Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Chapter 314 – Ether Confessions

Ella

“I really must insist,” Leon says awkwardly, looking around at the packed guest bedroom, “that we …thin the crowd. Just a bit.”

“Well, I’m not leaving,” I say, stepping forward and bouncing Rafe in my arms as I look down at my sister laying on the bed. Cora is awkward and uncomfortable as she looks around at the collection of investigators, at Roger, at me, Rafe, and Sinclair, all standing around her. Leon sits primly squeezed into a chair at her side.

“Perhaps…the child?” Leon suggests and I sigh, realizing that he’s right. I turn to Sinclair, my eyes pleading.

“Can you?” I ask.

Sinclair blanches at me. “Ella – I have to be here to hear this

”

“Please,” I say, stepping towards him. “Maybe we can….like, is there a way to make a video feed? Or sound? So you can hear in another room?”

Leon’s eyebrows go up. “That would work,” he says, looking at Sinclair, who nods firmly, reaching out for Rafe.

“I owe you,” I whisper to him, standing on my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek and handing the baby to him. “I can’t leave her.”

“I understand,” Sinclair murmurs back, “I’ll send someone up with AV equipment in a few minutes.” He brushes my cheek with his thumb before signaling to the investigators to leave the room with him. I turn back to my sister and then blink when I see Roger still standing in the

corner, his arms crossed.

“What are you still doing here?” I ask, surprised.

Roger just stares at me for a moment, apparently appalled that I would ask. “I’m the lead investigator on this, Ella!” he informs me, frustrated, throwing out an explanatory hand. “I need to be here! To ask questions! To guide the investigation!”

“Ooooookay!” I say, putting my hands up placatingly. “I just didn’t know lead investigators were usually so pissy.”

“Pissy!” Roger gasps, leaning forward to me, aghast. “Ella, I –”

“Roger,” Leon says, holding up a hand towards him. “We need a calm environment for this to work, and your level of agitation is…non–conducive.”

Roger stares at Leon, his mouth open, shocked to have been put in his place so politely.

“Yeah,” Cora says, grinning at Roger and wrinkling her nose at him. “So, in other words, stop being so pissy.”

Roger stares between us for a moment and then leans back against the wall with his eyes closed, taking a deep breath and raising a hand to press the bridge of his nose between his fingers.” Sisters…” he mutters, “I am never again spending any time at all with…sisters.”

A younger member of Sinclair’s team enters quietly then, nodding to me and beginning to set up a computer and a microphone on Cora’s far side. He works quickly while Roger composes himself

Leon prepares the ether shot. I sit down on the end of the bed, putting a hand on Cora’s ankle

only thing near enough for me to touch – and mouth

and leans her head back on the pillow, nodding to me

a comforting hand on her shoulder

she is about this. “I know that you’re aware of

little different. I’m going to give you the

guide you back to your memories of that day. You’ll hear my voice, and then,

Roger will join me in asking

right?”

looking anxiously up at the doctor. “If I get….scared?”

doctor assures her, tightening his hand a little on

if you’d like

if she sees that you

your sister

at me for confirmation. I

got her back, as I always do.

and Roger and me. “Then let’s

nice and easy.”

breath and closes her eyes again. She doesn’t flinch

2/4

long

little behind

I watch her,

also on Cora, Roger comes and

I give him a warm little nudge of my

teasing him a few minutes

quietly after a few minutes.

she says, a peaceful smile

you?”

voice carefree. I blink,

own hypnotic states.

little notepad out of

“And is this a happy place

shrugs and makes a noncommittal noise. “Eh. I’d rather be at

you like work,

my heart warming to

breezy. “And busy.”

to work now, and tell me when you’re

nods. Leon continues. “What day