Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate by Caroline Above Story

Chapter 352 – Duke

Ella

“D-duke?” I stutter out, completely overwhelmed by the information, my eyes going wide. “There are dukes? And I had I have an uncle!?”

“I’m sorry,” Henry says, and I can see the guilt written all over his face. “I overlooked this – honestly, no one has heard from him in years – and, considering what we think he was actually getting up to, it makes a great deal of sense that he wanted everyone to believe that.”

“Who,” I say, frantic now, looking between Henry, and Sinclair, and Roger – Cora, I see, looking at me with worried eyes, but I know she doesn’t have any answers – “who is he?”

“Relax, Ella,” Sinclair murmurs to me, leaning close. “It’s all right -”

“It is absolutely not all right -“I snap, not wanting to be mean but completely panicked right now. “My father is dead but I have an uncle? Seriously? And no one told me?”

Henry continues to hang his head, shaking a little, and I instantly feel guilty. It’s not his fault – it’s so complicated, the politics, and why would he tell me about an uncle if he hadn’t spoken to the man in 30 years had genuinely a*sumed he was dead –

“I’m sorry, Henry,” I say quickly, leaning forward to put a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry – I’m behaving so poorly – ”

reaction is absolutely correct. I have failed you in

head. “Honestly, the blame game does no one any good. No one blames you, dad and Ella, you don’t have anything to apologize for. We all know this is a lot. So,

grateful for him every day. At least, I hope he gets all that from a squeeze, but

now so that we can decide to do something, instead of just talking about it. I smile at

there were always…rumors about whether or not his father was his biological father. Either way, Xander was recognized, but he was never the

to find a smile on my mouth as he delicately raises his brows, looking up at the ceiling. “I mean, some of us think that the

at my brother-in-law, grateful for the laugh which has drained some of my tension away. He gives me a little

Sinclair continues, glaring at his brother, “Xander was never a popular figure in politics – he was always fringe, always very much the King’s sullen brother rather than a real player. When Xavier died, Xander…he

“was perhaps… the mistake. That started

what?” I ask, confused

our best guess, at this point, is that…well, that Xander put this in motion. That he knew he was never a contender for the throne when his brother died but he coveted it anyway 1 that Xander wanted it, perhaps his whole life, and certainly after his brother died, but when no one mentioned him as a potential heir he started to devise a new

longer plan,” I whisper, sitting back against my chair. “To – to reclaim the throne. To keep it…in

eyes drift back to Rafe now, cooing gently in his father’s arms. My baby, the grandson of

Rafe being born? The man who intends to kidnap him and put him on the throne as a

rumbles beside me. “I haven’t heard Xander’s name since I was a child – I, too, thought he died in quiet obscurity. He’s taken great pains, I think, to ensure that everyone

“is the a*sumption that we’re making

told Xavier about you on his deathbed he must have found a way, somehow,

he come for me?” I