Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Ella

That night, again around the fire, Henry leans forward in his chair and rests his elbows on his knees, smiling around at us.

“So, tell me if I’ve got this right,” he says, clearly tickled by it. “My two sons are mated to two sisters, who each have the Goddess’ blood in their veins, which means…” .” he pauses here, putting his thoughts together, “that all of my grandchildren are going to have mystical powers?”

Cora shrugs, grinning at him. “That’s what she told us,” she says, laughing a little bit.

“Well,” Henry says, pleased, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head in disbelief. “This saves me a great deal of worry.”

Sinclair turns to him confused. ” What? Why?”

“Because,” Henry says, shrugging, trying to hold back his grin. “Imagine if just one of you were mated to a Goddess -born wolf, and only half of my grandchildren had magical powers. At least this way, I don’t have to pretend that I like the non-magical ones as much as the others.”

We all laugh at this, but I shake my head at Henry’s streak of dark humor. Because, beneath it, we all know that it’s not true. He was always going to love all of the grandchildren equally, no matter what.

“I wonder what your gift will be, little baby,” I say to Rafe, who is awake and sitting up in my lap, holding my fingers in his little fists and looking interestedly around at our group. I was very intrigued when Cora told me that all of their gifts would vary according to their personalities – I, like her, had assumed that they would be the same. We still haven’t figured out Cora’s gift yet, though we’ve all be thinking.

“Rafe’s will probably be shooting lasers from his eyes,” Roger murmurs, leaning forward to study my son. I shoot a little glare at Roger and he grins at me.

“No, he’s going to be a healer, like mommy,” I say, kissing Rafe’s head and making him look up at me with a little baby smile. I smile back at him, unable to help it.

“Nah, Rafe’s got a warrior’s soul,” Sinclair says at my side, leaning back in his chair and proudly considering son. It will be something to do with that.”

“Nooo,” I say in denial, glaring at my mate now. “Rafe is gentle. His powers will be for peace.”

“What about ours?” Roger asks, turning to Cora. “Are you getting any hints down the bond?”

“No,” she replies, sighing a little. “I can’t even figure out what mine is, let alone the baby.” She frowns a little in frustration, even though we’re all aware that nothing is going to wipe out her joy today. Everything for her – for all of us – is coming up roses.

right Cora,” I say with my own contented sigh, leaning back in my

in her hand and scowling at me a bit, “if

“that would be convenient, but not everyone can

and I laugh, Sinclair nods as if it’s a fair point. But then Cora cocks her head to the side,

up straight and looks around. “Actually,” she says to the men, “would you

to stand up

says, turning to him, “about Ella…being able to help. Do you mind? A little sister time, to see if

does mind, just a bit – but I forgive him, because I know he doesn’t want to be separated from her for a single moment right now not with everything they’ve just discovered. But

from my arms so that Cora

groans but Cora and I laugh as the men help Henry onto the platform lift and then

ask eagerly, moving my chair closer to my sister’s so that we can better see each other in the dim

you could help me figure it out.” Cora looks up at me now, her

to stop me. “No, I mean like, do I need to be healed? With your powers? So

get the gift from mom – or at least to

she says, shrugging.” Do you want to…give it a

wolf raises her nose to the gift as it passes her, giving it a warm little nudge, and I smile as I sense her. Such a pretty wolf – her fur a thousand shades of brown, from the lightest

seeking any places that she’s hurt or

onto the chair. “You’re totally fine, as far as

as she moves on to the next option. “Um,” she says, “do you think I

my face

mom also said all the gifts were linked. Maybe I can…heal a little? And maybe doing that will allow me

this morning on a bottle cap, T say with a sigh, realizing that I’ve been meaning to heal it all

use when I access my gift. I do my very best to stay very still and, importantly, not to fall into that same meditative state and heal it

feel a very slight tingling at my fingertip where the cut is. I see Cora push and concentrate, but then, five minutes

there,” she says,

hand. “I did feel a little tingling though. And it does