Surrogate For Alpha Dom

Cora

“It’s all right,” Roger says, his eyes going wide as he takes in my pale face, my scared expression and realizes that he’s freaked me out for the third or fourth time today. “It’s not – it’s not bad, I was just kind of a dick – it was a misunderstanding –”

“What?” I ask, more confused now than ever.

–

“Listen,” he says, leaning in towards me. “Just let me tell you, all right? II was going to tell you at some point, definitely not like this but…” he sighs, looking into my face and then down at my stomach, and then back up into my eyes. “I think that… if we’re going to start on this new part

–

–

of our lives – this parent thing – well,” he says, giving me a charming little half–smile and a

shrug. “We should be on the same page, right?”

I nod, agreeing, but looking at him a little askance. “Did you not think that we should…go into our mating? On the same page?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s a little different, Cora – because it didn’t matter – I didn’t think we could have kids

་་

I frown at him – not mad or angry, but confused…

“Listen, let me just tell it,” he says, leaning forward and looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” I say, quite simply, taking his hands and leaning even closer to press a kiss to his mouthr letting him know that I’m listening with an open heart.

“Okay,” Roger says again, taking a deep breath before he begins. “Do you remember… when you and Ella went into the desert with her mother, Regina?”

“Reina,” I correct softly, and he laughs.

“Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Those names are so easy to mix up. Anyway – you three were out on your girls trip, and my choice was either to hang out with those priests in the temple, or go back on to the ship all alone.”

Ismirk at him, knowing precisely which one he chose. He sees my smile and laughs a little.

“Yeah,” he says, grinning at me. “I chose solitude. Or at least…I thought I did.”

there someone on the ship?” I

standing at the bow looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent me to protect Ella, and there’s frankly nowhere I

when I hear this, but I

and brighter. And at first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk I mean, the

squeeze his hands a little, begging him to focus, and he looks at me again and

voice faltering a little, looking down at our

but some part of me knowing already.

by the experience. “Your mother, Cora. Except…at

little jealous. We all met the goddess that night in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond a brief introduction that Ella insisted

And that she only spoke to Ella in the temple, and then went to Roger later that

Why does she want to talk to everyone but

why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,” he

ask, pushing past my

in her bodily form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of sorts, more like the baptism but…not

he can tell me. So

politics, as my brother’s was – and you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we were in

understanding, concentrating on nothing else but his

hard to know how to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but that for the

finding my mate, and having children, and being a dad, and raising my kids well

with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally getting it. “Oh,

tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do it because I loved you I was obsessed with you, you know that

при

7

and before she said anything to me I didn’t even care about kids – didn’t even really

–

was dying to be a dad, not me

say again, my

all up, Cora – I’m thrilled that you’re pregnant, and not just because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his

ensure that I hear him, “and I

–

nod, because I do. I really get it. Honestly, I’m kind of in the same boat – I was likewise unsure

nothing else I wanted in the world.

me,” I whisper, “because you

–

his eyes going wide as he again runs his hand through his hair. “I was totally freaked out I didn’t want to, but when a goddess tells you to do something you feel compelled to do it – and I thought she was telling me to run from you, when she probably was telling me to run to you to take you directly to my stupid tiny bunk