Page 3 of The Billionaire Alpha Surrogate

“No time like the present,” Lucy said. “I’m going to pack a few things and go.”

“I hate to see you leave,” Sophia said. “But I understand.”

Lucy went through the portal a couple of hours later. She slowly walked up some stone steps and came face to face with a tall red-haired man with striking green eyes.

“Who are you?”

“Lucy Sawyers from the Thunder Claw Bear Shifter Clan.”

“Why are you here, Lucy Sawyers?”

“I need a break,” she said. “I need a place to stay. Can you recommend a good place?”

He stared at her and Lucy had the feeling that the man could stare right through her soul.

“Benny owns Angel’s Creek Hotel. Let me call an Uber for you.”

“Thank you,” Lucy said.

Benny was an older guy, who gave her the same searching look.

“I have a room for you,” he said.

She got settled and then decided she was starving. Howlers’ Bar and Grill, where the portal was located, was a few blocks away.

“Not going to waste my money on a car ride when I can walk,” she told herself. “I need to save my money until I get a job.”

Lucy sat at the counter and looked over the menu. A beautiful woman introduced herself as Jade.

“I’m Lucy.”

“You’re the woman who Sean mentioned. He said you came through the portal earlier. He owns this joint.”

“Yeah. I need a vacation,” Lucy said. “I’ve always wanted to explore the human world. So, here I am.”

“From what I understand, there’s not a whole lot of differences between the human world and the shifter world, except that people tend to be naked more often in the shifter world. I’m glad to see you brought clothes,” Jade said.

Lucy laughed. “It is easier to shift when you don’t have to undress all the time. It’s also a lot cheaper when you don’t have to buy a huge wardrobe. However, I’ve heard that people in the human world always have clothes on and that they can actually be arrested and go to jail for running around naked.”

“That is the truth. There are a couple exceptions to that rule, but not too many,” Jade said.

Lucy ordered a hamburger, fries, and a glass of water because it was the cheapest thing on the menu.

“You wouldn’t happen to know of any jobs available, would you? I have a little bit of money, but it will go quickly.”

“There are always jobs. The convenience store across the street is hiring. Benny, who owns the hotel you’re staying at, is looking for cleaning staff.” Then, Jade looked at Lucy intently and said, “There might be another option if you’re up for it.”

“What is that?” Lucy asked.

“A friend of mine owns a fertility clinic for shifters. Recently, there has been a need for surrogates. I guess there are a lot of women who can’t get pregnant or who can’t sustain a pregnancy. Prospective parents hire a woman who can carry the baby for them. They usually get paid quite a bit. On top of that, their medical bills, food, medicine, and other needs are usually paid for.”

Lucy thought about that option. She knew that some people used surrogates but had only thought about it in passing.

“The only problem is that you carry the baby for six months and then they have to hand it over to the parents. You wouldn’t have contact with the baby after that.”

“That could be hard,” Lucy said. “I know that women form a bond with the baby while she carries it. Really, how could you not?”

“I guess there is comfort in knowing that the baby is going to parents who will love and cherish the baby,” Jade said.

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