Surrogate For Alpha Dom

Ella

Hugo, Sinclair and I are all staring at the television with wide eyes and slack jaws,

unable to process the images flitting across the screen. It seems like every time we

manage to take a few steps forward, Lydia and the Prince find a way to send us

reeling back – and this is no exception.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Hugo expresses, obviously overwhelmed. “Why would

he risk losing the pack’s sympathy by parading around another Woman so soon after

his wife’s death?”

“Trust me, Hugo – Damon isn’t the one calling the shots here. This is all Lydia.”

Sinclair states gruffly. “She’s going to force her way onto the throne one way or

another. Right now she’s playing the doting friend, but mark my words, by the time the

election ends she’ll be in his bed.”

“How bad is this?’ I ask, looking up at Sinclair’s handsome face, “Does she have

information that could hurt you?”

Sinclair Squeezes my shoulders, “She knows some secrets.” He relates, “but luckily

nothing I could imagine as a smoking gun. In fact most of what she knows would be

more harmful to the Prince things like my father’s attack, Things the public believes

were accidents but our private investigators proved malicious.” His mouth flattens into

a hard line. “The real danger is that she knows how we think, how we operate. Not to

mention that the Prince doesn’t have more than two brain cells to rub together, but

Lydia has plenty.”

“So what do we do?” I ask anxiously, my head replaying the news reel over and over

again. “My bed rest isn’t common knowledge, and they’re making it sound like my

absence from the public eye is suspicious. Do we tell everyone about my condition?

Or do we make an appearance?”

“I’m afraid making an appearance might play right into their hands. This could be

some sort of attempt to lure us out of hiding.” Hugo advises, looking very grim indeed.

In the distance I hear the front door open and close – a fact which comes as quite a

surprise, since my hearing has never been so sharp before.

Wheels roll over the door jam, and then Henry’s voice floats up toward us, “Good

Morning!”

“Henry!” I exclaim, both taken aback yet unsurprised we stayed in bed so long.

Sinclair’s father has been coming over almost every day since we agreed to be

invalids together, and he’s been an invaluable help, since I learned my true identity.

into the restroom to change. I might

ingrained to allow me to strut

Sinclair does – and I’m definitely not changing

is also dressed,

Sinclair carrying

more every day, but it isn’t enough to free me of

We all gather around the breakfast table, the men analyzing these

voices, and me feeling like an

to understand. It’s not that they exclude me,

of my depth.

Ella?” Sinclair asks, turning his

for more than half an

respond to

gnaw on my lower lip thoughtfully, trying to ignore the flash

he observes the nervous habit. Releasing my swollen lip, I

Lydia’s husband?I mean the Princess is dead,

married to some other Alpha, right?” I clarify.

he doesn’t want her anymore, it must make

to be gallivanting around another territory

Henry praises, maintaining

me that he’s not giving out false compliments. “Maybe we’ve been

this the

motivations, we can simply leave it

respond without

all, they’ll be expecting some sort of

be able to spin ourselves out

them – where it

busy and distract the pack by rustling up her husband and

Hugo nods approvingly. “Good

when I look over, his features are

still don’t like it. I think it’s the best hope we have, but

entire situation

“You don’t need to convene a

this is all

I feel like I’m missing

replies drying. “Therę’s something bothering me and I just can’t put

on it.”

you’ve been saying from the beginning that Princess Angeline’s

political scheme.”

too unimaginative

almost imperceptibly, and then he clenches them shut,

into a fist and swearing up a storm.

know who isn’t too unimaginative?”

faces.

“And while Prince Damon might have seen

not the type

wouldn’t have any reservations about getting the Princess

of the way.”

you saying what I think you are?”

to believe

explanation do we have?” Sinclair

and forth behind the dining table. “If

and beat her to death, I wouldn’t question it. And if there was some sort

the case for rogues or vengeance for

But poison? That’s a woman’s

if it was a political scheme you

her death and spun the details in a

Damon looking sympathetic.”

agrees. “Instead it just

Sinclair confirms. “If it was planned, then why haven’t they