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

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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.”

on the ship?” I ask, curious.

looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being

this, but I

at first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk I mean, the captain gave me a little of

to focus,

his voice faltering a little, looking down

a little breathless, but some part of

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

reply, and I try to keep my face steady but honestly…some part of me is a little jealous. We all met the goddess that night in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but

spoke to

little through my nose, disappointed. Why does she

“It’s half of why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,” he continues, his face all sympathy. “I knew that it would… hurt.”

ask, pushing past my jealousy and truly wanting to know.

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

it’s okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back to me and looks at me directly, not holding

have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we

nod, understanding, concentrating on nothing else but his words.

a little, concentrating. “It’s hard to know how to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but that for the future of the

and being a dad, and

say, blinking with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally

clutching my hands tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do

при

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I didn’t even care about kids – didn’t even

–

it was always Dominic who was dying to be a

my eyes

be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself, choosing

me, pausing to ensure that I hear him, “and

–

get it. Honestly, I’m kind of in the same boat – I was likewise unsure if I wanted kids. But the moment I

nothing else I wanted in the world.

stopped calling me,” I whisper, “because you thought…my

–

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