The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Ella

“Cora,” I scold, frowning, “you know I don’t’ feel that way – ”

“Well I know you’d never say it,” she protests, sighing. “But I do get that this union between a wolf and a human that, symbolically, it’s important. And even if you’re not disappointed that it could be…disappointing.”

“I want you to have the mating ceremony you want, Cora,” I reply, steady in my truth here. “Especially in the case of something as important as this.” I give her hand a little squeeze before pulling mine away. “But if you’d like to consider a middle path…maybe you could let me show you what I was thinking?”

She turns her head to look up at me, surprised. “You’ve been…planning?”

“Just a little,” I say, unable to keep the eagerness out of my voice. “Just late at night when Sinclair is asleep and I can’t sleep, or I get up to feed Rafe – ”

“You’ve been loosing sleep over this!?”

“No!” I protest, but then I hesitate. ” Well, not much.”

“Ella!”

“Just – can I show you what I was thinking!?” I plead, “sister to sister!? And then, if you hate it, you can say no.” A wide grin comes to my face then. “But I think you’re going to like it.”

Cora gives a big sigh, leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes. ” Fine, Ella,” she says. “But this is not a yes.”

“I didn’t think it was!” I say, newly excited. Because honestly…it’s gorgeous, and I can’t wait to show her my plans.

me from his casual position on the bed – looking down at his

my baby strapped sleeping to my chest. I put my hands on

smirks as he looks me up and down. “I just didn’t realize I was mated to

and Sinclair, laughing, nods towards the bathroom. Both irritated and interested at once, I hurry in and gasp when I see myself in the mirror. “Oh my god,” I murmur, leaning in to get a good look at the very real layer of dusty dark brown grime that’s covering me from head to foot. “Honestly, why did they let me into the palace

groan when I see our contrast in the mirror – him the perfect Alpha King, clean-shaved and pressed –

I gasp when my eyes light on little Rafe, who is likewise covered in a light layer of brown dust. “Oh my god!” I exclaim again, immediately beginning to ruffle his hair and moaning as a little puff of

to unstrap the baby from me. “Dirty in those camps,

if this is what we look like after just an afternoon, imagine

attention to it,” he replies, holding the baby away from him a little as he carries him over to his little baby bath. “Hopefully all of the people

from the warmth of my body,

I hesitate, wondering if I should just take him and let him sleep dirty honestly, I can’t

happiest baby in the world, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.” Then, as I begin to strip out of my clothes, Sinclair takes off Rafe’s little outfit as

the basket, “he’ll probably be too big to wear those by the time they’re clean. He grows like

turns on the warm water and prepares to start bathing him. Rafe still fusses unhappily but reaches for his father’s finger,

how damn cute it is, seeing them together, before I turn and start the water in the shower for myself. I continue

I call over my shoulder, starting to shampoo my

he replies. ” But yeah, Roger told me pretty much

reaction, and Sinclair

I’m not mad, Ella

shampoo from my hair. “That’s not what I mean I know that you’d never be mad at them for wanting a different kind of mating ceremony. But…does it mess up your plans at