Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate - Season 5 Episode 98

Three weeks later (Ariel was born under a waning quarter moon, not a new moon like her brother and cousin), I’m standing anxiously in the woods, holding my little girl in my arms.

“I’m feeling a little anxious,” Cora says, smiling a little too brightly at me as she walks up to my side, dressed in a beautiful silver dress, with Jesse awake and interested in her hip.

“I wasn’t this anxious when Rafe walked in,” I sigh, reaching out to tap Jesse’s nose with the pad of my finger, making him laugh. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was anxious, but it’s the complicated little foreshadowing of this one that has me worked up.”

“I know,” Cora says, wrinkling her nose maliciously. “I can’t wait, revenge is real-“

“Don’t you dare,” I say, glaring at her and pointing my finger. “You’re trying to deliberately curse my daughter just because your Jesse has some weird shadow magic on the way…”

“Never have I!” Cora says, laughing and pushing my finger away. “I just like to tease you, Ella. Hear that, Ariel?” she says, leaning in to smile at her goddaughter. “I hope your future is nice and safe and boring, for your mother’s sake.”

“Oh, shut your tongue,” I mutter, frowning and pulling Ariel away from her aunt. “I don’t want her life to be boring, I just want…” I sigh, looking at the girl who has my whole heart. “I just want everything to be really good and for her to be safe… but also for her to have some adventures along the way.”

“That’s a great question,” Sinclair says, coming up beside me with a glass of champagne in one hand and Rafe perched on his hip. “Especially for a little girl named Baby Trouble.”

I smile when I hear the nickname, considering that… well, it’s kind of true, even if the name has so far been a bit of a joke.

Honestly, we’ve been calling her Ariel since very early on – she has baby trouble, most of the time. Or Princess Trouble. Or Princess Bubble Baby Trouble. Or whatever combination thereof inspires us at the moment. And, well, she hasn’t really lived up to it – not yet. Rafe – he was a rough newborn, at least for the first two weeks. But Ariel?

God, she’s been a bit like a dream.

I can only hope that his nickname remains ironic for the rest of his days, but I know that’s too much to hope for.

Ads by Pubfuture

Rafe eagerly leans down from his father’s hip, reaches for his sister, and spits out a series of excited syllables beginning with “ba!”

“Do you like your sister, little one?” Cora says, laughing and putting a hand on Rafe’s chest to keep him from excitedly slipping out of his father’s arms.

“We think you’re trying to say baby,” I say, smiling at my son, pleasure and pride filling me from head to toe. I mean, I know every mother is proud of her children. But Rafe… he really is such a sweet baby and such a smart boy, he always wants to be near me, near Ariel.

And his dad too, of course, but Rafe and I? We really do have a special bond.

“Okay,” says Roger, with his own baby in his arm and a glass of champagne in his hand, as is his brother. “Almost time! Are we ready to do this?”

“Don’t talk about this like it’s a sports match, Roger,” I say, lifting my chin at him playfully. “It’s a sacred ritual. Please treat it with the gravity it deserves.”

“It’s the third one, Ella,” Roger says, rolling his eyes playfully. “It’s getting old…”

“You are destined to be a father of six children, Roger,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Tell me when we get to your sixth baptism…”

“At that point we’re just going to walk around the backyard in our pajamas,” he murmurs, pointing first to the baby in my arms and then to Cora, silently indicating that I should hand her over. “We’re going to drink beer and hold the baby up to the moon on a dish towel, using a plastic baby pool instead of the sacred pond…”

“We’re not,” Cora scoffs, gently taking Ariel into her arms as Sinclair and I laugh. Roger smiles and leans in to kiss me on the cheek before passing me to Jesse.

“You know I’m joking, right, Ells?” he whispers.

I smile at my brother-in-law and pat him gently on the cheek. “When in doubt, Roger,” I sigh, “I always assume you’re joking.”

“That’s why you’re my favorite sister-in-law,” she says, ruffling Jesse’s hair before turning to the Goddess’ priestess, who begins calling everyone to order. “Now, let this party begin!” NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.

Cora

I smile at my perfect little niece, who is looking with interest at the dark forest. “Ready to meet your grandmother, little one?” I whisper, hugging her and kissing her forehead. “She’s so pleased to meet you, she told me.”

Ads by Pubfuture

Ariel gives a little squeal, which sounds so much like an answer that it makes me laugh.

Roger laughs too and puts an arm around my shoulders. “Remember the last time we were here?” he murmurs and I look at him.

“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “We fight all the time. I was totally ready to push you into that pond.”

“Oh, I’ll tell you again,” he says, nodding fervently. “It was either that or grab you and kiss you; I didn’t know which I wanted more. Maybe they’ll both push you into the pond, dive in after you, grab you, kiss you until we both drown…”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Well, we know which one you chose in the end.”

“Well, you were crying so much,” he says, rolling his eyes in mock exhaustion, “I didn’t know how else to make you stop…”

“Oh, you idiot,” I sigh, laughing and stopping for a second, wrapping my hand around the lapel of his jacket and pulling him towards me. “Can’t you just say something nice for once?”

“What do you want to hear, Cora?” he asks, smiling at me and taking my face in his hands. “That it was the happiest moment of my life up until that point? That I had been waiting to kiss you for months and then had to actively stop myself from grabbing you and kissing you every time you walked into a room?”

My smile grows. “Something like that,” I murmur, and tug at his coat slightly, pulling him down for our second kiss in this forest, which is just as good as the first.

“I love you so much, Cora,” he sighs as he pulls away, his eyelids heavy as he stares into my face.

“I love you too, Roger,” I say, smiling at him, pouring every ounce of love I feel into our bond so he knows I mean it. Because we joke, but God, I love this man.

Roger leans in for another kiss, but a silver light turns on at the edge of my vision.

“Oh,” I say, raising my eyebrows as I settle the baby in my arms and turn toward the light. “I think Mommy’s getting impatient.”

“Well then,” Roger says, his arm still around my shoulder, “let’s not keep the Goddess waiting.”

So together, my partner and I carry our little goddaughter to the edge of the pool that forms between the trees. I smile to see that it is different this time surrounded by rocks, with a small waterfall falling at the edge. Secret and peaceful, like a hidden hot spring.

Roger nods to me and I step forward, holding the baby, unwrapping her and holding her up to the moonlight that floods the grove from above. And then he and I say the sacred words, dedicating our sweet Ariel to her grandmother the Goddess, promising to love and protect her all our lives.

The moonlight grows brighter as we talk, and I feel a warmth and satisfaction wash over me that I know comes from my mother, who is genuinely pleased with her granddaughter.

As the words end, our attention shifts because, as before, the premonition begins to take shape in the air above the water. And as we watch, Roger and my eyes widen.