idental Surrogate For Alpha Novel Chapter 21


    Sinir


    I think my wolf is broken.


    Legitimately.


    I can’t figure out what on earth is going on with him. Last night the threat against E made my heart


    practically leap out of my chest, but that’s to be expected. What was not to be expected was how upset


    my wolf became when he realized that E had washed my scent off. Despite what I told her, it had


    nothing to do with protecting our cover, and everything to do with him throwing a tantrum that she was


    no longer scent marked.


    Being naked with her was both a blessing and a curse. I could happily admire her beautiful body all day


    long, but the intimate physical contact got me more than a little excited. My balls were so blue by the


    time my wolf was satisfied that the only way I could calm down was by listening to the baby’s heartbeat.


    It was an important reminder to be gentle with E, and gave me more joy than I can express.


    My mental link with the pup is a fleeting thing, and most of the time all I can hear are blips of emotion.


    The baby is happy when it hears E’s voice or smells me, it likes it best when we’re together, and


    more often than not it simply sleeps. Still, merely being near it has given me new appreciation for my


    own father. I never knew it was possible to love someone I’ve yet to even meet so much, and the power


    of the bond astonishes me. Moreover, I want Dad to meet E – he’s had a rough few years, and I can’t


    think of anything that would make him happier than meeting the woman carrying his first grandchild.


    E looks nervous as the car moves along through the heavy mid-day traffic. I haven’t told her who I’m


    taking her to meet yet and I’m getting the impression she doesn’t like surprises. She’s a fascinating


    puzzle, this little human. Clearly ustomed to great hardship and yet obviously used to getting her


    own way. I suppose after such a turbulent life, control is a crutch for her, so much so that she panics


    when it slips out of her fingers. Is it terrible that I enjoy throwing her off bnce so much, knowing what


    I do about her past? She’s just so cute when she gets all riled up – I can’t help myself.


    When the car finally pulls to a stop, E blinks up at me hopefully. “Will you tell me now?”


    “Come on, trouble.” I chuckle, sliding out of the car and extending my hand to help her do the same,


    “You’ll find out soon enough.”


    E grumbles mutinously under her breath as she sets off down the street, and I catch her waist,


    pulling her under my arm. “Would you like to say that a bit louder?” I intone ominously.


    “No.” She responds tartly. “I would not.”


    “You know I have supernatural hearing, right?” I question, watching her eyes widen anxiously.


    She processes this for a moment, then narrows her eyes suspiciously. “Could you really hear me?”


    “Not this time.” I admit, “you did a good job mumbling.”


    “Then I’ll do a good job in the future too.” E decides, nodding in approval of her decision.


    I’m reluctant tough and encourage her defiance, but I can’t stop the corners of my mouth from


    quirking up. I steer her into the house, pushing through the heavy door without pausing to knock. As we


    stride inside the familiar space, I’m transported back to my childhood, remembering walking these


    same halls as a young boy. It’s not as luxurious as my current estate, but it’s undeniably the ce I


    consider home.


    “Whose house is this?” E asked, surveying thefortable rooms curiously.


    “Actually, this is the house where I grew up.” I finally share, nodding towards the photos on the wall.


    E is so preupied studying the images that she doesn’t seem to notice my father wheeling into the


    hall, seatedfortably but permanently in a high-tech wheelchair. Either E really is interested in the


    images before her, or human hearing is even worse than I realize, because she doesn’t turn around


    until I speak.


    “Dad this is E.” I nudge her forward so they can meet, “E, this is my father.”


    E blinks, seeming unable to find the words to reply. This was clearly thest thing she expected. My


    father was once a terrifying man – every bit as tall and imposing as I am myself. Now however, he’s a


    shadow of the man he used to be. He was paralyzed from the waist down more than five years ago


    now, and even though the injury stole his title, vitality and mobility, he’s never let it dampen his spirit. In


    intelligence and will he’s as strong as he’s always been, and I still learn from him every time we talk.


    “I hoped he would bring you to meet me soon.” Dad tells E. “I’m so thrilled that you found each other.


    I’ve been waiting for a grandchild for some time now.”


    “It’s an honor to meet you.” E replies, “I’m happy too, I think we’ve all been waiting.”


    “You can say that again.” I chime in.


    “Please,e in, I want to hear everything about my new daughter-inw.” Dad encourages, wheeling


    into the living room. E, however, is frozen in ce. At first I thought his allusion to our fake union


    might have blindsided her, but the more I watch, the more I suspect she’s more daunted by the


    prospect of sharing her story with him. Even though I know all the major moments in her life from my


    investigators, I realize E has never spoken about them herself. The more I think about it, the more I


    appreciate how little she speaks about her past at all.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I’m almost disappointed in my own powers of observation. She’s so charming and affectionate it’s easy


    to mistake her genial qualities for openness – but she isn’t open, not really.


    E actually sighs with relief when her phone begins to ring, though she looks up to me for permission


    before actually answering it. “It’s okay, go ahead.” I permit, “I need to have a word with my Dad


    anyway.”


    She nods appreciatively and raises the device to her ear, “Cora?”


    I can hear the other woman’s voice on the other end of the line, and stride after my father to avoid


    eavesdropping. I really did want to introduce E to Dad – to connect these new members of my family


    with the man who raised me – but I also need to speak to my father after what happenedst night.


    “E’s taking a call from her sister.” I exin when I enter the room alone, taking a seat across from


    him. “And as eager as I am to catch up with you, I need to speak about something and I don’t want her


    to overhear.”


    My father was Alpha for almost 20 years before the attack, and he understands the need for discretion


    and secrecy better than anyone. No one understands the drive to protect your loved ones from unseen


    threats better than a pack leader. “Go ahead.”


    “We went to a campaign eventst night at the King’s pce – it was E’s public debut.” I recount,


    “But when we came home there was a strange wolf in her room. They were gone by the time I reached


    her and I said it was just her imagination, but I’m afraid whoever was there wanted to hurt her.”


    “She has no idea?” My father rifies.


    “I didn’t want to frighten her more than she already was. The baby is still so little – she doesn’t need the


    stress.” I share, even as a stab of guilt assails me. “Do you think the King or the Prince might have


    been behind it?”


    “You know as well as I do that the King will go to any lengths necessary to hold onto his power.” My


    father rumbles, nodding to his mangled legs.


    We’ve never been able to prove it, but the timing of my father’s injury was always beyond suspicious.


    Rogues beset him after an event during his own campaign to be king five years ago, after thest king


    died without ever producing an heir. His primarypetitor became king, and probably expected to


    rule for far longer than he actually has. I consider it karma, if you have to sabotage yourpetition to


    seize power, it shouldn’t be any surprise when the alpha council loses faith in you afterwards.


    “The King and Prince never paid any attention to me before though,” I remind him, “do you think my


    perceived sterility really kept them at bay? Is having a pup on the way really all it took for them to finally


    see me as a threat?”


    “You know the history as well as I do,” My father murmurs, “They never believed the Alpha council


    would elect another ruler without heirs, even if you were the most qualified candidate for the job. E


    changes everything. Your pup changes everything.”


    “Then why not attack me?” I growl, hating the idea that finally getting a family of my own could also


    bring about the end of my career. “Why target E?”


    My father rolls his eyes then. “Come on, Dominic. Whether they admit it or not, you’re the strongest


    Alpha to enter the field ofpetition in half a century – stronger even than me.” He concedes with a


    smile. “Going after you would be suicidal – but a breeding she-wolf? She’s the perfect target.” He


    shakes his head. “And if you don’t have heirs, you might as well give up the throne now.”


    “That isn’t fair.” I snarl. “E is innocent in all this – and the pup…” I trail off, unable toprehend the


    idea of anyone hurting an unborn child.


    “I know.” My father sighs, “But this cannot be ignored. If we’re right, E and the pup are in grave


    danger.”