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

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

I’m definitely not changing in

emerge, Sinclair is also dressed, though

Sinclair carrying me despite my protests. My

more and more every day, but it isn’t

yet. We all gather around the breakfast table, the men analyzing

voices, and me feeling like an outsider

matters I can’t begin to understand. It’s not that they exclude me,

of my depth.

Ella?” Sinclair asks, turning his blazing emerald eyes

circles for more than half

respond to this

lip thoughtfully, trying to ignore the flash of emotion

Releasing my

mean the Princess is

married to some other Alpha, right?” I

he in all this? Even if he doesn’t want

her to be gallivanting around another territory with

praises, maintaining

giving out false

the wrong

understand their motivations, we can

without playing into their

they’ll be expecting some sort of countermove to

but we might be able to spin ourselves out of the hot seat and refocus

– where

busy and distract the pack by

Hugo nods approvingly. “Good

when I look over,

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

this entire situation just doesn’t seem

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

you this is all fucked

I mean, I feel like I’m missing

replies drying. “Therę’s something bothering me and I just

on it.”

saying from the beginning

political scheme.” I

but one the Prince is too unimaginative to

widen almost imperceptibly, and then he

fist and swearing up a storm.

unimaginative?”

faces.

while Prince Damon might have seen

trophy, he’s not the type to impulsively destroy

Lydia wouldn’t have any reservations about

of the way.”

you are?” I gape, both

to believe

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

feet and pacing back and forth behind the dining table. “If the Prince had lost

death, I wouldn’t question it. And if there was

the case

poison?

was a political scheme you

and spun the details in a way that benefitted the campaign

Damon looking sympathetic.”

“Instead it just seems…

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