Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate

**I Malachi I**

I sit on the rickety kitchen chair, the wood creaking beneath my weight as I watch Penelope sleep. She's curled up on the futon, one hand resting protectively on her belly, her face softened as she rests. Three days.

That's how long we've been holed up in this dingy little apartment, playing house like we're just another normal couple preparing for a baby. *But we're not normal. Not even close.*

I'm the Alpha King, the ruler of a world she can barely comprehend. And she's...what? A means to an end? A temporary inconvenience? *No. She's more than that. So much more.*

The thought unsettles me, a prickle of uneasiness skittering down my spine. I don't do attachments, don't let myself feel anything beyond the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of conquest. Emotions are a weakness I can't afford, not in my line of work.

*But here I am, watching over her like a lovesick fool, wondering how much longer she'll need before she's ready to come back home with me.*

Home.

The word feels strange on my tongue. I've never had a home, not really. Just a series of strongholds and safe houses, each more impersonal than the last. *But with her...*

A buzzing in my pocket yanks me out of my dangerous thoughts. Scowling, I fish out my phone, Axel's name flashing on the screen.

*Shit. This can't be good.*

I glance at Penelope, her face smooth and untroubled in sleep. I don't want to wake her, not when she looks so peaceful. She needs the rest.

Sighing, I push to my feet and slip out the door, the cool morning air a welcome slap against my skin. The street is quiet, the only sound the distant rumble of traffic and the occasional twitter of birds.

"Yeah?" I grunt into the phone, my eyes scanning the empty sidewalk out of habit.

"Boss." Axel's voice is deep and unmistakable. "Got an update on the Stone situation."

I tense, my free hand clenching into a fist at my side. "What is it?"

"Looks like she's clean, financially speaking. Except for those credit cards her ex-husband opened and the debt he racked up under her name, no major red flags, no suspicious activity beyond the usual student loan debt and a few missed credit card payments."

I frown, annoyed at the mere mention of her pathetic ex-husband. The mere thought of him, knowing what he put her through, sends a vicious bloodlust rushing through me that has my fangs aching in my gums.

Axel clears his throat, a note of hesitation entering his tone. "There's more. Apparently, the reason he checked out was because of her supposed infertility. Guess he couldn't handle the thought of not having a kid of his own."

I freeze, a strange, bitter laugh bubbling up in my throat. I'd forgotten about that. Forgotten that the reason she was sitting in that bar that night was because she'd walked in on him cheating on her, entertaining another woman because Penelope couldn't give him a child.

*Infertility.*

...

*The same damn thing that ended my relationship.*

The irony isn't lost on me. That Penelope and I, two broken, **barren** souls, should find each other in the midst of our darkest despair. That we should create life together against all odds.

*It can't be a coincidence. It's too fucking perfect, too neat to be anything but fate.*

But what does that mean? For us, for our child? For the fragile, nameless thing growing between us?

I don't know. I don't have any answers, just a head full of questions and a heart that feels like it's being squeezed in a vice.

"Boss? You there?"

Axel's voice snaps me back to the present, the fury still simmering in my gut but no longer quite so all-consuming. "Yeah," I manage, my tone guttural. "Yeah, I'm here."

"What do you want me to do? I can have a team on him in less than an hour, make sure he never pulls this shit again."

*Tempting. So fucking tempting.*

But as much as I want to give in to the brutal impulse, I know it's not my call to make. This is Penelope's battle, her chance to take back the power that piece of shit stole from her. "No," I say finally, the word bitter on my tongue. "Not yet, anyway."

"You got it, boss. I'll keep digging, see if there's anything else that might bite us in the ass down the line."

"Do that." I end the call before he can reply, slipping the phone back into my pocket with a sigh. *This is a mess...*

I lean against the hood of my car, the metal cool beneath my palms. Three days ago, I was so sure of my path, so confident in my plan to claim what was mine and fuck the consequences. But now?

Now, everything's twisted up inside me, tangled knots of emotion and instinct that I can't even begin to unravel.

*Is this really the best way? The only way?*

I think of Penelope, of the fierce, defiant light in her eyes when she stares me down. Of the way she cradles her belly, so tender and protective. Of the broken edge of her voice when she talks about Donovan, the scars he left on her heart.

*I don't want to be another scar. Another wound that she has to carry.*

The retaliation hits me like a punch to the chest, stealing my breath and leaving me reeling. When did her pain start to matter more than my own wants? When did her happiness become so fucking integral to mine? *Shit. I'm in trouble.*

Pushing off the car, I scrub a hand down my face, suddenly exhausted. I need to see her. I need to reassure myself that she's still here, still safe.

*Still mine.*

When I slip back inside the apartment, it's quiet, the only sound the gentle whisper of Penelope's breathing. She's sitting up on the futon, a mug of tea cradled in her hands, her hair sleep-mussed and falling in soft waves around her face. *Beautiful. So fucking beautiful it hurts.*

"Hey," she murmurs, a drowsy smile curving her lips. "Everything okay? I heard you leave."

"Yeah." I clear my throat, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Just had to take a call. Didn't want to wake you."

Her smile widens, something soft and warm flickering in her eyes. "Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

I snort, the tension in my chest easing a fraction. "Hardly. Just didn't want to deal with a cranky pregnant lady first thing in the morning."

She laughs, the sound bright and unfettered. "Smart man." She pats the space beside her on the futon, an invitation I'm helpless to resist.

I sink down next to her, the springs creaking under our combined weight. This close, I can't ignore the sweet, sleepy scent of her, the heat of her body bleeding into mine.

*Fuck. I want her. I want to bury myself in her warmth and never come up for air.*

But I can't. Not now, not like this. Not when everything's still so raw and uncertain between us.

"I was thinking," she says quietly, her fingers tracing idle patterns on the mug. "About Donovan. About everything he did."

I tense, resisting the urge to curl my hands into fists. "Oh?"

She nods, her gaze distant. "I spent so long blaming myself, you know? Thinking that if I'd just been a better wife, a better woman, he wouldn't have cheated on me."

*I'll kill him. I'll fucking eviscerate him for making her feel like that.*

"It wasn't your fault, Penny," I say softly, careful to contain my anger. "He's the one who fucked up, not you."

She smiles, a sad, crooked little thing that breaks my fucking heart. "I know that now. Logically, at least. But it's hard to shake that voice in my head, the one that whispers I'll never be enough. Never be *worthy* of love or loyalty."

I reach out before I can stop myself, my fingers curling around her chin and tilting her face to mine. Her eyes widen, her lips parting on a soft gasp.

"Listen to me," I growl, my thumb stroking over the delicate line of her jaw. "You are *more* than enough. More than worthy. Anyone who can't see that is an idiot."

Her breath hitches, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Malachi..."

"I mean it," I press on, the words tumbling out of me in a fierce rush. "You're strong, and brave, and so fucking *good* it makes my teeth ache. Our kid's lucky to have you."

A single tear slips down her cheek and I catch it with my thumb, brushing it away with a tenderness I didn't know I possessed.

"*I'm lucky to have you."

She lets out a shuddery breath and before I can brace myself, she's surging forward, her arms wrapping around my neck and her face burying itself in the crook of my shoulder. I freeze, every muscle in my body rigid with shock. But then instinct takes over and my arms come up to circle her waist, tugging her closer until she's practically in my lap. *Mine. Protect. Cherish.*

I don't know how long we stay this way, clinging to each other like we're the only two people in the world. But it's long enough for her tears to subside and her breathing to even out. It's long enough for me to realize that I'll do anything, anything to keep her safe.

*To keep her happy.*

Even if it means letting her go.

Finally, she pulls back, her eyes red-rimmed but clear. "Thank you," she whispers, her fingers trailing down my cheek in a fleeting caress. "For being here. For *seeing* me."

*I'll always see you. Even when you wish I wouldn't.*

But I don't say that. I can't say that, not when I'm still so confused about what I want.

*What I feel...*

So I nod, my throat too tight for words. She smiles softly, sweetly, and in the next moment, she's standing up, stretching her arms over her head with a little groan.

"I need to pee," she announces, shameless as ever. "Your son's using my bladder as a trampoline again."

I chuckle, my heart clenching at the casual way she says 'your son'. Like it's a given, a fact of life.

*Our son.*

"Go on, then," I say gruffly, jerking my chin towards the bathroom. "I'll make us some breakfast."

She grins, leaning down to smack a kiss against my cheek before waddling off towards the toilet. I stare after her, my skin tingling from the brief press of her lips. *I'm so screwed.*