The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Cora

“All right, Ella!” I call as I troop down the stairs, dressed for the day, Roger following behind.

“In here!” she calls, peeking out from the living room and giving me a big smile. “Also, sorry,” she adds, grimacing a bit. “We were very rude, bursting in here like that, weren’t we?”

“I’ll forgive you as soon as you give me my little nephew to hold for a few minutes,” I say, smiling and reaching for Rafe, who my sister happily hands over to me. I’m instantly gratified when he gives a squeak of happiness and reaches out his own hands, clearly recognizing me and wanting to see me as much as I want to see him.

“Yes,” Ella sighs, crossing her arms as she observes me with the baby.”

Rafe makes everything better.”

“That can be his slogan,” I say, grinning at the baby, “when he’s King.”

Ella laughs and I turn to smile at her as Roger comes into the room after me. I shift my gaze to Sinclair, who stands behind Ella, quiet with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, looking between the two of them. “First you tell Roger not to come to the palace this morning, and then you’re bursting in here this afternoon? What’s up?”

“We had kind of a crazy night,” Ella says with a grimace, moving to the couch and sitting down on it. Sinclair moves to stand by her, clearly tense and still not adding anything to the conversation.

“Oh?” I ask, sitting across from my sister. Roger sits behind me on the arm of the couch, paying close attention and sending a little pulse of wonder and curiosity down our bond. He, too, is very intrigued by this.

Ella sighs and then begins to tell me all about her evening last night – first the dinner with Calvin, and then his claim to being her mate, and then Sinclair turning into a wolf and bursting out the door, seeking to hunt him down.

My eyes go wider and wider as Ella continues.

says with a shrug. ” Honestly, I don’t think he’s my mate, Cora. I am not…into him, in

I ask, turning my head to the side. “I mean, he’s really good

scoffs behind me and Sinclair glowers, which makes me and Ella burst

reaching across the couch, clearly seeking her baby. I hand Rafe back to her and she pulls him into her lap, clearly deriving a lot of comfort from having him near. A little excitement twists in me, because I can’t wait to hold my baby just like that. “It’s not like that, Cora – I mean,

now, who growls behind Ella to hear her say this detail.

like…very attracted to them. Like, tear your clothes off attracted to them.” She pauses for a moment, her eyes moving between me and Roger. “Is that what it…was like? For

says, his voice unusually serious. “We have a bit of a different story because Cora’s wolf was so tucked away for so long. But as soon as her wolf…woke up? For the first time?” I look over my shoulder to see him nodding vigorously. “Yeah, Ella. We knew.

here? I mean, it’s a crazy story and I’m glad to know it. But why rush across town when you’ve clearly had a rough night

a little. “We were kind of hoping

blinking in surprise a little. “How…how

shrugs a little. “You just like…call to

Roger says, and I look up again to see him smirking. “Like, she just puts her

you take this seriously?” Sinclair snaps, drawing all of

and scooting forward on the

just grins but Sinclair scowls, clearly stressed, and slips in behind Ella, wrapping his arms around her. My heart goes out to him as I watch him tuck his head against hers, because as much as Ella says Calvin

asking why I want it, but I just want him close. “So, like, inside? Where

is undeniably her mate. But…well, Sinclair

I burned up the bond when the priestess tried to take

that my sweet sister has gone through in the fight for her family. And suddenly, all I want to do is contact mom even just to give her a piece of my mind for giving Ella such a tough path. So, I squeeze Roger’s hand, and I sink inside

a very steady place within myself, where my gift glows with a warm lavender light. And then I call out without

Mom?