The Mystical Attraction of Alpha

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? “Rafe?” I gasp, spinning 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 white swaddling, holding him in my arms

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

He puts his hand on 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 given birth yet –

moving my own hands so that they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting

the love I have in my heart down our bond, and feeling a little pulse back. He hears me. He tells

rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair and nod. “Okay.

so that our foreheads touch. We stay like that for a long minute as tears start to slide down my cheeks, unbidden but unstoppable. It’s all just…it’s a lot to take in in just a few

be. “I’ll get the doctor,” I hear

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

all right,” she huffs, laughing through the tears that are falling down

body. “Um, I think so?” I feel so weak but there

hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift,

I gave it to you – it’s yours “Ella,” she chides, “you’re being ridiculous – you were dying – of

frantic and frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from

clearly so sick. I look up at him, my eyes apologetic, and

Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at

the tears off

—

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 normal doctors – but he certainly seems

quickly, coming to my side, almost running into Cora in his hurry to get to me. He quickly scans my face, his expression worried. “I have to say, I’m shocked to see you awake –” He quickly grasps my wrist, feeling for a pulse and turning towards the monitors behind them, scanning them for new information. “It shouldn’t be possible…” he

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

says, turning back to the monitors. “Whatever it was

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

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,

doctor scolds, turning towards me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You have days yet in this hospital

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