Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate by Caroline Above Story

#Chapter 303 – Dedicated to the Goddess

Ella

As a group, we head together into the darkness of the forest.

“Did we have to go somewhere so creepy for this?” I ask Sinclair, looking warily around the woods. Usually my wolf thrills to be under the canopy of the trees, but today, I can feel her wary inside

1. me.

“It’s a sacred space,” Sinclair explains, smiling down at me, placing one hand on my back to ensure that I don’t trip over any errant roots. “Are you feeling it too? The magic in the air?”

“How could I miss it,” I murmur, looking around. “This place is… thick with it.”

–

It’s true – I can’t see anything in the air around us, but I’m certainly aware that this place is sacred. Either because it was always a special place, or made special due to the repeated process of bringing children here with the intent of dedication, this patch of forest is unique. Even the trees around us are just a little different – their trunks darker, thicker. The way that the branches twine up towards the sky is more elegantly twisted than I’ve seen elsewhere.

Overall it’s not a bad feeling just…different.

I glance over my shoulder at Cora, who I can see is uncomfortable. She’s the only human in the party today and, even though she doesn’t have a wolf who can sense the magic like mine can, I can tell that she, too, senses the difference of this place. I give her a warm smile which she returns, coming closer to my side.

“This place is weird,” she says softly, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she’s cold. “Scared,” I correct. “But yeah, sacred and weird.”

Henry’s chair has no trouble pa*sing down it. When we lose sight of the vans behind us, so deep in the forest that the trees obscure our sight of the road, I see a

recognize the voice of the priestess who we met in the temple. We murmur

I’m not ready – not at all. I haven’t been parted from Rafe since that day in the hospital where he slept in the nursery for a few hours. Since then, I haven’t been further than one room away

but the priestess gives me a warm smile,

still anxious. I feel Sinclair’s hand press more firmly against

my arms around Sinclair’s waist, resting my head against his chest. I know that Cora and Roger will take good care of Rafe but…until I have my baby back, I’m going to need to keep

and then nods to Cora and Roger, who each take a step forward. She holds

front of our gathered group of family

she calls out,

Sinclair responds, his voice resonant and strong. “His mother and

us, part of the ritual, recognizing our intent. Then, she continues. ”

”

me by taking her hand. I look up at Sinclair, wondering if that’s part of the ceremony or just Roger being Roger, but my mate’s face gives nothing away. I turn to Cora, then, who looks just as surprised as me. The priestess nods to Roger and Cora in turn and then crosses to them, placing my baby in my sister’s arms. “Take him,” she says, waving a hand behind her into the forest. “Forward, to the pool. Let him bask in the light of the

about what to say but certainly determined to do right by her

steps aside so

together, my sister and Sinclair’s brother carry Rafe into the forest. I watch them until they are swallowed by darkness, my heart in my throat. And then, when I can’t see them anymore, I hold my breath and

Cora

mutter, frustrated as I trip again over another root, “that they’d spend a little more time clearing the path to this pool, if people come

Rafe to me,” Roger replies, wanting to be helpful but irritated, a little, by my slow pace. If you fall

a little in the dark. “The priestess gave the baby to me,

she meant, Cora,” Roger replies, his voice a little crabby. “And she’s not going to be happy if you give her back a flat pancake

”