Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 369 – Deeper In

Sinclair

“We have to get to them,” Roger snarls, moving towards a window intending to bash it to pieces, I know – but I grab his arm as he goes, pulling him back.

“The priests are not that stupid,

Roger,” I say through clenched teeth. ” If they can make the door disappear, they can make the windows solid – ”

“So what do we do,” Roger growls, frantic, as our remaining healthy men take advantage of the momentary reprieve to attend to the men who are wounded. I glance around, doing a quick survey and finding that about eight of our men are down. I grimace when I realize that two are not moving at all, or making any noise. But I look away from them fast, not needing the distraction.

“We retreat, I say, holding Roger’s eye, “or we move further in. But there’s a reason why they’re not attacking here – they’re letting us stay in relative peace because they want us to stay here. Which means they don’t want us to leave, and they don’t want us to go further.”

“What?” Roger asks, frantic and a little baffled, looking around. “Why don’t they just kill us? Why don’t they just -”

“Because they can’t,” I say, nodding as I figure it out. If they had more priests to send – enough to take us out – they would do it. But the fact that they’re not sending them…

It means that we’ve got enough force on us that they can’t risk it. That we, somehow, outnumber or outmatch them. My wolf bares his fangs within me, eager now, on more secure ground now that we know more about what we’re facing.

“What?” Roger asks, his brows knitting together, still looking frantically for a way to get out, to get to her to his mate-

“Roger!” I shout, shaking his arm, making him turn to me. “If you think I have any less concern for Ella than you do Cora, then you need to check

my face close to his so that only he hears me. “But you need to pull it together. You’re not going to help them by acting on impulse, all right?

just a second, his jaw clenched, but then he turns back to

the second level where I suspect more are waiting for us, guarding…. something. Perhaps their

us forever. So the only question is

frankly, I’m tempted too. The idea that –

know far more about us than we thought they did.

I groan inwardly at the possibility, but I force myself to turn away from it,

the stairs with me, putting the pieces together. “If they aren’t sending more,” he murmurs, meeting

ask, steeling myself

his head. “We

my men, giving a loud order to assemble where possible. Those who are able again line up before us, two of our healthy men falling back – as is part of their protocol – to

towards the stairs, determined to

of a hallway or a door through which we can pass. When I get to the top, I press a hand against the barrier, which feels as

his face close, sniffing it.” It’s off,” he murmurs. “Something… wrong

chest and looking it up and down.

back and thinks for a moment before he speaks again, his voice low and considering. “We know, from our research, that the priest’s power comes from binding their wolves. Which means that…whatever they’ve accessed to create this kind of illusion…we have

I ask,

says, looking at me askance. “That…I mean, we forget it

the goddess. They’re magic, as much as we don’t generally describe them that way. That the priests are

wall, considering it. “So,” I say slowly, “we can conclude that…we have the tools we need

so,” Roger says, turning his head and considering again. And then he reaches out