Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Cora

The Goddess’ smile only broadens as she continues her thought. “But you can tell your sister that I have not been so generous as to send her two mates at once. And because I know it will worry her now, you can tell her that I have made her only one mate in this world, even though her mate had two.”

I grin a little then, thinking about her phrasing it as a generosity and not the torture that it clearly is for Sinclair. ” Why, though?” I ask, suddenly curious. “Why did he get two?”

“Because,” the goddess says, laughing a tinkling little laugh. “I have bigger plans, Cora, that stretch generations into the future. One day, Dominic’s experience loving two mates will help him empathize with another who likewise struggles.” She smirks a little at me. “Though…maybe don’t tell him that,” she wrinkles her nose playfully, “Might be more fun if you don’t.”

I laugh suddenly, delighted at the realization that my mother the Goddess is a little bit of trickster. How have we missed that before?

“So, what’s the deal with the Prince, then?” I ask, and I ignore Roger as he mumbles something behind me about not understanding what the hell is going on.

“The bond with the Prince,” mom says with a shrug, “it is something else. But some things, my love, must remain a mystery. The connection that I have built between Ella and the Atalaxian Prince – it is merely a seed.” She glances at my stomach, and then her eyes move to Ella. “Seeds, like children, take time to grow. But when they do…”

She smiles then and leaves the thought unfinished, shaking her hair back from her shoulders. “Is there anything else, daughter?” she asks, beginning to fade just a little bit.

“The baby?” I ask, suddenly desperate to know while I have her here. My hand moves instantly to my stomach. “Is he… will he be all right?”

She grins at me. “Your child will be born safe and sound, Cora, do not worry.” A little laugh rings through the air as she fades almost completely from sight. “And tell Ella that I love her, and to keep trying. I am eager to lay eyes on my first granddaughter.”

And quite suddenly, she’s gone.

I blink at the sudden absence in the room and then take a deep breath before looking around at my family, who all stare at me.

Roger says, his

probably also looked like a lunatic talking to the air,” I say, rolling my eyes at him,

all of our eyes turn to where he’s sitting behind Ella, his face tucked miserably against his palm. “Please…please tell me

a little further just to tease him. But he’s so miserable that I can’t. “Calvin isn’t Ella’s fated mate. She

mate. My heart breaks a little when I see Sinclair’s shoulders begin to shake with the relief of it as Ella presses herself back against him,

smile as I watch them, but I’m a little relieved when Roger slips onto the couch behind me, pulling me into his lap. I turn my attention to him as he wraps

me?” Roger murmurs, nudging me with his nose. “How many do

“You get one, Roger Sinclair,” I growl, grabbing his shirt in

face falling in pretend disappointment. “I was hoping for like eight or nine. Really start a little harem

hiss, though I start to laugh. “”Though I probably wouldn’t need to – they’d get one look at you and

and pulling me close. “When secretly, I’d keep them all in a little cabin out in the woods, my

my mate and I both

she say?” Ella asks, her face happy and at peace. So, I tell her everything strange thing mom said about the bond

so weird,” Ella breathes, her face scrunched up

very serious despite his mate’s clear peace and happiness. “You

morning because they come in a pack,” I

“Tell me,” the King orders, his

with a scoff. “Cora’s conversation with our mother is hers, Dominic. You don’t get

her hands. “Does it

out there somewhere,”