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.”

say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead. “Yes, he is. The most clever baby the world will ever

calls to us, crossing his arms over his chest

you ready, Cora?” I ask, moving again to

nod and reaching for my hand. I give it, and, with another deep breath, the five of

for a moment, going still at the sight of those

time I

then a little pulse of comfort comes down

is different, and not every priestess we meet is going to try to take my baby away. Some of them, surely, actually serve my

as we approach. “Daughters of the Goddess –

I ask. The priestess smiles warmly at me but

second and then, as I realize what she means that she can feel our mother here already

child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora realizes this very

hand. “I’m glad you can feel

then we both turn

priestess says, smiling around at our whole party and taking a moment to let

my mother’s temple. And as we go, I wonder if everyone’s heart is pounding as

different than the ones that we’ve

one is… cozy. The architecture is still bright and wide, but you can tell that 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

instead leads us across it to a door at the back. Before she opens it, she turns to us with a warm smile. “Are you ready?” she asks,

serious. He is, after all, about to be introduced to his mate’s mother as such for the 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

has placed a warm hand on my shoulder – Cora nods to the priestess who opens

her immediately, we

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 the tears that well in my eyes when I see her, as I study her form. And this time, as I look at

she holds herself. Her hair is still like mine, but it seems like everything – everything

I think the thought, I dismiss it. Because she’s a Goddess, she’s divine. I think…she lets us see what we want or