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.

the restroom to change. I might be

my human modesty is too deeply ingrained to allow me to strut around

does – and I’m definitely not changing in

Sinclair is also dressed, though much more formally than

downstairs together, Sinclair carrying

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

around the breakfast table, the men analyzing these

in low, serious voices, and me feeling like

understand. It’s not

of my depth.

you think, Ella?” Sinclair asks, turning his blazing emerald eyes

been going around in circles for more than half an hour,

respond to this

on my lower lip thoughtfully, trying to ignore

the nervous habit. Releasing my swollen lip,

Lydia’s husband?I mean the Princess is

I clarify. When the men

in all this? Even if he doesn’t want her anymore, it must make him

her to be gallivanting around another territory

Henry praises, maintaining a straight-faced

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

this the

to understand their motivations,

without playing into

some sort

able to spin ourselves out of the hot

onto them – where

and distract the pack by rustling up her

approvingly. “Good idea,

when

it. I think it’s the best hope we have, but

entire situation

of course not.” Hugo scoffs, “You don’t need to convene a

this is all fucked six

I mean, I feel like I’m missing

“Therę’s something bothering me and I just

on it.”

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

political scheme.” I contribute

but one the Prince is too unimaginative to have orchestrated.” Hugo

eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and then he clenches

hand into a fist and

who isn’t too unimaginative?” Sinclair

faces.

while Prince Damon might have seen his mate

not the type to

But Lydia wouldn’t have any reservations about getting the

of the way.”

what I think you are?”

to believe

crazy as it seems, what other explanation do we have?” Sinclair inquires,

behind the dining table. “If the Prince

question it.

case for rogues

by Damon. But poison?

was a political scheme you would think the

in a way that benefitted

Damon looking sympathetic.”

agrees. “Instead it

planned, then why haven’t