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

how he likes it here and

real this time Rafe claps and gurgles like

like he understands sometimes,” I say

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

say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead “Yes, he is. The most

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

chest with a smirk.

just laughs and shakes his head, letting it

ask,

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

comes out of

going still at the sight of those

last time I saw

hand warm against my back, and then a little pulse of comfort. comes down the bond and I exhale, skipping forward a little to stay at Cora’s

not the same situation we

is going to try to take my baby away. Some of them, surely,

serve my mother.

little and giving us

you are welcome here. And you are right

other and then look back to the woman. “Is

priestess smiles warmly at me but Cora turns to me with a frown. “Can’t you

1

a second and then, as I realize

I bite my lip,

—

cannot feel her. I used up our bond used the magic of it to unbind my wolf

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

concern, but I just shake my head and work hard to give

smile

squeezing her hand “I’m glad you can

me, sympathetic, and then we both tum back

our whole party and taking

linger on the baby, admiring him

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

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

does not pause in the middle of the large 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?” she asks, giving us

her hair behind her ears and Roger comes to stand behind 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 carrier. I don’t know why I do it, but somehow I want Rafe quite close to me as we go to see

–

hand on my shoulder – Cora nods to the priestess who opens the door and

her immediately, we

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 help the tears that well in my eyes when I see her, as I study

as I look at