Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate

**I Malachi I**

The room is silent save for the soft, steady breathing of Penelope as she lies unconscious on our bed. I sit in a nearby chair, my eyes never leaving her still form. The doctor's words echo in my mind-she and the baby will be okay-but I can't shake this gnawing feeling in my gut. The fear that I could lose them both claws at me.

Guilt weighs heavy on my shoulders, anger at myself burning hot in my veins. Julia's presence at the lake threw my wolf off balance, making him more aggressive than I was prepared for. Even I couldn't control him from within. The memory of what happened next is seared into my brain, a constant replay of my greatest failure.

I chose Penelope, of course I did. But when she moved, my wolf saw it as defiance. Before I could stop it, before I could reassert control, he bit her. The imprinting mark-my wolf's solution to ensuring absolute submission from his mate. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. This isn't how I wanted to mark her, to bind her to me forever.

*I'm so sorry, Penny...*

The flashback makes me want to craw out of my own skin. Penelope's scream, filled with pain and terror rings in my ears still, the memory so vivid I can almost taste her blood on my tongue. I watched helplessly as the light faded from her eyes, her body going limp as the trauma overwhelmed her.

Now, the guilt threatens to suffocate me.

*This isn't what I wanted. This isn't what she deserved.*

Then there was Julia. My wolf saw her as a threat, and a part of me a dark, primal part I'm not proud of is satisfied. She jumped into the water when she realized what had happened, swimming away as fast as she could. Lucky for her. I'm not sure what my wolf would have done if she had stayed.

Suddenly, a knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and irritation flares within me.

I don't want to see anyone. I don't want to talk to anyone. Not until Penelope wakes up. Not until I see with my own eyes that she's truly okay.

But the knock comes again, more insistent this time. With a low growl, I push myself to my feet. When I get to the door, it's Axel.

*Of course it is.*

No one else would bother me. Not now. Not unless it were important.

I step outside, casting one long, reassuring glance at Penelope, before closing the door behind me.

"What is it?" I ask, my voice rough, almost unkind.

There's a serious look on his face, a grim mask over his usually relaxed features. "Julia's disappeared," he says with an edge in his voice. "And I'm almost certain she had help getting away." My brows furrow. "What do you mean, help?"

He pulls out a phone, showing me a screen full of call logs. "It's Julia's. Found it by the lake," he says, his tone careful. "It's Elijah. These are calls between him and Julia over the past couple of months."

I stare at the screen, disbelief warring with a sick sense of understanding. I don't want to believe it. Especially not after the way things ended between them. Then again, maybe it does make sense. Maybe I've had this coming. After all, I stole my brother's first love, knowing full well how Elijah felt about her back then.

*I just want my family to be at peace. I just want my family to be safe.*

A heavy sigh escapes me, the sound weary and withdrawn. "Keep an eye on Elijah," I tell Axel, and though I mean it, there's hardly any determination in my voice. Right now, I feel nothing but defeat.

Axel nods, then hesitates, concern clear in his eyes. "How's Penelope?" he asks, his voice softer now.

"She hasn't woken up yet," I admit, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

Axel places a hand on my shoulder, the gesture comforting despite the depth of my concern for her. "She's strong, Alpha. She'll pull through this. You both will."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. With a final squeeze of my shoulder, Axel leaves, and I return to the room. As I close the door behind me, I hear a soft groan. My head snaps up, and I see Penelope stirring, her eyes fluttering open. My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment, relief floods through me, so potent it's dizzying. In an instant, I'm by her side. Her hand reaches up to touch the side of her neck, wincing as her fingers brush over the tender spot where I bit her. Though the wound has healed, thanks to the accelerated healing the mark provides, it'll be sensitive for a few days.

"Penny," I say softly, reaching out to her.

Her gaze meets mine then, and the world seems to grind to a halt. The betrayal in her eyes cuts deeper than any knife. It's raw, visceral, a pain so profound it reaches into the very core of my being. This is my mate, my love, the mother of my child-and she's looking at me like I'm a monster.

As she shifts, pushing back on her elbows, I reach out, instinctively trying to help her sit up. But she flinches away from my touch. The rejection stings, but I can't blame her. Not after what I did to her.

Tears well up in her eyes, threatening to spill over, and panic claws at my chest. "I'm so sorry, Penny," I start, the words tumbling. "That's not how it was supposed to happen. I never meant to place the mark on you that way. I—" "What?" Her voice cuts through my rambling, hoarse and confused.

The single word stops me cold. I look at her, *really* look at her, and suddenly I understand. The betrayal, the fear-it's not *just* about the bite.

*She thinks I attacked her and chose Julia.*

The realization makes my heart stop, leaving me winded and nauseous. And without hesitation, without thought, I pull her into my arms. She resists at first, her body stiff and unyielding against mine, but I hold on. *I have to make her understand.*

"No, Penny, no," I murmur into her hair, breathing in her scent. Even now, it calms me, grounds me. "I chose you. I will *always* choose you."

I pull back slightly, needing to see her face, needing her to see the truth in my eyes. "The reason I bit you... my wolf saw your movement as defiance. He acted on impulse, before I could stop him. I'm so sorry, Penny. I'm so fucking sorry." She's quiet for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. I can almost see the wheels turning in her head, processing my words, weighing them against her memories of what happened. The silence stretches between us, heavy and uncomfortable.

Then, in a voice so small it breaks my heart, she asks, "What about Julia?"

I tighten my arms around her, as if I could somehow shield her from the pain and confusion she must be feeling. "She ran off," I tell her, my voice rough with emotion. "She's gone, Penny. It's just us now."

She nods against my chest, the gesture small and stiff as if she's unsure.

*And she has every right to be.*

Because the truth is, I'm not really sure if it is over. Will this be enough for Julia to never come back? To stay away for good?

Her hand comes to rest on her swollen belly, a protective instinct that makes my wolf whine with approval. "What happens now?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly.

I pull back, cupping her face in my hands. My thumbs brush away the tears that have finally spilled over, leaving glistening tracks on her cheeks. "How do you feel?" I ask, searching her eyes for any sign of distress, any hint of the pain or fear I'm so afraid of seeing.

"I feel fine," she says, a small furrow appearing between her brows. It's the expression she gets when she's trying to puzzle something out. "Maybe a little emotional, but that's not anything new."

I don't know what to say. The relief that she's okay, that our child is okay, is overwhelming. But it's warring with the guilt that still churns in my gut, the fear that I've irreparably damaged what we have.

And yet, despite all of that, despite the turmoil raging inside me, all I want right now is to make love to her. To reconnect in the way we were meant to, to show her with actions what I can't seem to express in words. To prove to her and to myself that we're okay, that we're still *us*.

I press my forehead against hers, my thumbs gently stroking her cheeks. "I want you," I whisper, my voice thick with longing. It's more than just physical desire it's a bone-deep craving for connection.

For a heartbeat, she's still, and I fear I've pushed too far, too fast. But then, instead of a verbal response, she leans in and kisses me.

It's not like any kiss we've shared before. It's passionate, yes, but there's a desperation to it, a hunger that leaves me breathless. Her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I go willingly.

This is the mark, I know, heightening her desire for me. This is what I've been so afraid of, yet craving all at once.

*This is it. This is everything.*