The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Ella

“I’m glad we did that,” I say later that afternoon as Sinclair pulls our car around to the front entrance of the palace. “I couldn’t stand to say goodbye to that house if it was to a stranger. Too many memories there.” ” I agree,” Sinclair says, parking directly out front in what feels…well, feels too informal for the future King’s first entrance to the palace, his new home. ” Doesn’t this place have like, a garage?”

I murmur, looking into the back seat to check on little Rafe, who is happily chewing on the sleeve of his little baby hoodie and staring at himself in a mirror attached to his car seat. “I… think so…” Sinclair says, and I look up in surprise to see him grimacing at me a little. “I’ve only really been here for state occasions,” he says, shrugging.”

And the birth of our child,” I point out.

“Well for that,” he says, “wealsojust parked out front.”

“True true,” I say, turning away to my door. “I guess we’ll figure it all out. Yes, we will,” he murmurs, getting out of the car and opening the back seat to lift out Rafe’s carrier. While I wait for them to come around to my side, I stare up at the gorgeous palace in front of me. “I can’t believe this is going to be my home,” I murmur. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a King,” he sighs. I look up at him, studying the lines of his handsome face. “Yeah,” I agree. “Me neither.”

Sinclair laughs and shakes his head down at me. “Well, I would hope thatyouwould try to chuff me up a little bit there.”

arm, squeezing it. “Well, you know I think you cando it,” I say, grinning, “and that I don’t think anyone else could do it any better. I just,” I consider it for a moment,

laugh up into his face at the ridiculousness of it. “Absolutely not,” I reply. “They’ll all just have to call me Ella, or I’ll walk right past them without realizing that they’re talking to me.” “You don’t do so poorly responding to Luna,” he says, pulling his arm from my grip and wrapping it around my shoulder to pull me close. Yes, but that feels more real,” I say quietly. “I…know what a

say, my eyes

“It belongs to the nation to be passed from Queen to Queen. But, for as long as you’re alive and we’re on the throne,” he grins widely at me, seeing the excitement on my face, “you get

tape on probably my fortieth box and start to unload all of Rafe’s baby clothes. A few feet away from me in his little playpen, Rafe lets out a little squeal that I

coming into the room with a little tray of food for our lunch. “I’m just following the. rules. It’s not really a Kingdom precisely anymore the jewels belong to everyone. It’s not right to wear them until the people have officially given them to us. And then,” he says, putting the tray down on the bed,

And then I send him a mental image down the bond of when, precisely, I plan to be wearing that crown. And just how good I’ll look wearing that crown, and only that crown. Sinclair blinks and then huffs a

to my task at hand. “Come and eat,” he says, taking the fancy lids off of our plates of sandwiches, like we’re in some kind of hotel. I was pleased to hear that Sinclair, in starting to hire people to refill the palace with workers and get it back to fully functioning, hired a head chef. Still, I don’t even know where the kitchens are and it feels strange already to be waited on like this. What am I going to do when I’m pregnant again? Just…wander the halls, starving, searching for the kitchens? “I’m not hungry yet,” I say to Sinclair, laying out Rafe’s clothes on the floor in

a bit better, but still…I’ll never forget the day we brought our baby into the world. “Vividly,” Sinclair murmurs, biting into his sandwich and watching me. “Are

– and you are a King!” “Not yet, he says, shaking his head. “You keep saying that,” I reply, frowning at him. ” Is there something wrong? Are you… doubting the fact that the coronation will go through or something?” “No,” he replies, cocking his head to the side. “I just…want everything to be right. Damon and his father…” he shakes his head, a little angry, “they took liberties with the privileges of this position that they shouldn’t have. It

with his new responsibilities. “But you’ll be better.” “I hope I can be,” he sighs. And then he looks over at the baby. And I hope I can convince him to be as well, when his turn comes.” “Rafe?” I say, turning to my baby in surprise. But then my face bursts into a smile. “No, he’ll be a great