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.”

of you have the same sort of

not sounding the least bit boastful. “The Sinclairs, Gabriel’s bl00dline, even Phil!ppes, they’re all incredibly distinguished and can be traced back to the first

“That hardly seems then what, you’re doomed to be poor

chuckles. “Plenty of other traits prove more useful than brute strength, which is why some other bl00dlines have died out because so-called weaker wolves outsmarted them. And the fact remains that fair or not, this

grapple with the discomfort of this idea. “I guess,

on,” Roger jokes, “we’re not

When the doctor departs I try to sneak in a power nap before Leon arrives, much good that it does

a hallucinogenic haze. Henry’s hands are warm around mine, and I try to focus on the good feelings,

when you were a girl.

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

answer, delighting in the starbursts dancing across my dark

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

deeply and try to focus, recalling their wrinkled faces 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 realize that isn’t true. “Yes.”

nonchalantly as if we’re

all, if my first incident with them resulted in the binding of my wolf,

ether, Ella.” Leon advises. “Just let it carry you. I know it’s not easy, but

he continues, “try to picture the setting. Where were they when you saw

my heart pounding in my ears as adrenaline floods my

and as I race away from the monster

going further back, Ella. Who is chasing

Leon prompts,

our bellies full. We’d slowly learned the tricks of the trade – how to stay hidden from the authorities and enterprising gangs who might recruit us; how to hide our shelters out of sight and stay warm on the cooler nights; even how to navigate some of the city’s secret closes and corridors to