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.”

on the ship?” I

a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent me to

when I hear this, but I don’t

first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk I

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

a little, looking down at

but some part

the experience. “Your mother, Cora. Except…at the time, I didn’t know

Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond

that she’s my mother too? And that she only spoke to Ella in the temple, and then went to Roger later that night for

does

reaching forward and brushing my cheek with his thumb. “It’s half of why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,”

did she do?” I ask, pushing past my jealousy and truly

as he continues his story. “She didn’t come in her bodily form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of sorts, more

again, letting him know that it’s okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back to me

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

nothing else but

to know how to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but that for the future of the world, I had

having children, and being a dad, and raising my kids well to

blinking with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally getting it. “Oh, so you stopped calling me

it fucking broke my heart to do it because I loved you I was obsessed

при

7

I didn’t even care about kids

–

who was dying to be a dad,

my

you’re pregnant, and not just because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself, choosing his next words carefully

very much want this child, Cora” he tells me, pausing to ensure that I hear him, “and I can’t wait to build a family with you.”

–

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

wanted in the world.

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

–

Roger murmurs, 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