Lahat ng Kabanata ng SURROGATE FOR THE ALPHA : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

ValerieI stood in the closet of the bedroom Max had given me, staring blankly at the endless row of clothing. My vision blurred until all I could see were dull shapes and colors. I swiped at my damp cheeks with the back of my hand, refusing to fall apart again.Focus on something simple. Like what to wear.My fingers skimmed hangers one after another. Soft blouses. Tailored trousers. Silky dresses. Nothing felt familiar,like clothes picked for someone I was supposed to be but had never met.I turned to the shelves lining the wall, my heart squeezing at the sight of a stack of faded jeans folded neatly beside a row of delicate T-shirts. I didn’t know why, but that looked more like me than anything else in here.With trembling hands, I picked up a pair of jeans, unfolding them as if they might reveal something important. But when I glanced down, I swallowed hard.They weren’t maternity pants.I set them aside and picked up another pair. And another. My chest tightened with every one. A

ValerieThe moment I stepped into the airy living room and caught sight of the woman emerging from the pool, something in me twisted.She was tall, blonde, and stunning the kind of stunning that didn’t even try. Her bikini could barely be called clothing. It was thin and glittery and unapologetically revealing. A red thong clung to her hips, and her long legs shimmered with droplets of water as she sauntered toward us like she owned the place.And she looked *right* at home.I knew who she was before Max said a word, Roslyn, his personal assistant.Why was she even *here? And in *that* outfit, in this cold?“Oh!” Her voice bubbled with fake surprise as she spotted us. “Mr. Black, I didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”She didn’t bother covering up, even though she had a wrap casually draped over one arm. No. Of course not.Max’s tone was smooth. Polished. Too polite. “I told you to enjoy the facilities while you were here. Did you get everything in place for the office?”“Of course,” sh

Valerie. Morning sunlight streamed across the bedroom, gilding the sheets in soft gold. For a few blissful seconds, I floated between sleep and waking, held in the warmth of the bed and the memory of Max’s arms around me.I stretched languidly, expecting to feel the solid heat of his body beside me. But my hand met only cool emptiness. My heart gave a little kick as I blinked the last of the sleep from my eyes.He was gone.I sat up slowly, clutching the sheets around my chest. The hush in the room felt unnatural. My gaze swept over the carved wardrobe, the heavy drapes, the chair where Max’s shirt was draped. He had dressed in silence and left me alone.I slipped from the bed, padding to the tall window that overlooked the grounds. The rhythmic thrum of a helicopter’s blades reached me even before I spotted it.My stomach twisted as I watched Max standing a few yards from the helicopter. The wind from the blades whipped his dark hair around his temples, and beside him, Roslyn was pr

Valerie Warm lips trace a tender line down my shoulder, sending a shiver cascading through my skin. A soft moan escapes my throat before my eyes flutter open. Max’s dark head is nestled against my arm, moving slowly, sensually, down my body as though he’s memorizing every inch of me with his mouth.“That’s a very nice way to wake up,” I whisper, my voice still husky with sleep.His head lifts slightly, golden eyes locking with mine. His wolf is close to the surface, I can tell. There’s something primal flickering behind that molten stare, something that always makes my breath catch.“How are you feeling, *pedhaki mou*?” he murmurs, his voice a rich, velvety rumble that makes my insides melt.The endearment makes my heart clench. I roll onto my back, reaching up to thread my fingers through his thick, tousled hair. I feel safe with him like this. Surrounded. Treasured. Wanted.“I’m better,” I reply softly. “I slept, I ate. What more could a pregnant woman ask for?”Max’s hand slides d

Valerie. Our days began to settle into a kind of rhythm, a quiet routine that mirrored the silence of the forest surrounding Max’s estate. Nights belonged to us, or at least to him the Alpha. He claimed me under the cover of moonlight, with a passion that bordered on desperation, as if trying to etch me into his very soul. There were moments I thought he might break me with the weight of his need, and still, I clung to him, breathless and aching, not because I had to, but because something deep inside me craved it.But every morning, I woke up alone.The sheets would still be warm on his side of the bed, the faintest traces of his scent lingering on the pillow, but Max himself would be gone, vanished like a shadow at dawn. It bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I told myself not to care. That this arrangement, however physical and intimate, wasn’t built on the things human fairy tales promised.Still, I found myself seeking him out, drawn by a stubborn ache in my chest I couldn’