#Capítulo 299 – Deberes  de los padrinos

“ Bienvenidos ” , dice una sacerdotisa , saliendo del templo y brindándonos una gran sonrisa . _ _ Le devuelvo la sonrisa con entusiasmo , subo las escaleras cargando el asiento del automóvil y presento a nuestro grupo . Ella sabe quiénes somos , por supuesto , nadie .could mistake Sinclair for anyone else anymore, not with his face all over the media every day and his coronation imminent. 

Pero mientras nos saluda con la cabeza a todos y nos lleva al templo mismo , me pregunto si sabe … que está corriendo . _ _a temple dedicated to my mom. I mean, it’s not precisely public 

knowledge, but I do wonder how much she suspects. 

Cora camina a mi lado , mirando alrededor del hermoso espacio abierto del templo , sus ojos inevitablemente atraídos por el magnífico mosaico dorado gigante de la Diosa construido en la pared detrás . del de su . Después de mirar la imagen por un momento , ella _se vuelve hacia mí y sonríe un poco . 

No puedo evitar la risita que escapa de mis labios y me tapo la boca a toda prisa . 

La imagen no se parece en nada a nuestra mamá . Pero , supongo que no importa , y ciertamente no lo hará .do any good to tell them they’ve got it all wrong. 

La sacerdotisa nos mira con curiosidad , pero niego con la cabeza a modo de disculpa , pidiéndole perdón en silencio . Ella simplemente nos da una cálida sonrisa y nos lleva a un juego de sillas junto a un tranquilo espejo de agua en una esquina de la habitación . 

” Entonces ” , dice , sonriéndonos a los cuatro mientras nos sentamos y miramos al bebé . _ _ _ _ _ Estamos aquí para planear la dedicación del pequeño Rafe a la diosa , ¿ sí ? ” 

Muevo la cabeza hacia un lado , curiosa . _ “¿ Pensé que era un bautismo de luna ? ” 

( ( 

Ella se ríe un poco y me da una sonrisa . ” Sí , un término más coloquial , creo , pero no inexacto . Aunque , por supuesto , no será salpicado con ninguna _ _ _holy water as in a Christian baptism. Many of the other traditions, sin embargo , son similares . ‘ 

La sacerdotisa mira ahora a Roger y Cora . ” Ustedes dos , supongo , ¿ serán presentados como padrinos ? ”  _

Roger asiente solemnemente pero Cora parece ansiosa . Me estiro y tomo su mano .  _

The priestess seems to notice Cora’s unease and gives her a smile. “That’s all right – it’s not a hard job, even though you two will have more to do than the parents. On the evening of the full moon, the two of you will take the child into the woods by yourselves – ” 

“The woods? By ourselves?” Cora asks, a little aghast. 

“Yes,” the priestess says, blinking at her in surprise. “Did no one tell you?” 

“No,” she huffs, looking at me and Sinclair with wide eyes. “I thought we had to go to a church, hold him over a…baptismal font. Or whatever.” 

The priestess shakes her head slowly, hesitant now at Cora’s apparent protest. “No, we plan the event here at the temple, but the actual ceremony occurs in the open air. Under the light of the first full moon after the child’s birth.” 

– 

“What’s the problem, Cora?” I ask, confused but working to be gentle. “You’re an OBGYN – babies are your thing you’ll be totally fine 

“No, it’s fine,” Cora says, looking down at her hands, clearly flustered. “I just…didn’t know.” 

The priestess looks to me, still hesitant, but I smile at her encouragingly and nod. Then, she explains the details of the rest of the process to us, answering our questions and making sure that we all know our roles. It’s a new experience for me, of course – I myself was not dedicated to the goddess under the light of the full moon. But Sinclair and Roger were, and it’s an important ceremony to usher my baby into his culture. I have to admit, I’m excited for it. 

As I look at Cora, though, I’m shocked to see that she’s clearly uncomfortable. I frown, confused and a little frustrated. This was in no way out of her comfort zone, as far as I knew – all she had to do was carry a baby into the woods a little distance. 

What the hell was going on? 

When the priestess finishes explaining the details, she goes over some paperwork with Sinclair and I take the opportunity to talk to Cora alone. 

“Cora,” I say casually, unbuckling Rafe from his carrier and lifting him into my arms. “Will you come help me? I want to feed him before the ride home.” 

“Sure,” she says, unquestioning. Together, we head to the other side of the temple, to a quiet little alcove with a stone bench. 

“What is going on with you?” I ask, spinning on her with a little frown when we’re finally 

alone. 

“Wha-” she says, blinking at me, her mouth falling open. “I thought we were coming to feed the baby – 

(( 

“Oh he’s not hungry,” I say, waving a hand to dismiss her concern. “I just said that to get you over here. But seriously – what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” she murmurs, uncomfortable, wrapping her arms around herself awkwardly. 

“Seriously?” I huff, swatting at her, getting frustrated. “Cora – I can read you like a book. I know you’re upset. Just tell me!” 

“Ella,” she sighs, looking me in the eye. “I don’t think you’re realizing how weird this can all be for me. I mean, the world has changed now. It was different, when werewolves were a secret and I was one human who knew. Now everyone knows, and there’s a huge rift between our two worlds! And I know that you’re a wolf now, and I think that’s great but…” 

She shrugs and looks awkwardly around the temple. “But I’m a human,” she continues, 

hesitant. “And it’s…weird. You should hear the way that humans talk about the wolves, and the way they look at me when I say that I…I work with wolves, and I am an OBGYN for wolf kind as well as humans.” She shrugs and my heart sinks to hear the pain in her voice. “They look at me like I’m a traitor, Ella. Some of the human women refuse to be seen by me because I work with wolves too.” 

“Oh, Cora,” I murmur, taking a step closer to her and wrapping her in a one–armed hug, the baby between us. “You know that we don’t feel that way, right? You are our family –” 

“I know, Ella,” she says, nodding, but still looking at the floor. “But even in this family – I know that you feel that I’m not different but,” she hesitates and then glances over at Sinclair and Roger. “I’m not sure that’s true of everyone.” 

I sigh, following her gaze across the room and focusing on Roger. He, I know, is the source of it all. 

What on earth happened between them? 

“Has he said something to you, Cora?” I ask quietly, dying to know, but also really, really wanting to help her, to fix this rift between them. Even if they’re never…what they were. It’s important to me that they both feel comfortable around each other, for the baby’s sake. 

Cora bites her lip and I can tell that she doesn’t really want to share. “Not really, Ella,” she says, thinking through it herself. “It’s less about what he said and more about how he acted. Just…when we came home, and there were more humans around, it just became abundantly clear that…we’re from different worlds. And it’s not just me who noticed it. He feels weird 

about it too.”