Surrogate For Alpha Dom

#Chapter 274 – Bonded

Ella

My head feels…so heavy. I groan, trying to move my hands up so I can press them against my temples, but I can’t move them.

“Easy,” I hear him say beside me and instinctually I turn towards his voice. Where –

“Easy, Ella,” he murmurs, his words thick with emotion. “It’s all right…”

I peel my eyelids apart, then, confused at the effort. It’s like I haven’t opened my eyes for weeks…

My vision comes back to me slowly, the room around me coming into focus with effort. I blink rapidly, looking around at Sinclair, and Cora, and Roger all standing around me, peering at me with worried faces. I feel very suddenly like Dorothy, when she wakes up from her trip to Oz.

“What?” I murmur, my voice thick and my throat scratchy. Suddenly anxious, I try to sit up, pushing at the bed beneath me but –

What the hell were all these wires, tied to my arms?

“Easy, trouble,” Sinclair whispers, pressing his hand to my shoulder, keeping me down. My body responds to his command, relaxing backwards as I look up at him. But…

“Where am I?” I ask, staring at him, and then I press my eyes closed. It’s all just too much.

“You’re in the hospital,” I hear my sister explain. “After the gift, at the temple…”

But her voice fades, almost as if I can’t hear it. I feel my heart start to pound, my breath ratchet up as my memories start to come back to me. Of being on the temple steps of Cora there, and what we learned about each other of Sinclair’s warm arms around me –

–

–

–

And then, nothing – and then clouds – and Sinclair again, and my baby –

Oh my god, where was my baby?

towards Sinclair as my eyes fly open, desperate. “Where is Rafe?” Then I start to look all around me, searching for him – he’s here, he has to be, I remember him, my little baby, wrapped in

a dream, Ella – we met him in

attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here, I

my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back

feel him, my ties to him. My bond with my baby. I reach out to him, sending all the love I have in my heart down our bond, and feeling a

whole body relax. I open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and

grasping one of my hands and

a long minute as

To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling

else I’d want to

hear Roger murmur, and then his footsteps move

room.

at my side, letting us have our moment as I take her hand. “Are you all

tears that

her, unable to help myself, and then glance down at my poor beat up little body. “Um, I think so?” I feel so weak but there is also…a

running her hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift, I gave it back to you,” she stumbles, not really knowing how to

up straighter in my bed. “Cora!” I scold.

”

–

–

were dying – of course I

didn’t want it?!” I almost shout, frantic and frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our mom – I worked so hard to get it here, the least you could do is

”

guilty and a little childish, arguing with my sister like this in front of him, especially when I’m clearly so sick. I look up at him, my eyes apologetic, and I see his face instantly soften. “Please, Ella,” he begs.” You’re so weak

him and then turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But

laughs, agreeing to these terms, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. “Whatever you say,

—

in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one of my normal doctors – but he certainly seems to know me.

see you awake –” He quickly grasps

was…” I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not precisely a

stoically beside me, still holding my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he observes, a little humor in

he says, turning back to the monitors. “Whatever it was it is a…remarkable recovery.”

further and wincing as a sharp pain spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me, clearly working to figure out what’s wrong and how

monitor tucked in amongst the larger ones. “He’s fine,” he mumbles, almost to himself. “Better, if anything, than he was the last time I was in here.” “Good,” I say, almost under my breath, pleased to have my suspicions confirmed. My baby and I… we are going to make

me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak.

hospital right now. But he slowly shakes his head too, letting me know he agrees with the doctor. “I want you home as well, baby,” he murmurs, “both of you. But he’s been good,” Sinclair says, glancing at the doctor. “We go