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?

desperate. “Where is Rafe?” Then I start to look all around me, searching for him

says hurriedly, “it was a dream, Ella – we met him in the dream –”

the swell of my stomach then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here, I haven’t

own hands so that they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow, and search for him. And it’s hard, it’s distant,

him, my ties to him. My bond with my baby. I reach out to him, sending all the love I have in my heart

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

of my hands and lowering his head

stay like that for a long minute as tears start to slide down

minutes. To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling in the dream state to get here. It is

where else I’d want

I hear Roger murmur, and then his footsteps move to the door, heading out the

room.

at my side, letting

all right,” she huffs, laughing through the 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 warmth, a stillness in me that feels… I frown, looking up at her. “Did you…do something to me?”

gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the

straighter in my bed. “Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave it to you –

”

–

–

dying – of course I gave it back to

from a Goddess – from our mom – I worked so hard to get it here, the least you could do is take

”

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 – and she saved

nodding up at him and then turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as soon as I’m better, you’re taking it back.”

these terms, wiping the tears off

—

smiling at my sister, holding my mate’s hand tight in my own, when the Doctor comes in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one of my

my face, his expression worried. “I have to say, I’m shocked to see you

say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair.

me, still holding my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he observes, a little humor in his voice. The doctor’s face screws up

the monitors. “Whatever it was

spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me, clearly working to figure out what’s wrong and

is…” the doctor says, looking at a small 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 it. “Can I go home?”

doctor scolds, turning towards me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak.

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