Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 390 – The Temple Ella

It is, indeed, a long climb. Cora and I are panting by the time we get to the top, and even though Sinclair took Rafe from me halfway through the hike I have to take a moment to catch my break when we pull ourselves up to the final level.

Roger has the indecency to look a little smug about the fact that he barely looks winded and Cora gives him a little shove on the shoulder as she works to take a few deep breaths and wipe the sweat from her brow.

Even as I work to bring my heartrate back down, I absolutely marvel at the sight before me.

The Goddess’ temple, like the one in the city, is built completely with white marble. But unlike the one in the city, this one looks…ancient. Vines grow in ropes all over it, looking almost as if the structure is part of the forest itself, having grown up organically from it. The temple is tall and wide, the pillars in front drawing my eyes upward to the slanted roof which curls into a dome. At the very peak of the dome is a golden crescent moon, reaching up towards the sky, glinting in the bright sunlight.

“Wow,” Cora says, standing straight next to me and likewise marveling at the temple. “Mom has some… impressive property.”

“I know, right?” I mutter back, crossing my arms and shaking my head. If someone had told me, when I was a little girl sleeping in my creaky little orphan bed, that my mom lived here…

Well. I probably would have believed them.

But I was a very imaginative child.

“Um,” Roger says, looking anxiously at Cora. “Shall we?”

I smile at him, seeing that he’s eager to move on but also that he wants to give her room to process this experience. It’s more intense for her than it is for him, and I think that it’s very sweet that he realizes this. Roger really has come leaps and bounds as a person from when I first met him.

Sinclair comes to stand next to me and I grin at him and then turn to my baby, taking his hands and speaking to him quietly, asking him how he likes it here and if he’s ready to meet his granny for real this time. Rafe claps and gurgles like he really is excited.

“It’s like he understands sometimes,” I say quietly, smiling up at Sinclair.

“Well,” Sinclair says, grinning proudly down at his son. “He’s very clever.”

my baby’s forehead. “Yes, he is. The most clever baby the

that title for about…five more months,” Roger calls to us, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk. Sinclair just laughs

Cora?” I ask,

give it, and, with another deep breath, the

hesitate for a moment, going still at the sight of those robes

time I

back, and then a little pulse of comfort comes down the bond and I exhale,

he’s right. This is…this is not the same situation we were in before. This is different, and not every priestess we meet is going to try to take

and giving us a deep smile as we approach. “Daughters of the Goddess – you are welcome here. And you are

back to the woman. “Is she here?” I ask. The priestess smiles warmly

then, as I realize what she means that she

feel her. I used up’ our bond – used the magic of it to unbind my wolf and my gift so that I could save my child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora realizes

her hand. “I’m glad you can feel

nods to me, sympathetic, and then we both turn back to

our whole party and taking a moment to let her gaze linger on the baby, admiring him. “Please, do come

my mother’s temple. And

different than the ones that we’ve been in

women live here and treat it as a home. As I look around at the padded benches by the windows, at the well-loved books neatly tucked into alcoves and the little worn stick broom tucked into

central room of the temple, the space beneath the dome, but instead leads us across it to a door at the back. Before she opens it, she turns to

first time. I smile at both of them as I reach for the baby, who Sinclair helps me unbuckle from the carrier. I don’t know why I do it, but somehow I want Rafe quite close to me as we go to see

all ready – and Sinclair has placed a warm hand on my shoulder – Cora

her immediately, we all

standing at the far end of the room, glowing with the faint luminescence of moonlight. Her face breaks into a smile as we cross the room, her eyes flashing over all of us but focusing on Cora. I can’t help

see Cora all over her, in her face, in her expression, in the way she holds herself. Her hair is still like mine, but it seems like everything – everything else is my sister.

a Goddess, she’s divine. I think…she lets us see what we want or