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

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

time Rafe claps and gurgles

he understands sometimes,” I say quietly, smiling

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

say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead “Yes, he

title for about…five more months,” Roger

chest with a smirk.

just laughs and shakes his head,

I ask, moving again

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

out of

for a moment, going still at the sight of those

time

a little pulse of comfort.

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

going to try to

serve my mother.

bowing a little and giving us

– you are welcome here. And you are

at each other and then look

at me but Cora turns to me with a frown. “Can’t you feel

1

I realize what

already I bite my lip, feeling a very deep

—

her. I used up our bond used the

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

making a startled “o” of concern, but I just shake my head

smile

glad

sympathetic, and then we both tum

priestess says, smiling around at our whole party and taking a moment

the baby, admiring him

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

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

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 a moment to

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 his grandmother.

–

and Sinclair has placed a warm hand on my shoulder – Cora nods to the priestess who

immediately, we

with the faint luminescence 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 help the tears that well in my

this time, as I look at her