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?”

quietly, studying him. “I mean, Roger, it’s not that you can’t

room. I’m sorry, Cora – you’re right, we had a plan, we should

coming to my lips now as he slips an

far apart are the contractions?” he asks, looking down

five minutes,” I answer, my voice quiet. “Or, maybe

know he doesn’t feel. ” That

I start to

turning to grin at

just very sweet, Roger Sinclair,” I murmur, taking his cheeks in my hands and leaning forward to press a kiss to his

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

back and smiling down at my belly. And I bite my lip, feeling significantly

murmurs, a little thoughtlessly as he tucks his head close to mine and takes a deep breath of

what color do you think his eyes will

tongue and

that

grinning at me. “Anything

my eyes, “would have shown up on an

says, holding

least I smile for a second, before the next contraction starts again. “Oh boy,” I say, sitting up, a hand moving low on my stomach. “Here

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

says quietly when it

I smile a little, returning my hand to his cheek. “I hope the baby’s eyes are just like

me. “Big brown ones, like his mom. That would be

reply, dropping my hand from his cheek and wrapping my

baby to hurry up,” Roger murmurs, turning is attention to the bond that

on the bond as well. “Nah, don’t rush him,” I sigh. ” He’ll come on his

sighing as he inspects the bond and passes love and comfort and reassurance to the baby, as well as to me. “He’s all uncomfortable,

nice big crib for him out here,” I say, laughing a bit. “Whenever he’s ready to make

Roger murmurs. ” Any time you want,

to bring our baby into

time. The whole day passes and dusk darkens our windows before my contractions really start to heat up. By then, the house is busy with all the people we’ve asked