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.”

up at my face. “But there’s certainly more we can know. We can ask dad to do some research, see if

down the bond, encouraging me to forgive myself for being

Sinclair says quietly, reaching his long arm up to tuck my

not all wicked, Dominic,” I say sincerely, looking down into his face. “And with these

says, his eyebrows going up. “I’d just like all the intel we can

say, giving him a little smile. But then, even despite my desire to keep pushing on

baby,” Sinclair murmurs, sitting up and leaning in to kiss me on my forehead. “You’re asleep on your feet. Or, well, your ass – but

feeding,” I say with a yawn. “But then,

stroking a hand over her perfect tiny head, loving the

of water to the bedside table next to me. “And eat if you can, yes?

finally starting to feel completely 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

me and murmurs that she’ll be right here at my side. I take one last peek at Ariel’s face and see that she, like me,

and settle down, and

sleep, because the baby gets me up every couple of hours needing to be fed again. The next day passes pretty much 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 and talk to my mate and admire my baby – but most of the time? Most of the time Ariel and I

first crucial night, taking complete charge of my baby boy and allowing Ariel and I the space we need to get used to our

first night – it’s not precisely easy

Cora, and Roger, and Jesse, and Henry all come trooping in the evening after

blinking at them and laughing, pleased. “Did – did I know you were

his head to the side. ” Did I did I seriously forget