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 –

on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow, and search for him.

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

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

huge rush of air, grasping one of my hands and lowering his head 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

I hear Roger murmur, and then

reaching my other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us

tears that

and then glance down at my poor beat up little body. “Um, I think so?” I feel

says, laughing a little and running her hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift,

gasp then, working to sit up straighter in my bed. “Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave it to you – it’s yours “Ella,”

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

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

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

to these terms, wiping the tears off of her

—

hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one

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

I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not

then, looking towards us confused, and I just shrug. Sinclair 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

back to the monitors. “Whatever it

wincing as a sharp pain spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning

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?” I ask quickly, hoping to heap more good news on

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

at Sinclair then, my eyes pleading. I know that if I ask him, if I want it enough, 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