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

་་

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 ship?” I

standing at the bow looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent me to protect Ella, and there’s frankly nowhere I wanted to be

hear this, but

that I was just crazy or drunk I mean, the captain gave me a little of his whiskey when he

squeeze his hands a little, begging him to

little, looking down at

little breathless, but some

his eyes wide and still a little startled by the experience.

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 sense – Ella was her daughter, the one

to Ella in the temple,

through my nose, disappointed. Why does she want to talk to

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

do?” I ask, pushing

“She didn’t come in her bodily form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of

okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back to me and looks at me directly, not holding

you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we were in a war – and Dominic had just made me his

nod, understanding, concentrating on nothing else but

– because it wasn’t precisely words – but that for

having children, and being a dad, and raising

blinking with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally getting it. “Oh, so you stopped

hands tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do

при

7

she said anything to me I didn’t even care

–

always Dominic who was dying

say again, my eyes

“I’m fucking it all up, Cora – I’m thrilled that you’re pregnant, and not just because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses

much want this child, Cora” he tells me, pausing to ensure that I hear him, “and I

–

Honestly, I’m kind of in the same boat – I was likewise

nothing else I

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

–

“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 to take you directly to