Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Chapter 188

Ella

After hanging up with Sinclair, I return the King’s cell phone and look around at the gathered men.”

When does Leon arrive?”I inquire, forcing down a shiver.

“Within the hour.” Gabriel replies, solemn-faced.

Though they’d all agreed that the developments back home warranted accelerating my hypnosis sessions, none of them are happy about keeping them secret. I’m not happy about it either, but I’m also dreading another traumatizing visit to my past.

“Before he arrives I think we should take some bl00d samples from you, Ella.” Henry suggests. “I know the doctors in Moon Valley didn’t find any genetic matches for you, but there’s a chance that we can trace your ancestry by looking at genetic traits which have historically been doc.umented in certain bl00dlines. It won’t help us if the inherited genes aren’t expressed through ancestral phenotypes, but certain markers in your DNA might still allow us to draw important connections”

“But surely that would only work if my ancestors come from a bl00dline deemed worth doc.umenting.” I object uncertainly. “I mean if I come from a long line of nobodies then there won’t be anything to find.”

Phil!ppe, Henry, Gabriel and Roger exchange meaningful glances. They appear to have a full on silent conversation, trading shrugs and expressions as if batting the responsibility of answering back and forth between one another. “

What?” I finally prompt them, feeling exasperated.

“It’s just, Ella,” Roger sighs, “it’s highly unlikely that you come from random nobodies. It’s not impossible, but the fact that you survived having your wolf bound and have proven yourself a match for Dominic… that indicated a level of power that has to be passed down over centuries, getting stronger with every generation. It would explain why the Goddess chose you.. she blessed certain wolves with more magic than others from the beginning.”

that mean that all of you have the same sort of

least bit boastful. “The Sinclairs, Gabriel’s bl00dline, even Phil!ppes,

c.hest. “That hardly seems

have died out because so-called

I’m a princess pops into my head, and I grapple with the discomfort of this idea. “I guess, though I don’t think I like the idea of being part of a

come on,” Roger jokes, “we’re not all

his joke, but I grumble the entire way through the bl00d draw. When the doctor departs I try to sneak in a power nap before Leon arrives, much good that it does me. I end up lying awake and

later I’m in the familiar drug-induced stupor of the ether, the world swirling around me in a hallucinogenic haze. Henry’s hands are warm around mine, and I try to focus on the good feelings, rather than the walls

couple of priests when you were a girl. I understand that was a somewhat traumatic memory for

putting it mildly.” Henry mutters under his breath, and I squeeze his hand to

answer, delighting in the

you if you ever saw or spoke with those men again?” Leon inquires. “Can you

while trying to hold off the feelings evoked by that particular memory. I’d been ready to say no, but the more I focus on the details of their robes and the timbres of their voices, I

Leon inquires, as nonchalantly as if we’re talking about

after all, if my first incident with them resulted in

let it carry you. I know it’s not

squeak my a.ssent, trying to refocus myself as he continues, “try to picture

my

comes in pants. There is no light in the woods save the moon, and as

Ella. Who is

running?” Leon prompts, in the same

a few miles from the orphanage. I’m thirteen, and it’s the first summer that Cora and I attempted to live on the streets. After fleeing the orphanage and the Doctor’s a.buse, we’d lasted two whole months picking pockets and hustling to keep our bellies full. We’d slowly learned the tricks of the trade