The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Cora

“It’s all right,” Roger says, his eyes going wide as he takes in my pale face, my scared expression and realizes that he’s freaked me out for the third or fourth time today. “It’s not – it’s not bad, I was just kind of a dick – it was a misunderstanding –”

“What?” I ask, more confused now than ever.

–

“Listen,” he says, leaning in towards me. “Just let me tell you, all right? II was going to tell you at some point, definitely not like this but…” he sighs, looking into my face and then down at my stomach, and then back up into my eyes. “I think that… if we’re going to start on this new part

–

–

of our lives – this parent thing – well,” he says, giving me a charming little half–smile and a

shrug. “We should be on the same page, right?”

I nod, agreeing, but looking at him a little askance. “Did you not think that we should…go into our mating? On the same page?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s a little different, Cora – because it didn’t matter – I didn’t think we could have kids

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I frown at him – not mad or angry, but confused…

“Listen, let me just tell it,” he says, leaning forward and looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” I say, quite simply, taking his hands and leaning even closer to press a kiss to his mouthr letting him know that I’m listening with an open heart.

“Okay,” Roger says again, taking a deep breath before he begins. “Do you remember… when you and Ella went into the desert with her mother, Regina?”

“Reina,” I correct softly, and he laughs.

“Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Those names are so easy to mix up. Anyway – you three were out on your girls trip, and my choice was either to hang out with those priests in the temple, or go back on to the ship all alone.”

Ismirk at him, knowing precisely which one he chose. He sees my smile and laughs a little.

“Yeah,” he says, grinning at me. “I chose solitude. Or at least…I thought I did.”

on the

the bow looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent me to protect Ella, and

hear this,

sky, staring at the moon, it started to grow…brighter and brighter. And at first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk I mean,

to focus, and he looks

faltering a little, looking down at our

ask, a little breathless, but some

at me now, his eyes wide and still a little startled by the experience. “Your mother, Cora. Except…at the time, I

in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond a brief introduction that Ella insisted on giving us. And at the time it had made

know that she’s my mother too? And that she only spoke to Ella in the temple, and then went to Roger later that

a little through my nose, disappointed. Why does she want

Roger murmurs, reaching forward and brushing my cheek with his thumb. “It’s half of why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,” he continues, his face all sympathy. “I knew that it would…

what did she do?” I ask, pushing past my jealousy and truly wanting

did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of sorts, more like the baptism but…not quite.” He shakes

it’s okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back to me and

“that I was chasing the wrong destiny. That my future was not in war and politics, as my brother’s was – and you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we were in a war – and Dominic

concentrating on nothing else but his

to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but

and having children, and being a dad, and raising my kids well to

lean forward, finally getting

didn’t think we could have kids, Cora…” he whispers, clutching my hands tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do it because

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me I didn’t even care about kids – didn’t

–

was dying to be a dad,

again,

just because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself, choosing his

this child, Cora” he tells me, pausing to ensure that I hear him, “and I can’t wait

–

of in the same boat – I was likewise unsure if I wanted kids. But the

else I wanted

you stopped calling me,” I whisper, “because you thought…my

–

was so fucking dumb, Cora,” Roger murmurs, his eyes going wide as he again runs his hand through his hair. “I was totally freaked out I didn’t want to, but when a goddess tells you to do something you feel compelled to do it – and I thought she was telling me to run from you, when she probably was telling me to run to you