Surrogate For Alpha Dom

Five and a Half Months Later

Ella

There’s a strange atmosphere in the palace today and I admit that I don’t quite no how to feel, because everything is half dread and half excited anticipation.

At least, that’s how it is for everyone else.

For me? For me it’s just a great deal of discomfort.

“Ella,” Cora scolds as I try to bend over and pick up one of Rafe’s socks from the floor. “Let me do that – ”

“I can do it!” I gasp, reaching for it –

But then I stumble and almost fall over, and Cora catches me by the shoulders.

“Enough!” she snaps, shaking her head at me. “Back to the nest! Stop getting out of it! You’re six full months pregnant, Ella – full term! For heaven’s sake, if you fall over I’m scared you’ll split like a watermelon and just spill the baby out.”

“That might be better,” I mutter, glaring at the errant sock and doing as my sister says, heading back for my bed. “This baby is big, and I’m not precisely looking forward to pushing her out.”

“Well, what did you expect,” Cora says, flipping the sock into a hamper and walking behind me to the bed. ” You decided to have babies with the most gigantic man I’ve ever seen.”

“First,” I say, holding up one finger as I sink down on to my bed and start to tuck my legs under the covers, “I did not choose to have children with that gigantic man, I chose a nice slim sperm donor for my first child -”

“Yeah well, you chose to have the second baby,” Cora reminds me, raising an eyebrow at me as she sits down on the edge of the bed.

“And second,” I say, choosing to ignore her logic, “Rafe was a little baby. It’s not my fault that this one is very content to stay in for as long as she possibly can.” I sigh, resting my head back against my pillows and putting my hands on either side of my belly.

“Poor sister,” Cora coos, reaching out to stroke my stomach as well. “She’ll be here soon enough.”

What Cora says is true I’ve been in pre-labor for a couple of hours now. I’m having mild, irregular contractions which Cora says is unlikely to be Braxton Hicks at this late stage. So, baby girl is coming soon, even if she’s taking her time about this as well.

“Remember how crazy it was?” I say softly, my mind turning to the past. ” When Rafe was born?”

“I do,” she replies. “Do you miss it?”

“Do I miss almost dying and fearing for my life,

shrugs. “Well,

and then I laugh, shaking my head. “It was all very

my stomach. “Besides, two

groan. “Honestly, it wasn’t so bad

going to come back from it soaked,” she says, grinning at me, ” covered in mud, with an insane story about your daughter’s future

know,” I say, sitting up on my elbows and glaring at her, “you don’t have

Ella,” Cora says, rolling her eyes and laughing. “Like you have

falling open, but our completely unserious fight ends abruptly when the door

little cry when he sees me. ” Mama!” he

to the floor in his eagerness to get to me. When they’re about halfway across the room, Sinclair puts Rafe on his feet and

and Cora obliges him by lifting him up so that he can crawl over to

so big?” Cora murmurs, shaking her head

a big kiss on the head. He’s one now. I cried the entire day of his birthday. Sinclair was

bitter as he sits down next to Cora with Jesse in his lap. Sinclair moves to

over to kiss me on the cheek. ” Because Rafe is faster

six months old,” Cora says, rolling her eyes at

faster for six months,” Sinclair says dryly, trying to hold

petting the silky brown hair that’s started growing on his head. “You’ll beat that meatball someday – you’re lighter

my head at all of them. “I can’t believe you’re debating which kid is going to win a

in agony,” Cora says, waving a dismissive hand,

insist, reaching forward

have cleared

in labor,

falls back on the mattress in pretend agony, taking Jesse with him and making the baby

on Sinclair’s shoulder. “How’s it

for you to