Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

It is, indeed, a long climb. Cora and I are panting by the time we get to the top, and even though

Sinclair took Rafe from me halfway through the hike I have to take a moment to catch my break

when we pull ourselves up to the final level.

Roger has the indecency to look a little smug about the fact that he barely looks winded and Cora

gives him a little shove on the shoulder as she works to take a few deep breaths and wipe the

sweat from her brow.

Even as I work to bring my heartrate back down, I absolutely marvel at the sight before me.

The Goddess’ temple, like the one in the city, is built completely with white marble. But unlike

the one in the city, this one looks….ancient. Vines grow in ropes all over it, looking almost as if the

structure is part of the forest itself, having grown up organically from it. The temple is tall and

wide, the pillars in front drawing my eyes upward to the slanted roof which curls into a dome. At

the very peak of the dome is a golden crescent moon, reaching up towards the sky, glinting in the

bright sunlight.

“Wow,” Cora says, standing straight next to me and likewise marveling at the temple. “Mom has

some….impressive property.”

“I know, right?” I mutter back, crossing my arms and shaking my head. If someone had told me,

when I was a little girl sleeping in my creaky little orphan bed, that my mom lived here…

Well. I probably would have believed them.

But I was a very imaginative child.

“Um,” Roger says, looking anxiously at Cora. “Shall we?”

I smile at him, seeing that he’s eager to move on but also that he wants to give her room to process this experience. It’s more intense for her than it is for him, and I think that it’s very sweet that he realizes this. Roger really has come leaps and bounds as a person from when I first met

him

Sinclair comes to stand next to me and I grin at him and then turn to my baby, taking his hands

quietly, asking him how he likes it here and if he’s ready

time Rafe claps and gurgles like he

understands sometimes,” I say

says, grinning proudly down at his son “He’s very

forehead “Yes,

months,” Roger calls to us,

chest with a smirk.

laughs and shakes his head, letting

Cora?” I ask, moving again

reaching for my hand. I give it, and, with another deep. breath, the five of us begin to walk towards the

out

for a moment, going still at

the last time I saw them

feel Sinclair behind me, his hand warm against my back, and then a little pulse of comfort.

This is…this is not the same situation we were in before. This is different,

every priestess we meet is going to try to take my baby

serve my mother.

bowing a little and giving us a deep smile

are welcome here.

and I smile at each other and then look back to

priestess smiles warmly at me but Cora turns to me with a

1

blink at Cora for a second and then, as I realize what she means that

I bite my lip, feeling a very

—

used up our bond used the

save my child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora realizes this very suddenly,

I just shake my head and work

smile

I say, squeezing her hand “I’m glad you can feel her

nods to me, sympathetic, and then we both tum back

priestess says, smiling around at our whole

linger on the baby, admiring him “Please,

a group, we follow the priestess into my mother’s temple And as we go, I wonder a

While the desert temple. was elegantly sparse, and the city temple was sweeping and impressive, this one is…cozy. The architecture is still bright and wide, but you can tell that women live here and treat it as a home. As I look around at the padded benches by the

central room of the temple, the space beneath the dome, but instead leads us across it to a door at the back. Before she opens it, she turns to us with a warm smile. “Are you ready?”

her, straightening his shoulders, his face very serious. He is, after all, about to be introduced to his mate’s mother as such for the first time. I smile at both of them as I reach for the baby, who Sinclair helps me unbuckle from the

–

ready and Sinclair has placed a warm hand on my shoulder – Cora nods

her immediately,

we cross the room, her eyes flashing over all of us but focusing on Cora. I can’t help the tears that well in

time, as I look at