Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate

Sinclair

“We have to get to them,” Roger snarls, moving towards a window intending to bash it to pieces, I know – but I grab his arm as he goes, pulling him back.

“The priests are not that stupid,

Roger,” I say through clenched teeth. ” If they can make the door disappear, they can make the windows solid – ”

“So what do we do,” Roger growls, frantic, as our remaining healthy men take advantage of the momentary reprieve to attend to the men who are wounded. I glance around, doing a quick survey and finding that about eight of our men are down. I grimace when I realize that two are not moving at all, or making any noise. But I look away from them fast, not needing the distraction.

“We retreat, I say, holding Roger’s eye, “or we move further in. But there’s a reason why they’re not attacking here – they’re letting us stay in relative peace because they want us to stay here. Which means they don’t want us to leave, and they don’t want us to go further.”

“What?” Roger asks, frantic and a little baffled, looking around. “Why don’t they just kill us? Why don’t they just -”

“Because they can’t,” I say, nodding as I figure it out. If they had more priests to send – enough to take us out – they would do it. But the fact that they’re not sending them…

It means that we’ve got enough force on us that they can’t risk it. That we, somehow, outnumber or outmatch them. My wolf bares his fangs within me, eager now, on more secure ground now that we know more about what we’re facing.

“What?” Roger asks, his brows knitting together, still looking frantically for a way to get out, to get to her to his mate-

“Roger!” I shout, shaking his arm, making him turn to me. “If you think I have any less concern for Ella than you do Cora, then you need to check

you need to pull it together. You’re not going to help them by acting on impulse, all right? We need

then he turns back to me and nods so

the second level where I suspect more are waiting for

stay here, but they can’t hold us forever. So the only question is – do we

the word “leave” on Roger’s tongue, can see Cora on his mind. And frankly, I’m tempted too. The idea that – well, that they want us to stay here means that they knew we were coming. And if they

about us than we thought they did. That they know that

the possibility, but I force myself

the stairs with me, putting the pieces together.

steeling

nods his

possible. Those who are able again line up before us, two of our healthy men falling back – as is part of their protocol – to continue tending to our wounded. I give brisk orders for the men to press forward no matter what. The men nod, steeled

turn towards

of the stairs instead of a hallway or a door through which we can pass. When I get to the top, I

his face close, sniffing it.” It’s off,”

over my chest

before he speaks again, his voice low and considering. “We know, from our research, that the priest’s power comes from binding their wolves. Which means that…whatever they’ve accessed to create this kind of illusion…we have access to

I ask, turning to

at me askance. “That…I

gifts from the goddess. They’re magic, as much as we don’t generally describe them that way. That the priests are