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 body

each other

another

“I’m sorry, child.”

first priest professes gravely, closing

would not do this if

ever experienced before, takes over

to run,

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

isn’t anywhere

stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but

into his palm, but he doesn’t

away from the door, propelling

legs, and I’m lifted

screams muffled and garbled as

tang fanning

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

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

might as well be a feather swaying in the wind for all the effort

pierces the

pain more complex than the sheer fright in my own

voice, tinged with concern, joins

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

floating above

“We’re so close.”

have no idea where these sounds are coming from, and the

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

thrust onto the

my wrists while the other sits on my kicking legs, pulling his tool bag

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

they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around me with

fabric, winding it round and round like a glittering

locked against my sides and my legs tightly shut, I’m completely

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

silk falls over my mouth, the priest finally

my scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking my face

breathe, though I

life – my mind is awake but I’m trapped in 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,

to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook A bottle uncorking? For all the fabric’s strength, it does not stop me from feeling or

is filled with some pungent, herbaceous fragrance a moment before drops of

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

cocoon, that foreign electricity in my veins warning me that

out of time, but I refuse to give up