Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate by Caroline Above Story

#Chapter 306 – Old Friends

Ella

Two hours later, Sinclair and I welcome our friends back to our house for a casual breakfast and coffee

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or mimosas, according to preference to celebrate Rafe’s moonlight baptism. I can tell our guests are dragging – they’ve been up all night, after all – but spirits are high.

“Wow,” I say, leaning back against Sinclair’s chest with a croissant in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. Rafe, thankfully, is asleep in his little recline stroller. Usually I’d put him to bed in his crib, but I want people to be able to say goodbye if they have to leave. “I can’t believe everyone I still up,” I say, peering around at our friends and family. “I mean, I know we’re on baby time so normal hours mean nothing anymore, but everyone else…”

“It’s a special occasion,” Sinclair murmurs; lowering his face to my hair and taking a long sniff of my scent. “We’re used to it. In wolf culture shifter children are rarer than we’d like, so we take the time to celebrate them when they’re born.”

“That’s so nice…” I say, sniffing a little, my eyes filling with tears.

“What?” Sinclair asks, pulling away from me a little, shocked. “Are you – why are you crying –

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I swat at him, laughing a little. “What! Hormones! I’m tired! Leave me be.” Then I brush the tears off my cheeks, smiling despite them. I’m just overwhelmed and grateful, honestly, for all the love that our family has shown our baby. “It really is a beautiful tradition,” I murmur, and Sinclair kisses my cheek before moving away to talk to some of the Alphas who have come to see their new prince.

As Sinclair moves away, Isabel quickly moves to my side to take his place. “Hi, mama,” she says, giving me a warm smile as she wraps an arm around my waist. “How are you doing?”

around her again, “how are you? How are James,

me know that her words are an understatement. James raises

I ask Isabel quickly, taking

want to get home. We have…a

urging her to tell me. She nods to a little love seat in the corner and I follow her there, Rafe’s little pram in

from everyone and as

pregnancy, and I know that the birth wasn’t easy on you either – you really shouldn’t have been paying attention to anything besides your body and

tell me –“My

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when you were away on the boat. It’s nothing that he’s done wrong – Sinclair has made so many strides – but we have more children than ever in our centers, and there are even mothers out there who are simply missing

by war – just, had no idea where he was, if he was

says softly, anxiously looking to where Sinclair is standing. “I’m sorry maybe I shouldn’t have

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new determination on my face. “I need to know, Isabel -I’m getting strong, I need to do this

nods, understanding. “I knew that you’d feel that way. That’s why I told you – not because …well, Ella, if you’re still healing, you need to focus on yourself

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still worried but touched by my friend’s concern. She knows me so well. “Thank you, love,” I say, giving her a little smile. “I’ll take care of myself,

voice

giving her the space to

both know that the right side won this war. That Damon would have worked to disenfranchise the humans completely, to enslave them if he could. Sinclair, we know, wants equal

her, remembering the councils during the war

frown to think of it, to see some of those men in this room now. Sighing,

It’s something that I know Sinclair is working on but…old prejudices, they die