Chapter 481 – Falling for the Alpha as a Surrogate Novel

Filed To Story: Falling for the Alpha as a Surrogate Novel

“A baby,” he murmurs, his eyes suddenly flooding with tears as a mystified smile finds his lips. “Oh my god, Ella, another baby – ” And I squeal with delight as I wrap my arms around his shoulders, as he tucks his head against my neck and takes a few shaky, happy breaths, passing all of his emotions to me along the bond Happiness, and sudden anxiety, and joy, and pride, and a thrilled sense of fatherhood- I put my hand on my mate’s cheek and pull his face up to mine, grinning at him with abandon and wiping away his shocked and happy tears. “A little baby, Dominic,” I murmur, beaming into his face. “A brand new baby!” “The best surprise I’ve ever gotten, Ella,” he murmurs, staring at me like I’m a marvel as he sniffs his tears away, still laughing a little in shock. He pulls away from me just a little bit, looking down at my stomach almost like he will see a baby bump – though of course there’s nothing yet I laugh again, pulling Sinclair’s face back up to mine and kissing him, passing all my own joy down the bond. Because this moment – I’ve been waiting for it my whole life. A little surprise baby, much desired and already much loved Sinclair kisses me back with all the love in his heart, holding me close and rocking me back and forth before he lets me go, laughing again.

“Wait,” he says, his voice eager and thrilled, “let’s check -” “What?” I breathe, suddenly curious and a little anxious – is the baby all right? – is- “Here,” he says, putting a steady hand on my cheek. “Close your eyes,” he murmurs, his voice excited, if soft. I do as he says, loosing a deep breath and draping my arms lightly around his neck before I close my eyes. I feel Sinclair connect to me down our bond, and then together we turn to the little silver bond that runs between both of us, just as Rafe’s bond does so slim, so tenuous and new I feel Sinclair move forward to it, almost as if he puts a mental finger out and strokes it, just gently – And in a glowing rush, I suddenly know…so, so much about her.

Her bond feels a great deal like her brother’s, but also has a line of sweetness and determination within it not that that Rafe lacks those traits, but there’s just more When I open my eyes they’re filled with tears and my lower lip is trembling.

“Did you know all this?” I ask quietly, completely overwhelmed. “When Rafe was still growing? When he was this little?” Slowly, Sinclair nods.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” I ask, smacking him on the shoulder and laughing.

“I didn’t want you to be jealous,” he murmurs, “which you definitely would have been.” I laugh with him, conceding the point as tears slip down my cheeks, as I look down at my flat belly and press a hand over it where she exists, where she’ll grow. “She’s already…like the start of a whole little person in there…” “We’re born who we are,” Sinclair murmurs, “so much of our personality already intact. It makes sense that it’d be there in the beginning.” “Yeah,” I say, rubbing my belly absently, and then I burst into a grin again and sniff my tears back as I lift my eyes again to my mate’s. “Plus,” I say, joy sweeping through me again, ” it’s a little girl!” I squeal the last word, thrilled, making Sinclair laugh his booming laugh and pull me tight against him.

“I know,” he whispers, falling back onto the mattress and taking me with him, turning me in his arms so that we lay side-by-side, our faces close together.

“You two are going to run me ragged.” “That’s the plan,” I say, giggling with my joy, running a finger down his beautiful cheek. “Now the numbers are even. But me and Babygirl are going to get Rafe on our side for the important votes – don’t worry – ” “Oh?” Sinclair asks, his voice dry, an eyebrow raised. “Is this family suddenly a democracy?” “Oh,” I say, pouting and teasing him, “did the poor King think that he was in charge? Get it out of your head, Dominic,” I say, laughing and shoving his shoulder with my fingertips. “Me and Babygirl are in charge now.” “Is that what we’re calling her?” Sinclair asks, his voice soft as his eyes shine, taking in every aspect of my face. “Babygirl Sinclair?” I smile as I gaze back at him, as I feel him connecting with the new baby again, already passing love down the tiny sliver of a bond.

I wrinkle my nose at him. “Just for now,” I whisper. “Although Princess Babygirl is very cute.” “A Princess,” he says, his eyebrows suddenly going up as if he considers it for the first time. “Wow, a Princess…” “Our Princess,” I whisper, grinning at him and leaning in for a kiss – But before I get very far, my phone on my bedstand begins to ring.

And I sit straight up Because only one call would come through at this time of night.

Ella

“Cora?” I gasp the minute I get the phone to my ear, still scrambling out of bed and tangled in the sheets.

“Hey, Ells,” she says, her voice somehow both tight and bored at once. “Sorry to wake you up – ” “You didn’t wake me – ” I say quickly, reaching for Rafe in his crib and scooping him up in my arms. Behind me, I hear Sinclair climbing out of bed too, coming to my side.

“I didn’t?” Cora asks. “Why actually.” Her voice goes stony. “Don’t tell me.

Knowing you and Dominic, I probably don’t want to know.” A little laugh bursts from me as I shake my head, trying to get back on track with this conversation. “Cora,” I say, looking down at Rafe’s bright, wide -awake face, “what’s up? Why are you calling? Is the baby -” “Yeah,” she says on a sigh. “Roger insisted I call. Baby’s on its way!” “Oh my god!” I shriek, spinning to Sinclair and beaming at him for the second time this morning. “It’s time for the baby! We’ll come right away -” “No, take your time,” she says on a sigh and I frown at her even though she can’t see me.

“Cora, what is going on? Why are you calling in the middle of the night for us to come but then also telling us not to hurry?” “Because my stupid mate made me call you,” Cora says, her voice annoyed.

She lowers her voice to a whisper. ” He’s completely freaking out, Ells, even though everything is progressing totally normally -” “Awww,” I say, passing Rafe to Sinclair’s waiting hands and smiling up at him.

“Go easy on him, Cora! He’s a first-time dad!” “And a last time dad,” she mutters, making me laugh again, “if he’s this annoying every time I go into labor.” “Okay, well, should we come?” I ask, looking up into Sinclair’s face, a silent question in my eyes. Can we go? Is there any pressing national business that means we need to stay back? Sinclair nods eagerly to me, letting me know we can.

“Yeah,” she says on another sigh. “Do you mind? Honestly, Ella, I don’t think my body is anywhere close to ready to push but Roger just wants everything in place.” “Okay,” I say cheerfully, nodding up to Sinclair who gives me a wink and starts to walk away to the closet to get himself and Rafe dressed. “Honestly, Cora, if he’s freaking out this much how did you ever talk him into a home birth?” “Well now he’s trying to talk me out of it – anyway,” she sighs, “will you just come?” I grin as I hear Roger yelling something in the background, his voice thick with anxiety though I can’t hear what he’s saying. My heart swells a little for my secretly-sweet brother-in- law, who I know has his whole heart wrapped up in what’s happening today.

“Yup,” I say, “we’ll be there as soon as we can. And we’ll let Henry know too.” “Okayyy,” Cora says on a sigh. “See you in a bit!” “Excited!” I call through the phone before hanging up and tossing it onto the bed. Then I practically skip into the closet in my excitement, going immediately to Sinclair’s side and wrapping my arms around his waist, grinning up at him.

“Is Cora all right?” he asks, cupping my face in his palm.

“I think so,” I say, nodding up at him. “Apparently she’s still got time – Roger’s just freaking out.” “Of course he is,” Sinclair says with a laugh. “Roger’s great under pressure except when it comes to things that are completely out of his control. It’s going to drive him crazy to have to watch Cora have to go through a great deal of labor and pain and not be able do anything about it.” “That’s so weird, but also so sweet,” I say, nodding and pressing a quick kiss to his chest before flitting off to my side of the closet and selecting some clothes that I hastily pull on. When I’m ready, I turn to take the half-dressed baby from my half-dressed mate and finish getting Rafe all wrapped up in cozy layers.

“Are you ready to meet your little cousin, Rafe?” I coo to him, plucking a little squeeze pouch of baby food off its place on the shelf and sitting down with him in our little arm chair so he can have something to eat while Sinclair finishes getting ready. “And then, in a couple of months, your little baby sister?” Rafe grins at me and I laugh, because the way he looks at me when I talk – god, it’s as if he’s already starting to understand.

I spend a few quiet moments with my son, thinking about how he’s going to react when there’s a little baby around – And quite suddenly my eyes fill with tears when I realize that in my mind I’ve already stopped thinking about Rafe as The Baby That the title has already passed to my little girl “What is it?” Sinclair asks, and I whip my head up to see that I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice when he walked over to me.

“Rafe’s not the baby anymore,” I say, sniffing even as I laugh at my own ridiculousness. “I didn’t even think about that “ “Of course he is,” Sinclair says, smiling sympathetically at me and taking Rafe from my arms. “He’s always the baby.” “He’s already so big!” I insist, gesturing towards him. “He was trying to stand up in his crib today! And now that there’s a Sinclair cousin coming today – and another baby on the way “the tears start to spill down my cheeks and I press my hands to my poor mother’s heart. “Oh, he won’t be the baby anymore! He’s the eldest!” Sinclair laughs at me a little, shaking his head. “He’s always our baby, Ella. You know that. He can be both.” I stand quickly, reaching for my baby boy and clutching him protectively to my chest when my mate hands him back to me. I shake my head as I look up at Sinclair. “It’s just all going so fast…” “Life has a habit of doing that,” Sinclair murmurs, stepping close and wiping my tears away with his thumb. ” But if it didn’t, you won’t get to live it.” I nod, sighing and looking down at Rafe, who looks up at me with curious and interested green eyes. I can’t help but smile at him and press a quick kiss to his head. Then I look back up at his father. “Let’s not tell anyone about the new baby yet, all right?” I say quietly, sniffing back the last of my sentimental tears.

“Let Cora have her day.” “It’s a good idea,” Sinclair says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pressing a kiss to my forehead. ” Though Roger will probably be able to smell it on you.” “Do I already smell different?” I ask, my eyes going wide. I am, at best, a few days pregnant – honestly, even if that.

Sinclair sniffs the air around me lightly, experimental. “A little,” he says with a shrug. “It’s subtle, and Roger will be distracted, but yes, Ella, any wolf who gets close enough to you is going to be able to tell that you’re carrying my pup.” “Weird,” I say, looking down at myself and sniffing. “Why can’t I smell it?” “I don’t know,” he says, his mind already moving towards other things as he starts to look towards the closet door. “Can you usually smell yourself?” “I don’t know…” I say, honestly thinking about it. Seriously, I’ve known I’m a wolf for a while now, but it’s still weird. “Can Rafe smell the baby on me?” Sinclair laughs, tugging me along with him as he starts out of the closet and we cross to the door of our room. “I don’t know, ask him.” So I do, babbling a little to my sweet baby as we walk down the hall. But of course he doesn’t respond with his own words, though he sends a great deal of happiness down our bond and reaches out his hands to me, trying to touch my face and making me laugh.

I’m quite full with happiness as Sinclair and I climb into one of the cars in the garage downstairs, surprising the poor sleepy attendants who rush to get it ready for us. But even with the little delay, we’re on the road in a few minutes, heading to Cora’s house to help her, and calm her mate, and greet the new little Sinclair baby

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