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

him how he likes it here and if he’s ready to meet his

this time Rafe claps and gurgles like he

understands sometimes,” I say quietly, smiling up at

proudly down

my baby’s forehead “Yes, he

keep that title for about…five more months,” Roger calls to us, crossing his

chest with a smirk.

laughs and shakes his head, letting

Cora?” I ask, moving again to her

it, and, with another deep. breath, the five

comes out of

for a moment, going still at the

the last time

then a little pulse of comfort. comes down the bond and I exhale, skipping forward a little to

not the same situation we were

to try to take my baby away.

serve my mother.

woman says, bowing a little and giving

– you are welcome here. And you are

each other and then look back to the woman. “Is she

priestess smiles warmly at me but Cora turns

1

at Cora for a second and then, as I realize

I bite my lip, feeling a

—

used up our bond used the magic of

could save my child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora realizes

of concern, but I just shake my head and work hard

smile

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

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

whole party and taking a

the baby, admiring him “Please, do come

follow the priestess into my mother’s temple And as we go, I wonder a everyone’s heart is pounding as much

ones that we’ve been in before. 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 windows, at the well-loved books neatly tucked into alcoves and the little worn stick broom tucked into a corner, I decide quite suddenly that this is my favorite temple of all – and that I quite

temple, the space beneath the dome, but instead leads us across it to a door at the back. Before she opens

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

–

we’re all ready and Sinclair has placed a warm hand on my shoulder – Cora nods to the priestess who opens the door and leads

her immediately, we all do

of moonlight. Her face breaks into a smile as we cross the room, her eyes flashing over all of us but focusing on Cora. I can’t

And this time, as I look at her