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.

go away!” I hiss, my

look at each other with

another week and we’d be too

“I’m sorry, child.”

professes gravely, closing the distance between

do this if there was

ever

screaming at me to run, to get away at

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

there isn’t anywhere to

door at my back and two attackers far larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the second priest clamps his hand over my mouth

into his palm, but he doesn’t even

simply wrenches me away from the door, propelling me further into

man grabs my legs, and I’m lifted off

against their hold, my screams muffled

into my mouth, the metallic tang fanning the flames in my already

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

what to do or how to fight them — I’m powerless in their strong

in the wind for all the effort they

pierces the air,

my own, thick with grief and pain more

tinged with concern, joins the terrible

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

voice, floating

“We’re so close.”

from, and the priests don’t seem to hear them

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

thrust onto the floor and

while the other sits on my kicking legs, pulling

cloth, it’s pearlescent

soft and airy, but when they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around me with

enclose me in the fabric, winding it round and

locked against my sides and my legs

fabric’s punishing grip, and soon they’re

silk falls over my mouth, the priest finally removes

moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking my face

to breathe, though I don’t

of my nightmares come to life – my mind is awake but I’m trapped in my own body, unable to

move, to do something – anything! But nothing happens because this isn’t a dream from

of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook A bottle uncorking? For all

before drops of moisture seep through the silk and onto my

or crystals placed in

fight the cocoon, that foreign electricity in my veins warning

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