eyes

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

“Just…we’re bringing him home for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own

simply. And so I rest my body against him – against the warm, steady bulk of him, grateful

all a dream to me. And that every moment