Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Chapter 175 — Bound Trigger warning — Assault (non-sexual)

Ella

“It’s all right, Ella.”

The first priest says, approaching me as one might a skittish horse — with slow, measured movements and hands exposed to show he holds no weapon.

“We only want to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” I question shakily, my back flush against the locked door.

“You have a very powerful magic inside you, and if it’s allowed to come out you’ll be exposed.We can’t let that happen.” He explains, using a tone much too gentle to be trustworthy.

It’s as though he’s trying to trick me, to convince me he’s kind when he truly intends malice.

“I don’t have any magic.” I insist, wishing that I did.

Maybe if I was magic I might be able to put a stop to the things happening here — to protect the others without bringing harm to myself.I was so preoccupied with this statement that I almost missed the second piece of information.

“Exposed to what?”

“You do, it just hasn’t shown itself yet.”

The second priest sighs, keeping his distance but watching me with sharp eyes.

“At least not in ways you understand.Tell me, have you never noticed how much stronger you are than your peers? That you can hear and smell things from much greater distances? That you can run faster, jump higher, suffer greater injuries with less pain?”

He inquires, his hawkish gaze searing into me, “do they not follow you? Gravitate to your side and obey you as a leader?”

My head spins, making me dizzy with the possibilities.He guesses correctly, but that can’t be because I have some sort of special power.It’s just the way things are…isn’t it? “And exposed to a world you cannot yet join.”

The first man adds.

“It must happen when the time is right – but that time is a very long way off.”

“I don’t understand.”

I squeak, a sense of pure dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

“We know, Ella.”

The second man proclaims, “And I’m sorry that this must happen, it will not be pleasant, but it is necessary for the future of our people.”I shake my head, fighting back tears.

Their words are triggering every alarm bell in my young mind.I know what men do to little girls under the guise of necessity, the pretense of helping or protecting.

And I know exactly how unpleasant things can get.

My blood runs cold, and my pulse races, triggering a strange new energy deep in my bones.

It pulses through me like a bolt of electricity, a wild thing writhes just beneath my skin, feral and rabid — begging to be free.

away!” I hiss, my

each other with

spot on — another week and we’d

“I’m sorry, child.”

first priest professes gravely,

this if

terror, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,

at me to run, to get

whatever these men intend will be far worse than anything the doctor or dormitory matron have

isn’t anywhere

stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the second priest clamps his hand over my mouth before the

my teeth into his palm, but he

the door, propelling me

grabs my legs, and

their hold, my screams muffled and garbled as the priest continues to

the metallic tang fanning

gorge rises, and I’m gagging, fighting for air

fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and

be a feather swaying in the wind for

pierces the air,

deeper than my own, thick with grief and pain more complex than the sheer fright in my own

voice, tinged with concern,

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

voice, floating above

“We’re so close.”

coming from, and the priests

with their task with single-minded focus, and i’m nothing more than a pawn in their game — tiny and helpless to

onto the floor

on my kicking legs, pulling his tool bag to

silk cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like moonlight, glowing

they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around me with the unyielding force

the fabric, winding it round and round like a

arms are locked against my sides and

fabric’s punishing grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head,

my mouth, the priest finally removes

before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking

though I don’t understand

– my mind is awake but I’m trapped in my own body, unable to move

only lie there motionless, my brain screaming at my nerve endings and muscles to move, to do something – anything! But nothing happens because this isn’t a dream from which I can wake, this is real, and

around outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling

moment before drops of moisture seep through the silk

stones or crystals placed in deliberate patterns

electricity in my veins warning me that

I’m running out of time, but I refuse to give up hope for