Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

“Ohhh, Rafey,” I murmur, reaching for my baby boy as Cora and Roger come into the room. “I’m so sorry, mommy and daddy just needed a minute.”

“Yeah,” Roger says, his smirk deepening. “To talk.” I shrug a little and return his smirk, refusing to let him embarrass me as I carry my baby over to his little changing table and gather the supplies I use when I feed him.

“What happened out there,” Cora says, a little breathless as she presses the door shut and looks around at us, wide-eyed. “I mean – is that…okay? For them to just bring a criminal and an enemy back into the nation?”

“It’s not precisely legal,” Sinclair sighs, waving the group of us forward towards our little living room once I’ve got all my supplies gathered. “But it is complicated, and a very… targeted message that they’re giving to us.

That they’re on Xander’s side in this, agreeing with his policies and his lineage, not mine.”

Together, we troop into the living room and I settle onto the couch as I begin to feed the baby, hoping that he gets as much comfort as I will from the familiar routine.

“Are you two all right?” Roger asks, looking between. me and Sinclair, who settles on the arm of the couch behind me.

“We’re fine,” my mate growls, and Roger smirks a little but nods as he sits in an armchair across from us. Cora looks a little confused, but shrugs, giving up trying to figure it out and sitting in Roger’s lap, clearly wanting to be close. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him.

“All right,” Roger says. “Then what’s our plan on how to retaliate?”

“Unfortunately,” Sinclair sighs, “they’ve played their cards well, bringing Xander here on a diplomatic mission. Because I have to be…perfectly diplomatic this entire weekend, or else I risk not being crowned.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised as I look up at him. “It’s that precarious?”

“These are a King’s duties,” he says, giving a little shrug. “If at the first trial of diplomacy – no matter how large the trial – I rip someone’s throat out? I’d say it’s enough to give any nay-sayers a strong argument for why I should not be the one to lead this nation.”

I sigh, shaking my head and looking down at Rafe, my sweet boy. “So. We have to tolerate him.”

the Atalaxians that Xander is not welcome at any of the more informal events,” Sinclair murmurs. “But yes, when they gather as a delegation en masse? There’s nothing I can do to prevent him, unless I do want to risk sparking war. Not unless he crosses a line

says, tilting his head a little,

we…provoke him into doing

this is a man devious enough to plan to get me pregnant and then steal the child. I don’t think he’s someone we’re going to trick into a faux pau

again as I look at him, and Sinclair glances at me, the start

can’t help it.

two,” Cora murmurs, still confused and looking between

tugs her closer. “Don’t worry about it, Cora,” he murmurs, kissing

still confused,

Atalaxians are going to do anything to truly provoke war – this

him, they should go away and give us more time to develop a better strategy

you think they’ll let him go?”

mate replies, looking seriously down at me. “I’m securely in power now, and everyone knows that Rafe is my son and heir. If he tries to claim the throne through Rafe…”

have been able to play a part in that. And I,

Roger says, nodding, understanding. “They know we want him. Now they want

smile at her, thinking that Cora has probably the best mind for these sorts of games of all of us – except, perhaps, for Henry, who I suddenly wish was here. Cora could have been a champion poker player, I think,

best move then is to demonstrate to them that their bargaining chip is actually

an eye on him to see if he does

growls, a sound of

contented breath now, smiling around at my family and

good plan,” I murmur,

have to put it