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, clearly

an end. I sigh, nodding, as

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

the room, my eyes on my baby.

says slowly, admonishing. I look into

thinks he wants children they can’t have.

as he processes this information. “And

still bristling that he didn’t let me get information that I very much wanted.

brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either way, that’s a conversation between Cora and Roger.

enough to not talk to each other about it, then

is as trouble does,” Sinclair sighs, leaning back on the chair. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected

straight,” I murmur in response, smiling down at my baby. Then, I kiss him on his little head. “Don’t worry,

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

get home, all three 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 happily headed out.

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

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

sharp tears. “Oh, I miss them…” I bite my lip against the sudden rush of feelings, overwhelmed by all the love in the room

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

cry, looking over my shoulder at it as Sinclair guides me up the stairs, a steady hand on my back.

the morning,” Sinclair says,

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

to be there for me. “What is it this

I say, 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

speaking to 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

to me. And that every moment