Chapter 480 – Falling for the Alpha as a Surrogate Novel

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

“Girls,” I say, looking between him and Roger. “Can girls go to the Academy too?” Their hesitation tells me everything I need to know.

“That’s so sexist!” I protest, throwing my hands up in the air.

“Seriously, Ella?” Roger says, leaning forward to look at me with eyes full of doubt. “You’re telling me that if you had a beautiful little girl with rose-gold hair and a sweet little angel face, you’d want to ship her away to a military academy?” I hesitate, because I know that if I had a little girl… Well. My instincts would probably be to tie her to my side before I let her do that.

But then I look at Rafe and consider – why should it be any different? Why should I have different standards of safety for him, than for a girl?

“Female wolves have different bodily strengths, Ella,” Sinclair says, his voice careful.

“Oh, that’s such crap,” I say, rolling my eyes and turning to him. “I’ve seen my wolf-she’s bigger and more powerful than plenty of men’s wolves out there -” “No one’s doubting you -” “But you’re saying girls can’t go to Alpha Academy because our wolves are weaker?” Sinclair presses his mouth into a line as he looks at me, lowering his brows. ” I can concede that point, Ella,” he says softly, his voice hard, “and still insist that the Academy only accept male cadets. At least for now. You’re fighting hundreds of years of male-only wolf military tradition, and while you may be right that we need to ask questions about those traditions, wartime is not the right time for that. No girls.” I scowl at him, narrowing my eyes, but I back off.

“Okay,” Cora murmurs, leaning forward and clearly preparing to get up. “As pleasant as this incredibly tense dead-end conversation is, I want to go home and lay in my bed.” “Oh,” I say, my face falling as I turn to look at her. “I’m sorry – you’re right, I shouldn’t pick a fight. Stay! We can have dinner here.” “No,” she says as Roger stands up. Cora takes his offered hand and accepts his help getting to her feet. “It’s not your fault, Ells – I’m just…very tired and sore and grumpy and hungry and “The list goes on,” Roger says, smiling down at her.

“Yes,” she says, looking up at him. ” And you’re going to spend all night hearing about it.” “Good,” he replies, tilting up her chin and pressing a kiss to her mouth.

I sigh but get up, letting Sinclair catch the baby as he begins to crawl away. My mate playfully scolds our child as I hug my sister goodbye.

“You’ll call me?” I say, looking down at her stomach. “If anything happens?” “You know I will,” she says, giving me a small smile that falls from her face, replaced by a sigh. “But I think I’ve still got some time left on this one.” “My phone is on regardless,” I say, pointing to it on my bedside. “You call.” Cora agrees and she and Roger walk out of the room, him already pressing a firm hand to the small of her back where he knows she’s hurting.

When the door closes behind them, my mate comes and stands next to me, Rafe in his arms.

“Are you mad?” he asks, looking down at me, ready to hear me out if I am.

“No,” I reply, looking up at him and raising a hand to brush my fingers against his cheek. “It’s just all very difficult, isn’t it? And I shouldn’t pick fights about problems we don’t have right now. All of that – Rafe training to be a warrior, potential daughters that’s all years down the line.” “I worry about it too, you know,” he murmurs, pulling me close.

“You do?” I ask, my eyes going wide. And suddenly I feel a little guilty – because he’s already got so much on his plate to worry about. He should leave worrying about Rafe’s future to me, let alone non- existent potential future children.

“Of course I do,” he says with a smile. “But…” he shifts Rafe to the side so that he can pull me flush against him, his face growing wicked and hungry as he looks down at me. “I can maybe think of a thing or two that we can do to get our minds off of it. Even just for a little bit.” “Oh, yes, Alpha,” I murmur, smirking and standing on my toes to bring my face closer to his. “Tell me precisely what you’re thinking.” But my mate? He doesn’t. Instead, he presses his mouth to mine, parting my lips with his, and languidly kisses me, leaving words behind and showing me what he’s thinking instead.

I’m groggy, a few hours later, when I wake up because I honestly haven’t gotten much sleep. But still, I’m instantly aware that I’m awake because something in my body is…different.

s my eyes crack open, I have absolutely no idea what it is, and no real interest in finding out. Because nothing feels wrong or off…just… different… So, I yawn and snuggle my body back against my naked mate, my spine pressed to his warm stomach. Sinclair gives a deep, sleepy little growl as he tightens his arm around me, holding me close even as he sleeps. I smile at this, happiness sweeping through me as I think about how lovely it is to have a mate that holds me and protects me even when he’s mostly unconscious.

And he’s so warm, and the bed is so soft, and the sheets are so smooth under my bare skin that I almost… Almost fall back asleep… But then? My eyes suddenly fly open.

Because there is…there is something new within me.

As I start to put the pieces together, I am instantly, starkly awake – and so is Rafe, I realize, as I peer through the dark over the side of the bed. My sweet baby is peering at me curiously through the slats of his crib – almost as if he can feel it too This new…new thing within me, a bond that wasn’t there hours ago – but which is there now, just a tiny silver thread of something new My hands fly to my mouth and my eyes instantly fill with tears because even though I didn’t experience this with Rafe – my wolf wasn’t awake then, after all, to help me feel it – I suddenly know precisely what it is.

My voice is shaky as I breathe the word, hardly daring to voice it.

“…baby – ” Rafe burbles something, smiling at me and leaning forward, grabbing the edges of his crib, trying to pull himself up so that he can be closer – almost like he knows it too – And suddenly I’m laughing – the sound bubbling out of me, rich with joy. “Baby!” I say again, sitting up in a flash.

“What?” Sinclair murmurs, his voice foggy with sleep, his had slipping to my waist as I spin to him, pushing him onto his back and throwing a leg over his hips so that I’m straddling him, my hands on his chest- “Baby!” I shriek, thrilled, almost in pieces because of it, completely unable to contain myself, or think coherently, or make any sense Sinclair blinks suddenly awake, his hands tightening on my hips as he stares up at me, confused – worried but one look at my thrilled face makes him realize that nothing is bad is going on so what… “Dominic!” I breathe, laughing and giggling as I lean forward. “Don’t you feel it!?” He frowns at me confused for a second – “Ella,” he murmurs, “what…” But then his eyes suddenly go wide and I know, instantly, that he feels it too.

Sinclair snaps to a sitting position as well, shifting me back a little so that I’m sitting in his lap, his arms going tight around me as he stares down into my face.

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, still shocked, still feeling it out- making sure that it’s really there – ” Ella, it’s…” “A baby!” I shriek, throwing my hands in the air above our heads.

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