All Chapters of A SURROGATE FOR MY SISTER'S ALPHA HUSBAND: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

MicaNeither of us mentioned the pancake night again, not directly, but something about it lingered anyway — a new ease that had settled into the space between us, small and fragile, the kind of thing neither of us wanted to examine too closely for fear it might dissolve under scrutiny.The weeks that followed passed more gently than I expected. The nausea finally eased around week thirteen, replaced by an appetite so ravenous the kitchen staff started keeping snacks stocked in nearly every room of the house without me having to ask. My energy returned in slow, welcome increments, enough that I started venturing beyond the estate grounds again, careful excursions that Nyric still hovered over but no longer tried to prevent outright."You look better," Dr. Reyes observed at my sixteen-week appointment, reviewing my chart with evident satisfaction. "Color's good, energy's clearly improved. Second trimester tends to be kinder than the first, and it looks like that's holding true for you.

MicaSelene hadn't set foot in the estate since the dinner months earlier, the one that had ended with her walking out before I could find a single word to answer her with.So when the butler announced her arrival on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday afternoon, I felt my whole body tense before I'd even made it to the entryway."She asked specifically for you," he said, something careful in his tone. "Not the Alpha. Just you."I found her waiting in the same small sitting room where Lydia had once delivered her own warnings, standing near the window rather than sitting, her posture stiff in a way that suggested this visit was costing her something even to attempt."Selene."She turned, and for a moment neither of us spoke, the memory of our last conversation hanging heavy in the space between us."I owe you an apology," she said finally, before I could offer any kind of greeting. "For what I said. The last time I was here.""You don't have to—""I do, actually. Please, let me finish,

MicaNyric didn't answer right away.For a long moment, he simply looked at me, something unguarded and searching crossing his face, and I braced myself for whatever came next — relief, or panic, or the careful retreat he'd perfected over months of guarding himself against exactly this kind of admission."Mica," he said finally, his voice low, rough with something I couldn't quite name. "I need you to know I feel it too. I have for a while now. I just—"A sharp knock at the study door interrupted whatever he'd been about to say, Ethan's voice carrying through before either of us could respond."Sorry to interrupt. Nyric, the gala committee's called twice today about tomorrow night. They need a final headcount, and they're specifically asking whether you'll be attending alone or—"He stopped himself, clearly registering the tension in the room, glancing between us with poorly concealed curiosity."Or with a guest," he finished, more carefully.Nyric closed his eyes briefly, some of the

MicaI hadn't planned to go to the chambers.Nyric had been clear enough — he wanted to understand what the Council was demanding before bringing me into a room full of people who'd already decided what story they believed. I understood the logic. I even agreed with it, in the calm, rational part of my mind that trusted him to handle things carefully.But the waiting had gnawed at me all morning, restless energy building with nowhere to go, and by early afternoon I'd convinced myself that simply being nearby — not in the room, just close enough to know when it ended — was a reasonable compromise between staying home and demanding a seat at the table.Ethan drove me, reluctantly, after I'd worn down his objections with the particular stubbornness he'd started calling my "Ashcroft persistence," an observation I chose not to examine too closely."You can wait in the outer hall," he said, parking near the chamber's side entrance. "But Mica, if he finds out you came against his wishes—""H

Nyric"Come inside," I said, gesturing toward the study, unwilling to have the rest of this conversation standing in a hallway where any passing member of staff might overhear something I wasn't ready for anyone else to witness.Mica followed, settling into the familiar chair across from my desk, and I closed the door behind us, giving us the privacy this conversation clearly deserved."Tell me everything," she said. "Not the summary. What actually happened in that room."I sat down slowly, gathering my thoughts, aware that whatever I said next would either deepen the trust we'd been carefully rebuilding or fracture it further if I chose my words poorly."Blackthorn wanted a formal statement," I began. "Something that would clarify the arrangement publicly — confirm the pregnancy, explain the surrogacy, put an end to the speculation before it grows into something worse. He believes silence is giving the rumors more power than the truth would.""And you refused.""I refused because the