Alpha's Surrogate Mate

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Have We Actually Never Met

Andre furrowed his brow and said coldly, "This was my oversight, and I will take care of it."

Irene bit her lip anxiously, avoiding his piercing gaze.

She regretted her words the moment they left her mouth, relieved that Andre wasn't the type to take offense and unleash his Alpha authority over her.

Just then, the little boy in the hospital bed stirred. He opened his wide, blinking eyes and looked at Irene, then at the IV drip attached to his arm. He pouted, saying, "I want a hug..."

"Ah?"

Irene froze, caught off guard. She had expected a flurry of tears from the adorable little tyke, not this request.

But his father was right there!

Stealing a glance at Andre, she found him silent and expressionless, resembling a stern father at that moment. Gritting her teeth, Irene approached the bed, arms outstretched while being careful to avoid the IV. Cradling the sweet boy gently, she asked, "Milo, do you feel okay anywhere?"

To her surprise, his eyes brightened. He exclaimed, "Wow! Mommy, thank you for saving me!"

Irene nearly dropped him, stepping back in panic. "What?!"

Quickly darting her eyes towards Andre, she stammered, "Alpha Andre, I... I don't know why he said that..."

Meanwhile, Milo continued to reach out to her, ignoring his father entirely. "Mommy, I finally found you! I like you so much!"

Irene watched helplessly as Andre's expression darkened, wishing she could cover the boy's mouth to stop him.

Andre glared at Milo. "That's enough!

"Just because you refuse to acknowledge Laura as your mother doesn't mean you can just call some strange woman 'Mommy'."

Turning his icy gaze towards Irene, he added with a pointed tone, "After all, there are many women who would gladly step into the role of my luna."

Irene's own expression hardened.

"Alpha Andre, I've told you before—I didn't encourage your son to call me Mom. He was unconscious when I found him, and that was the first thing we said to each other! How could I teach him something like that?"

"Then I must tell you that Milo has never called anyone 'Mom' until now. If you didn't teach him, why would he say it?" Andre's eyes remained cold and steady, locking onto hers.

The tension in the room thickened palpably. Irene felt a rising indignation, but she didn't dare cross Andre.

The aura of power emanating from him was as chilling as winter's breath, and the last thing she wanted was to provoke him to the point of violence.

Yet, for the sake of her dignity, Irene pressed on.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin defiantly and said, "Don't mistake me for some desperate woman clawing her way to the top. I'm not insane enough to steal my best friend's man."

Andre narrowed his eyes, the dangerous undertone in his demeanor growing stronger as he assessed her words for truth.

Feeling a flutter of panic, Irene maintained her composure and forced herself to hold his gaze. "Besides, Alpha Andre, you might be underestimating your own appeal. To me, a stunning design is far more captivating. After all, I'm a designer."

Andre's face flickered with discontent.

He thought to himself, "What? She'd rather admire a piece of paper than me?"

But upon glancing back at his son, Andre finally relented.

"Forget it. For Laura's sake, there's no need for me to stoop to a woman's level."

"That would be the best."

He reached for Milo, saying, "Come on, let's head home."

But Milo on the bed had other ideas. He shrank back, glaring at Andre, then turned to Irene with outstretched arms.

"No! I want Mommy to hold me!"

Andre's voice turned icy. "Milo! She is not your mother!"

"Hmph! I don't want you to hold me! I want her!"

Milo squirmed away from Andre, wriggling under the covers like a little caterpillar, clearly determined to evade his father. Andre, caught off guard, hesitated to use force and found himself unable to catch the slippery boy. Irene, initially annoyed, couldn't help but chuckle at the little rascal's antics.

"Mommy is right! Daddy isn't a good guy. Hmph!"

With that, Milo lunged at Irene, wrapping his tiny arms around her neck, nuzzling his head against her shoulder like a content little kitten.

Andre watched the scene unfold, clearly taken aback. Instead of snatching Milo away, he leaned against the wall, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

Irene smiled at the little guy, trying to reason with him. "Milo, you really should go home with your daddy.

"I'm not your mommy! You keep calling me Mommy, and it makes your dad really angry. I might even get in trouble because of you, do you understand?"

She reached out and gently tapped his nose. "You need to be a good boy, alright?"

"No, no, no!"

The little boy shook his head vigorously, looking up at Irene with tears brimming in his eyes. Suddenly, he burst into tears. "Waaah... I finally found Mommy, and now Mommy doesn't want me! Waaah..."

Irene was at a loss for words.

She thought to herself, "What is happening? I just came back to Frostfang Pack for a bit, and now I've picked up a son?"

"Stop it!" Andre barked, his patience wearing thin.

He reached for Milo, intending to pull him away from Irene, but as soon as Milo saw Andre's hand coming, he flailed his tiny fists wildly. The commotion caused the IV drip in his hand to shift, and blood began to flow back into the tube, causing a noticeable bump to form on the back of his hand.

"Waaah... Mommy, it hurts! Waaah... it hurts..."

The little boy cried out in distress.

She shouted towards the door, panic rising within her as she saw Milo's condition, "Get the doctor, now!"

At that moment, her maternal instincts kicked in, overpowering the fear she felt from Andre's presence. Her heart tightened painfully at the sight of the little one in distress.

Andre froze, his body tensing as he noticed the blood in the IV line. He stopped in his tracks, falling silent.

When the doctor arrived, he immediately assessed the situation with Milo, who was struggling and causing the IV to malfunction. He knelt down beside the boy and spoke gently, "Milo, don't cry. Let's try this again, okay? I won't let you feel any pain."

Irene held Milo tightly, feeling his little body tremble against hers, and her heart ached for him. She looked up at the doctor and said, "I'm so sorry, he was just moving around too much."

The doctor smiled reassuringly and gently patted Milo's head. "It's alright. Milo is very brave. Just a little more patience, and it won't hurt anymore." He carefully took out a new needle, holding Milo's hand steady.

"Milo, relax and count with me," the doctor said softly as he prepared to insert the needle.

Irene hugged the little guy even tighter, murmuring soothing words, "Milo, sweetheart, don't be scared. The doctor will help you feel better really soon." She lifted her hand and gently tapped his tiny nose, smiling, "Look, if you keep crying, you won't look handsome anymore. Be a good boy and cooperate with the doctor, okay?"

Milo sniffled, his big eyes glistening with tears as he looked up at Irene. Despite his soft whimpers, he couldn't help but nod at her words.

Seizing the moment of calm, the doctor quickly completed the injection. "All done! See, Milo? You did great! You're such a brave little man."

Milo seemed to sense the pain easing; his tiny fist slowly relaxed, but he kept his head buried in Irene's shoulder, his tear-filled eyes still locked on her. "Mommy... I'll be good, don't go."

Hearing him call her "Mommy" tugged at Irene's heartstrings, filling her with a mix of warmth and helplessness. She looked down at the little boy nestled against her and then glanced at Andre, whose expression was as cold as ice. Sighing softly, she said, "Milo, sweetheart, I'm really not your mom. You have a dad, and you need to go home with him."

He didn't respond, just clung tighter to her neck, his face pressed against her shoulder as he mumbled, "Mommy doesn't want Milo, Milo hurts... Waaah..."

Irene felt a pang of sympathy for the little guy, her heart aching at his distress. She gently stroked his back, whispering, "Alright, no more tears. The pain will pass soon."

As he watched the scene unfold, Andre's face darkened, but he stayed silent. His gaze lingered on Milo's hand, and as he saw his son calming down after the injection, Andre let out a small breath of relief.

The doctor finished tidying up his tools and, clearly having overheard Milo call Irene Mommy, said, "He shouldn't feel any more pain now, but the IV will take some time. Alpha, since Milo seems to like this lady, why not let her hold him? It might help keep him calm."

After he finished speaking, the doctor hurried away.

Irene was taken aback by the doctor's suggestion. She looked at Andre cautiously. "Alpha..."

Andre gazed down at Milo, who had stopped crying and was now snuggled comfortably in Irene's arms, looking peaceful. His expression shifted, becoming more complex.

Irene met his eyes firmly. "Alpha, I promise, after today, I won't have any more ties with Milo. But he needs to rest, and the doctor mentioned... Can I just hold him for a little while? He's just calling me Mommy out of innocence."

Without waiting for an answer, she resumed soothing the child, gently patting Milo's back. "Milo, once the IV is done, you'll go home with your daddy, okay?"

The little boy blinked up at her, still reluctant, but finally nodded. He nestled back into her embrace, eyes fluttering shut, exhaustion taking over as he gradually quieted down.

The room fell into a serene silence, punctuated only by the rhythmic dripping of the IV.

Before long, the little guy was fast asleep.

Andre, having said nothing, seemed to concede to Irene's decision.

Feeling Milo's steady breathing, Irene carefully made her way over to Andre, signaling him with her eyes to take the child.

Andre hesitated, looking bewildered, his brow furrowing as he reached out but didn't take Milo.

Irene widened her eyes, thinking, "Has he really never held this child before?

But it makes sense. With someone like Alpha Andre, I can see why he'd leave all the parenting to a nanny."

"Just hold him like this," Irene said, trying to stay calm as she demonstrated how to cradle a child.

As she spoke, the atmosphere shifted, becoming a little more charged.

Andre didn't say a word, his expression still stern and unyielding. He stood up, walked over to Irene, and leaned in closer, extending his hands toward the child in her arms. His movements were far gentler than Irene had expected, showcasing an unexpected patience that starkly contrasted his earlier dominance.

Irene couldn't help but steal a glance at him, realizing that this Alpha possessed a softer side she hadn't anticipated.

But as he reached for Milo, their bodies inevitably brushed against each other.

At that moment, as Andre leaned in, his arm brushed against Irene's chest, the sensation soft and almost electric. The unmistakable scent of an Alpha wrapped around her—a potent, almost intoxicating aura that made her spine tingle.

Irene could feel the strength of his muscles under his shirt, an aura radiating power that thawed her insides, making her breath hitch as she fought to keep a grip on the child.

Just as her thoughts began to spiral, Andre securely caught Milo, preventing the little boy from tumbling due to her momentary distraction. Yet, the intimate contact only intensified, and Irene felt his fingers softly glide against her waist, a strong hand, veined and reassuring, anchoring her and stabilizing her wavering composure.

Their eyes locked in an intensely close gaze, and Irene felt herself flush. His hand was firmly on her, and suddenly, her ears were burning, her legs turning flimsy beneath her.

Never had she been so close to a man—especially not an Alpha. Her heart raced like it was trying to escape, an invisible force seemingly tugging at her. Strangely, there was no urge to pull away; instead, Irene found something almost... familiar in this contact.

Caught off guard, Irene mentally chastised herself. "What the hell? Why am I reacting like this? It's been ages since I've had any serious interaction with a guy. I shouldn't be feeling this way about an Alpha, let alone Andre, who is Laura's mate. It's probably just because we're so close..."

She scrambled to make sense of her own reaction, unaware that she wasn't the only one feeling bewildered.

"Are you sure we never met each other before?" Andre suddenly broke the suffocating silence, his voice low and gravelly, laced with an unnamable confusion.