Filed To Story: Falling for the Alpha as a Surrogate Novel
“Come on,” Roger says, nodding at the crowds of people waiting to congratulate us and at the small table of refreshments. “Let’s decide this over some champagne.”
Sinclair nods at me and I sigh, moving with my family and pondering my choices as we accept the congratulations of our friends and let Henry hold the baby for a while, filling him in on the good omens that the Goddess has given us about her future.
“All right,” I say, sidling up to Cora, my eyes on the baby in her grandfather’s arms. “If you think it’s going to stress me out…don’t tell me. But…give me a hint. Is it…like, illness? Or is she lonely? Oh, I really don’t want her to be lonely. Or -”
“It’s none of that, Ella,” Cora says, her eyes sparkling as she smiles at me. ” She’s a really happy kid, and her early life she really loves it. She and Jesse and Rafe are all best friends and they stay together through their twenties, at least.”
“So,” I say, cocking my head and studying her. “What…”
“Let’s just say,” Cora says, her grin widening, “that your little girl? Her love life is…tumultuous.”
“Oh my god,” I groan, but I’m laughing as I cover my face with my hands and tilt it back to the sky. Because that? A little heartbreak, a little drama? I mean, Cora’s right – I’m not sure I want to know the details. But that I can handle.
As I pull my hands away from my face, I look upwards through the trees where the moon peeks through the leaves. ” Oh mom,” I say, shaking my head a little. “What do you have in store for my little girl?”
“A lot,” Cora says, laughing and sipping at her champagne, Jesse leaning his sleepy head against her shoulder.
“So…” I say, stepping close and whispering – not really wanting Sinclair to hear because something in me tells me that this Alpha dad is not ready to hear about his three-week-old daughter’s future love life – “is she… did you see? Does she have a mate?”
Cora’s smile is bright, but a little wicked. I turn my head, curious. “Yes, Ella,” she says, nodding happily, “your little girl…she’s mated.”
I give a little squeak of joy, my face bursting into a grin as I step closer. “Is he…is he cute?!”
“Really cute,” Cora says, stepping close to share the secret and wrinkling her nose as she dishes. “Like really cute, Ella – big time – ”
I squeak again, turning in a happy little circle. “So, did you get to see…I mean, like a timeline for when she meets him!?”
Cora just shakes her head, though. “I don’t think I should say anymore,” she says, giving a shrug. “I mean, I will if you want me to, Ella, but…” she turns her smile now on our little girl. “I think …maybe just let her live her life. Don’t you want to be surprised?”
“Yes,” I sigh, leaning against my sister’s other shoulder with a scowl, even though happiness races through me. “I hate it when you’re all wise.”
“It’s the burden I bear,” she sighs, resting her head against mine. ” Because if you don’t know, that means you don’t have to keep the secret from Sinclair. Because if he knows?” she blows out a breath. “Ella, if he knew what I know, he’d lock her up in a tower. Like a princess in a fairytale.”
“Damn,” I say, pursing my lips, even though I can’t help being excited for my girl’s future even if I’m also very willing to save all of that drama for twenty years. “Baby trouble is right.”
“Baby trouble,” Cora says with a sigh, nodding, “is absolutely right.”
Ella
“Nope,” Sinclair says, heaving himself out of bed and grabbing his phone off the bedside table as he does. ” I can’t live like this, Ella – I’m calling Roger, I’ve got to know – ”
“Dominic!” I say, laughing and grabbing for him, trying to catch the edge of his pajamas and failing because I’ve got a sleeping baby in my arms and another pressed warmly to my side. ” Don’t, come back!”
“I just!” he says, pressing the phone to his ear and running a frantic hand through his hair. “You tell me that there’s drama in her life, but that it’s no big deal, and that it’s girl stuff? What the hell am I supposed to do with that for the next twenty years!?”
“You’re supposed to sit down,” I say, laughing harder now and patting the mattress on his side of the bed, still warm from his delicious body heat. ” Honestly, if this is the way you react after all of our daughters’ baptisms, we’re not having them anymore – ”
Sinclair sighs and pulls the phone from his face, slumping back down on the bed. “Fine,” he sighs. “Just boys, after this.”
“Mmkay, sweetie,” I murmur, even though my mind flashes back to the vision my mother’s priests gave me so long ago. We’ve got two more coming I think a boy and a girl. But who knows what their own futures hold.
“I’m glad you came to your senses and hung up the phone,” I murmur, scooting myself and my two children closer to him, my voice a little smug.
“I didn’t,” Sinclair mutters, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Roger just didn’t pick up.”
I grin at him, shaking my head. “Why can’t you just take good news for what it is? Human families don’t get any insight when their children are born, and Roger and Cora told us that Ariel has an incredible life. The drama – it’s going to happen whether or not you know what it is.”
“Well, you know what it is,” he says, sending me a rueful little glare.
“I do not,” I say, laughing and resting my head on his shoulder. “Cora knows, and she has sworn Roger to secrecy. Ariel’s life – it’s her business. I think we should be just grateful that we know our two children are going to grow to be healthy and happy.”
“I know,” Sinclair sighs, pulling me closer, relaxing and letting himself feel his exhaustion, finally, as the morning light streams around the curtains that we’ve pulled shut so we can get some sleep. He turns his head and kisses my hair after a moment, which makes me smile as I look down at my baby girl, my thumb tracing long strokes along my beautiful son’s cheek.
We stay that way for a long moment, peace and contentment radiating through the four of us and along our bonds.
“Dominic,” I say quietly, my mind turning softly. “What do you think? If you had the chance…would you want to know? What your godmother saw, what was all laid out for you by the Goddess?”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?