Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Chapter 338 – Choices

Cora

“It’s all right,” Roger says, his eyes going wide as he takes in my pale face, my scared expression and realizes that he’s freaked me out for the third or fourth time today. “It’s not – it’s not bad, I was just kind of a dick – it was a misunderstanding –”

“What?” I ask, more confused now than ever.

–

“Listen,” he says, leaning in towards me. “Just let me tell you, all right? II was going to tell you at some point, definitely not like this but…” he sighs, looking into my face and then down at my stomach, and then back up into my eyes. “I think that… if we’re going to start on this new part

–

–

of our lives – this parent thing – well,” he says, giving me a charming little half–smile and a

shrug. “We should be on the same page, right?”

I nod, agreeing, but looking at him a little askance. “Did you not think that we should…go into our mating? On the same page?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s a little different, Cora – because it didn’t matter – I didn’t think we could have kids

་་

I frown at him – not mad or angry, but confused…

“Listen, let me just tell it,” he says, leaning forward and looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” I say, quite simply, taking his hands and leaning even closer to press a kiss to his mouthr letting him know that I’m listening with an open heart.

“Okay,” Roger says again, taking a deep breath before he begins. “Do you remember… when you and Ella went into the desert with her mother, Regina?”

“Reina,” I correct softly, and he laughs.

“Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Those names are so easy to mix up. Anyway – you three were out on your girls trip, and my choice was either to hang out with those priests in the temple, or go back on to the ship all alone.”

Ismirk at him, knowing precisely which one he chose. He sees my smile and laughs a little.

he says, grinning at me. “I chose

there someone on the ship?” I ask,

the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind.

when I hear this, but

moon, it started to grow…brighter and brighter. And at first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk

focus, and he looks at me again and nods.

voice faltering a little, looking down at our joined

I ask, a little breathless, but some part of me

wide and still a little startled by the experience. “Your mother, Cora.

the goddess that night in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond

she only spoke to Ella in the temple, and then went to Roger later that night for a little

through my nose, disappointed. Why does she want

why I didn’t want

what did she do?” I ask, pushing past

form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of sorts, more like the baptism but…not quite.” He shakes his head a little, at a loss to explain it. “But her message was perfectly

it’s okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back to me and looks at me directly,

he says, “that I was chasing the wrong destiny. That my future was not in war and politics, as my brother’s was – and you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we were in a war – and Dominic had

nod, understanding, concentrating on nothing

a little, concentrating. “It’s hard to know how to phrase it – because it wasn’t

dad, and raising my kids well to be leaders of their generation.”

with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally getting it.

could have kids, Cora…” he whispers, clutching my hands tightly. “And it fucking broke

при

7

I didn’t even care about

–

was always Dominic who was dying to be a

I say again, my eyes going

because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself, choosing his next words carefully to make

Cora” he tells me, pausing to ensure that I hear him, “and

–

likewise unsure if I wanted kids. But the moment I really

nothing else I wanted in the

stopped calling me,” I whisper, “because you thought…my mom told

–

again runs his hand through his hair. “I was totally freaked out I didn’t want to, but when a goddess tells you to do something you feel compelled to do it – and I thought she was telling me to run from you,