Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Chapter 496- First Night

My mate listens carefully as I tell him, in full detail, everything that happened when the Dark God took me outside of time and gave our little daughter our gift. I mostly look down at her while I tell the story, wondering how this perfect, tiny little angel being could have an ounce of darkness in her.

But even as I wonder that, I consider what the Dark God told me that not everything that is in darkness is bad.

But is that just something he said to distract me, to make me more compliant to accept his “gift?”

Was it, as I suspected, a curse?

“And then I was back,” I say, looking up into Sinclair’s face as he listens closely. “And, obviously, distracted by the insane pain of childbirth.”

A smirk pulls at his lips then, but I can tell that my attempt at humor didn’t go very far towards distracting him. He’s quiet for a long moment, looking towards Rafe but really staring into space as he sorts through his thoughts.

I give him a second to work through it, but I interrupt when I can’t stand it any longer. “So?” I ask quietly. “What do you…think?”

“Well,” Sinclair sighs, turning his attention back to me and to our little girl, who eats hungrily, clearly not having lost her appetite after such a dramatic early encounter. “I certainly wish that the Dark God had simply sent a flower arrangement or a toy. But…I honestly don’t know. We need much more information before we can plan any sort of action.”

“Action?” I ask, a little confused.” What on earth can we do? It’s done, Dominic. Whatever the gift is,” I say, gesturing down at her, “she’s got it.”

“But there’s certainly more we can know. We can

Henry can know,” I reply quietly. “And that’s a good idea, with Cora.” I sigh, frustrated with myself for not thinking it first, but Sinclair just sends a pulse of peace down the bond, encouraging me to forgive myself for being scatter-brained on this of all days. I’ve been

through, though, Ella,” Sinclair says quietly, reaching his long arm up to tuck my hair

it’s not all wicked, Dominic,” I say sincerely, looking down into his face. “And with these gods, gut feelings…they tend to

you,” he says, his eyebrows going up. “I’d just like

little smile. But then, even despite my desire to keep pushing on this, my eyelids start to flutter. I blink hard, shaking

leaning in to kiss me on my forehead. “You’re asleep on your feet. Or, well, your ass

shake my head at him. “I need to stay awake till she’s done feeding,” I say with a yawn. “But then, yes, after that…we’re both going to need a nap. Right

of course, continuing to eat. But I grin at her, stroking a hand over her perfect

on that,” Sinclair says, moving a plate with a simple panini and a bottle of water to the bedside table next to me. “And eat if you can, yes? While you do that,

drained as the adrenaline of the day starts to slip from me. I take a lazy bite of my sandwich, barely tasting it as I switch breasts and let Ariel finish up. I’m hardly able to keep my eyes open about fifteen minutes later after Sinclair’s done moving around the room, getting Rafe settled in his playpen with some quiet toys and books

and murmurs that she’ll be right here at my side. I

settle down,

in a blur, with me catching sleep when I can and attending to Ariel when she needs it. I’m not in a total fog the whole time – I still spend time with my son

dream throughout that first crucial night, taking complete charge of my baby boy and allowing Ariel and I the space we need to get used to our new patterns. He spends time with her as well, of course, holding and talking to her while she’s awake and not eating, but I can tell that he’s exhausted

that first night – it’s not precisely easy on dads either, is it?

surprised, frankly, when Cora, and Roger, and Jesse, and Henry all

at them and laughing, pleased. “Did – did I

says, turning to me and cocking his head to the side. ”