The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

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

this time Rafe claps and gurgles like he

he understands sometimes,” I say quietly, smiling

down

I say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead “Yes, he is. The

that title for about…five more months,” Roger calls to us, crossing his arms

chest with a smirk.

laughs and shakes his head, letting

ready, Cora?” I ask, moving again

a nod and reaching for my hand. I give it, and, with another deep. breath, the five of us begin to walk towards the temple. As we approach, a

out of the

hesitate for a moment, going still

time I

warm against my back, and then a little pulse of comfort. comes down the bond and I exhale, skipping forward

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

is going to try to take

serve my mother.

and giving us

of the Goddess – you are welcome here. And

look back to the woman.

priestess smiles warmly at me but Cora turns to me with a frown.

1

as I

my lip, feeling

—

feel her. I used up our bond used the magic

child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora

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

smile

squeezing her hand “I’m glad you can feel her

and then we both tum back to

at our whole party and

linger on the baby, admiring him “Please,

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

women live here and treat it as a home. As I look around at the padded benches by the windows, at the well-loved books

middle of the large central 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

–

once we’re all ready and Sinclair has placed a warm hand on my shoulder

see her immediately, we all

the far end of the room, glowing 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

this time, as I look at