The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Ella

“So you two,” Cora says, flicking her gaze between Roger and Sinclair, ” you’re all right now? After fifteen minutes, it’s all cleared up?”

Sinclair shrugs. “We kept it pretty cut and dry. He’s on probation.”

“No, I’m not,” Roger murmurs, dismissive, shaking his head to Cora.

“He is,” Sinclair growls. Roger just leans down, pretending to whisper in Cora’s ear but speaking loud enough for all of us to hear, “probation doesn’t mean anything. But it made him happy to slap a word on the lack of consequences.”

Cora laughs, her face turned up to her mate, and I bite my lip to stifle my own giggle, wanting to be loyal to Sinclair, who just sighs behind me.

“Either way,” Sinclair says, moving on. “Congratulations, Cora,” he says, his focus on her now and his voice sincere. “I’m very happy for you – for both of you. It’s a big event.”

“Thank you, Dominic,” Cora says, smiling at him softly and turning her head to the side, clearly touched. I beam at my sister as well. It’s not that I’ve let her off the hook for keeping the baby name a secret when I want to know so terribly badly – but? Well. I’ll bug her about it later.

“We are sorry though,” Cora says, reaching up to take Roger’s hand. “I know that…the wedding meant a lot to you, and that it was going to do good things for the nation. But…” she bites her lip, hesitating, and I can tell that she feels selfish. I open my mouth to protest against this but she continues before I can start. “But – I needed it to be like this, to be personal. I hope that you’ll forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Cora,” Sinclair murmurs, smiling at her warmly. “I completely understand you’ve done nothing wrong.”

And quite suddenly, something comes to me. “Cora,” I say, turning my head to the side and leaning forward. “Does.. anyone else know? About your mark, or your little personal ceremony, besides us four?”

She frowns at me, confused. “Well, no,” she says quietly. “I mean, neither of us really have social media or anything -”

“Or any friends,” Roger murmurs, a little chagrined, which makes me laugh. They don’t need friends, they have us!

breaking out on my face. “Would you consider…doing

“What?” Cora asks, confused.

if no one knows,” I say, my smile growing – because this could work! “Why not just have the wedding/ mating ceremony publicly,

starts to laugh, I think a little inspired by the idea. But then she realizes that she

makeup artists to cover it up,” I suggest with a little shrug. ” I’m sure they

that it’s her choice. And then she grins, turning back to me. “Really?”

would, Cora,” Sinclair says warmly behind me. “I think it’s precisely the message we want to send to both our people and some of our honored guests: that humans are equals in our eyes, that

her face. “No, I want to do it

this time,” Roger murmurs, drawing a finger down the opposite side

Cora hasn’t had nearly enough of Roger, and I doubt she

throw them

baby and begin to make my plans. He scolds me for it every morning, telling me I need my sleep or that I should wake him up to help but every morning

he gets to

all of this. In some ways I

what it looked like before? Steady days, routines, living in our own home (even if it is a palace now )? I see

possible, I love him

to demonstrate their support by paying fealty at the coronation. It’s all gone smoothly, as Sinclair predicted it would, and so we’ve moved forward with the plans. Delegations from

Vanara including King

thing I’m most worried about predictably is that the Atalaxians have indeed signaled

with Sarah and Jessica, usually in the evenings, bringing Rafe with me to chat

it from them – if they asked, I’d tell them in a minute, of course. But they’re safe here, and moving

it off, and she keeps not asking so…we’re

one night, laying naked with my belly pressed to his, a little sweaty and still catching my breath after

tracing a lazy hand down my back. “I do my best