All Chapters of SURROGATE FOR THE ALPHA : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

ValerieThe night air was thick with silence as I stood by the window, brushing out my hair, letting it fall in soft waves over my shoulders. I’d just slipped on one of the silk gowns Roslyn had stuffed into the closet, something pale and nearly sheer, the color of moonlight on water. It wasn’t for comfort. I think I wore it hoping I’d feel something power, allure…control.But I felt none of that. Only confusion. Longing. And fear.I was just reaching to turn down the covers when I felt him behind me.Max.His presence wrapped around me like shadow and heat. I didn’t hear him enter, didn’t even sense his steps, yet the moment his arms slid around my waist and his body pressed against my back, I melted.His hands moved slowly, confidently, settling over the gentle curve of my stomach. His lips brushed the line of my shoulder, then glided up to the soft space just beneath my ear.Goosebumps raced across my skin like sparks from an open flame."You smell like heaven," he murmured, voice

ValerieThe soil was cool beneath my fingers, and the scent of lavender and fresh earth grounded me in a way nothing else could. Morning sunlight warmed my back, and birdsong filled the air around me. I reached down and pulled a stubborn weed from between two blooming flowers. A grin tugged at my lips as I imagined Max’s reaction if he caught me.I glanced up toward the house.No sign of him yet.He’d been less overbearing lately at least outwardly. Ever since my outburst on the beach, he’d backed off from shoving doctors in my face at every sneeze or hiccup. Dr. Karounis and Patrice had become background figures, only showing up when I requested them. And the stairs? He’d finally let me take them on my own without hovering like a shadow.Progress. For us both.Still, Max was Max. An Alpha in every sense. Protective, brooding, impossibly stubborn. Even when he tried to give me space, he watched everything. Knew everything. And I knew the minute he found me here, on my knees in the gar

MaxBy the time I slammed my office door behind me, the warm flush of desire that Valerie had coaxed out of me at the pool had completely iced over. Roslyn was standing near the window, waiting. Too calm. Too composed. Like she belonged here.She didn’t.“This is my home,” I said, my voice hard and cold. “Not a boardroom, not your personal playground. You came here without calling. Without permission. Without cause.”Roslyn’s face lost a shade of color. She blinked but didn’t retreat. That was always her problem, she thought working for me gave her immunity. It didn’t.“You don’t get to show up here, Roslyn. Not on my territory. Are we clear?”“Yes, Alpha,” she said stiffly, dropping her gaze for the first time.I folded my arms across my chest and let the silence stretch until it burned.“Now,” I said finally, my tone clipped, “what was so important that you couldn’t call?”Her voice was softer, careful. “Another design. It’s been stolen.”My jaw tightened. My wolf snarled just benea

ValerieThe jet touched down in New York just as the sky turned a dusky lavender. I stared out the window, heart pounding with anticipation and dread. This was my first time visiting Max’s city, his real world, his empire and something in my gut told me I wouldn’t be welcome in it.When we stepped off the plane, a sleek black limousine waited near the tarmac, flanked by two luxury SUVs. But what truly caught my attention was the tall man standing beside the limo, his stance sharp, commanding… almost wolfish. There was no mistaking it, he looked like Max. Not just in appearance, but in the air of authority that clung to him like smoke.“Theron,” Max called out, a note of surprise in his voice. “I didn’t expect you to come.”Theron’s lips tugged into a half smile that didn’t quite reach his cold, assessing eyes. “Can I not greet my older brother?”Max’s arm tightened around my waist, and he guided me closer. “Valerie, this is my younger brother, Theron. Theron, meet Valerie… my mate.”

ValerieThe morning sunlight kissed my face, warm and coaxing, but not enough to draw me fully from the deep cocoon of sleep. Max’s scent still lingered on the sheets earthy and wild, like cedarwood and something innately powerful. I stirred just as he pressed a soft kiss to my brow.“I’ll come for you at noon, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly in that way that made my belly twist with longing.I gave a sleepy hum, smiling as he chuckled and left. The moment the door clicked shut, I rolled over and buried my face in his pillow, greedily inhaling the fading trace of his presence. And then I slipped back into sleep, his voice echoing through my dreams.When I woke again, it was later than I expected. The apartment was still, too quiet without Max’s grounding energy. I glanced at the clock still hours before our lunch date. My fingers brushed over my stomach, and I sighed, unsure of how to pass the time.There was no way I could just sit around. I needed air. Movement.