The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

Chapter 175 — Bound Trigger warning — Assault (non-sexual)

Ella

“It’s all right, Ella.”

The first priest says, approaching me as one might a skittish horse — with slow, measured movements and hands exposed to show he holds no weapon.

“We only want to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” I question shakily, my back flush against the locked door.

“You have a very powerful magic inside you, and if it’s allowed to come out you’ll be exposed.We can’t let that happen.” He explains, using a tone much too gentle to be trustworthy.

It’s as though he’s trying to trick me, to convince me he’s kind when he truly intends malice.

“I don’t have any magic.” I insist, wishing that I did.

Maybe if I was magic I might be able to put a stop to the things happening here — to protect the others without bringing harm to myself.I was so preoccupied with this statement that I almost missed the second piece of information.

“Exposed to what?”

“You do, it just hasn’t shown itself yet.”

The second priest sighs, keeping his distance but watching me with sharp eyes.

“At least not in ways you understand.Tell me, have you never noticed how much stronger you are than your peers? That you can hear and smell things from much greater distances? That you can run faster, jump higher, suffer greater injuries with less pain?”

He inquires, his hawkish gaze searing into me, “do they not follow you? Gravitate to your side and obey you as a leader?”

My head spins, making me dizzy with the possibilities.He guesses correctly, but that can’t be because I have some sort of special power.It’s just the way things are…isn’t it? “And exposed to a world you cannot yet join.”

The first man adds.

“It must happen when the time is right – but that time is a very long way off.”

“I don’t understand.”

I squeak, a sense of pure dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

“We know, Ella.”

The second man proclaims, “And I’m sorry that this must happen, it will not be pleasant, but it is necessary for the future of our people.”I shake my head, fighting back tears.

Their words are triggering every alarm bell in my young mind.I know what men do to little girls under the guise of necessity, the pretense of helping or protecting.

And I know exactly how unpleasant things can get.

My blood runs cold, and my pulse races, triggering a strange new energy deep in my bones.

It pulses through me like a bolt of electricity, a wild thing writhes just beneath my skin, feral and rabid — begging to be free.

away!” I hiss, my body shuddering with these new

at each other

another week and

“I’m sorry, child.”

priest professes gravely, closing

do this if there was

unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, takes over

me to run, to get

will be far worse than anything the doctor

there isn’t anywhere

door at my back and two attackers far larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the

teeth into his palm,

simply wrenches me away from the door, propelling me further

grabs my legs, and

screams muffled and garbled as the

my mouth, the metallic tang fanning the flames in my already sour

gagging, fighting for air and struggling

fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they

swaying in the wind for all the effort they expend to contain

pierces the

pain more complex

A deep voice, tinged with concern, joins the

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

voice, floating

“We’re so close.”

have no idea where these sounds are coming from, and the priests don’t seem to

and i’m nothing more than a pawn in

onto the floor and

priest restrains my wrists while the other sits on my kicking legs, pulling his tool bag to

cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like moonlight,

soft and airy, but when they begin wrapping it around

the fabric, winding it round and round

are locked against my sides and my legs tightly shut, I’m

and soon

the silk falls over my mouth, the priest finally

scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping

to breathe, though I

one of my nightmares come to life – my mind is awake but I’m trapped

my brain screaming at my nerve endings and muscles to move, to do something – anything! But nothing happens because this isn’t a dream from which I can wake, this is real,

the priests rummaging around outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook A bottle uncorking? For all the

is filled with some pungent, herbaceous fragrance a moment before drops of moisture seep through the silk and onto my

body, stones or crystals placed

my veins warning me that I won’t

out of time, but I refuse to