Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

I watch Cora struggle with her choice, biting her lip and trying to figure out how she feels. My heart goes out to her now, because I know that she thinks it is an impossible ask to tell us that she wants to put a coronation on hold so that she can visit a temple.

But suddenly, quite suddenly, it’s all I want for her. Because Cora has been here for us through all of this and she deserves answers to these questions.

And I open my mouth to say this, but Sinclair beats me to it.

“I think we should go,” he says, and I whip my eyes up to see him giving a casual shrug. “It will only take a few days,” he adds, looking down at me to see how I feel. “And, quite frankly, we could… use a break before the madness begins again.”

A little smile creeps over my mouth.

“Would it,” Cora begins, and then hesitates again. But we all wait, letting her find her voice.” Would it be safe?” she asks.

“We think it would,” Roger says steadily at her side. “Xander’s on the run, which means he’s scrambling. He’s an old man and we took out the forces that he was using to physically attack us. Even if he’s working to get more, we think that we have…at least a small window of time.”

“We would have to move quickly and quietly,” Henry adds, more cautious now than he’s been in the past I think spooked, still, by the disastrous results of our last plan. “No planes or anything flashy just….a small, anonymous family trip.”

I turn my attention back to Cora, wanting to know what she thinks. But she’s still sitting perfectly still and quiet, clearly putting her thoughts together.

“I can’t ask you to do this,” she says after a long, quiet minute. “I we need to get the coronation going, to keep us all safe.”

“You don’t have to ask us to do it, Cora,” Sinclair answers quietly, and I turn my eyes up at my mate. “We’re telling you we want to do it. Right?” he looks at me now and I nod eagerly.

“Honestly, Cora,” I say, leaning forwards her. “It’s what I was thinking I think it’s right I think we should go ”

Roger says nothing, simply staying steady at Cora’s side, letting her make up her own mind But she just continues to shake her head “But there’s already so much to do here” She sight, putting her head down in her hands for a moment as she collects her thoughts “The Cult, and the priests, and Xander it was already s dia action from the aftermath of a war with the humans that has

now, “we could be spending this time going to the refugee camps, actually helping people, now that we have the gift

that she’s right. That there is so much to do here, that it’s perhaps selfish to

next to her, taking her hand. “Two days, and then you can come back and save the world, and take on those problems and surely everything else that’s going to come along with them. But,” he gives her hand a little squeeze, “it would be okay to

going to be a lot of dedication to the people of this nation, of this world.

one of the people I want to help. She deserves it as

sister. And that has to count

and giving her an

can see that she’s tempted, even if she hasn’t given in

I told you that we’d be going in a very fancy RV? With a real bed

idea. “You should have started with that,” she says, her eyebrows going up almost to

a little cry of joy, throwing up the hand that’s not holding my baby to my chest. “Yes!” I shout,

smirking down at me, pleased to

and Cora “This will be so cool! I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip! This will be

little along with me “It’s not precisely a vacation

two days,” I say. holding up two fingers to everyone in the room “Two days before we dedicate our lives to helping the people of this world, and destroying our enemies, and running a nation so if I get two days respite from all of the

room, holding Rafe

vacation. I think my joy is infectious, though, because when I turn back to my family everyone is smiling, laughing a little, and chatting as we start to

bites her lip again, but I can tell it’s

give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so excited,” I

going to get to talk to mom! And get

says, a hesitant excitement building in her now.

what I want to hear,

smiling and placing a hand on her cheek. “Things are going to start looking

us, sis. I can feel it. Now let’s get packed! Because we’re going on a

I whoop again and throw my hand up

laughs as he comes to my side, his phone already

“Come on, trouble,” he says, glancing at me. “Let’s go get packed – we’re