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?

to look all around me, searching for him – he’s here, he has to be, I remember him, my little baby, wrapped in white swaddling, holding him in my

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

my stomach then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here,

they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head

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

open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair and nod.

exhales a huge rush of air, grasping one of my hands

stay like that for a long minute as tears start to

to take in in just a few minutes. To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after

no where else I’d want to

get the doctor,” I hear Roger murmur, and then

room.

and reaching my other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as I take her hand.

she huffs, laughing through the tears that are falling down her own cheeks. “Are

beat up little body. “Um, I think so?” I feel so weak but there is also…a warmth, a stillness in me that

“Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift, I gave it back to you,”

“Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave

”

–

–

dying – of course I gave it back to you I didn’t even want it

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

”

to him as I feel suddenly 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

I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as soon as I’m better, you’re taking

the tears off of

—

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 normal doctors – but he certainly seems to know

quickly scans my face, his expression worried. “I have to say, I’m shocked to see you awake –”

was…” I say, hesitating, looking up at

stands stoically beside 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 further with confusion but then he simply exhales quickly and shakes his head,

monitors. “Whatever it was

baby all right?” I ask quickly, working to sit up 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

“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?”

me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You have days yet in this hospital – tests, monitoring…”

he’ll pick me up and carry me bodily out of this 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 when he says we can, and not a moment