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.

I hiss, my body shuddering with these

each other with

spot on — another week and we’d be too

“I’m sorry, child.”

priest professes gravely, closing the

not do this if there was another

I’ve ever experienced

me to run, to get away

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

isn’t

got a bolted door at my back and two attackers far larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the

his palm, but he

me away from the door, propelling

my legs, and I’m lifted off the

my screams muffled and garbled as the priest continues to

mouth, the metallic tang

rises, and I’m gagging, fighting for air and struggling to focus on my

fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they seem completely unaffected

as well be a feather swaying in the wind for all

distant keening pierces the air,

deeper than my own, thick with grief and pain more complex

with concern, joins the terrible

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

second voice, floating

“We’re so close.”

sounds are coming from, and the priests

single-minded focus, and i’m nothing more than a pawn in

thrust onto the floor

on my kicking legs, pulling his tool bag to his

extracts a shimmering silk cloth, it’s pearlescent

it around my

in the fabric, winding it round and round like a glittering

locked against my sides and my legs tightly shut,

grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they intend to

my mouth, the priest finally removes his hand from

second of my scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips,

able to breathe, though I don’t

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

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

I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook

herbaceous fragrance a moment before

are laid over my body, stones or crystals placed in deliberate patterns on my

in my veins warning me that I won’t

out of time, but I refuse to give up