The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Cora

I narrow my eyes at Roger when he comes upstairs about forty-five minutes later. “Are you going to behave better now?” I ask, my voice tense.

“Yup,” he says, leaning in the doorway with a lazy smile.

I start to laugh as I look over his too – loose stature. “Is it because you’re all drunk?” My eyes shift to Sinclair as he appears in the doorway behind his brother. “Seriously, did you get him all drunk?”

Sinclair, Rafe sitting up in his arms, just gives a little shrug, his mouth pulled up at the corner in a secret smile.

“I am only,” Roger says, smiling as he steps into the room and holding up a hand with his thumb and pointer finger pressed very close together, “a very tiny bit drunk. Just something to steady the nerves.”

Ella laughs next to me before she scoots off the bed.

“All right, then,” she says, gesturing to me as she moves around the bed and reaches to take Rafe from Sinclair. ” Take your spot, Roger. And stop freaking her out, okay?”

“I promise,” Roger mumbles, giving Ella a sloppy little salute before climbing onto the bed and taking her place.

“We’ll be downstairs,” Ella says when I turn my eyes to her. “You just call, and we’ll be right up. Okay?”

I nod to her, smiling a little, grateful that she’s here. Beyond having the power to heal me instantly should anything go wrong, it’s just…really nice to have my sister close by.

Roger sighs as he pulls himself into the spot close on my right and tucks his legs in under the blankets. Then he turns to me, his face serious. “I’m sorry, Cora,” he says quietly.

“Thank you,” I say, my anger fading as I see that he means it. I lift a hand to his cheek, wanting to touch him, wanting him close.

“I just love you so much

“I get it,” I say, nodding.

He nods too, capturing my hand and pressing a kiss to it. “But I didn’t listen to you. And Sinclair made me sit down and listen – which he shouldn’t have to do, so I’m sorry about that. But he explained that you need to be the one freaking out today. So, I have to just… be steady. Is that right?”

closer,” I say quietly, studying him. “I mean, Roger, it’s not that you can’t feel afraid too –

with me. “But I was taking all the air out of the room. I’m sorry, Cora – you’re right, we had a plan, we should just trust it.

coming to my lips now as

looking down at my belly

quiet. “Or, maybe a little faster

that I know he doesn’t feel. ” That is all

start to

Roger asks, turning to grin at

cheeks in my hands and leaning forward to press a kiss to his mouth. “Trying to do everything

I have to try, don’t I,” he murmurs against my lips, kissing me back. “I’m going to

leaning back and smiling down at my belly. And I bite my lip, feeling significantly calmer now, starting to get…well, maybe a little excited, alongside being terrified.

thoughtlessly as he tucks his head close to mine and takes a deep breath of my

you think his eyes will

my tongue

would that

he says, grinning at me. “Anything is possible. The

eyes, “would have shown up

purple eyes,” he says, holding up a finger, “would

sigh, but I’m smiling as I snuggle close to him. Or at least I smile for a second, before the next contraction starts again. “Oh boy,” I say, sitting up, a hand moving

his eyes on me throughout the whole contraction. He keeps his

right?” he says quietly when it all

say, turning my eyes to his now. And then I smile a little, returning my hand to his cheek. “I hope the

at me. “Big brown ones,

dropping my hand from

can get the baby to hurry up,” Roger murmurs, turning is attention to the bond that runs between us

bond as well. “Nah, don’t

the bond and passes love and comfort and reassurance to the baby,

out here,” I

Roger murmurs. ” Any time you want, we’re

to bring our baby into the

By then, the house is busy with all the people we’ve asked to come to the house for the birth our family, but also several medical professionals to really