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

only he hears me. “But you need to pull it together. You’re not going

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

arms and glancing up towards the staircase and the second level where I suspect

but they can’t hold us forever. So the only question is

on Roger’s tongue, can see Cora on his mind. And frankly, I’m tempted too. The idea that – well, that they want us to stay here means that they knew we were coming. And if they

about us than we thought they did. That they

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

my surprise, hesitates, glancing up the stairs with me, putting the pieces together. “If they aren’t

steeling myself for his

nods his

before us, two of our healthy men falling back – as is part of their protocol – to continue tending to our wounded. I give brisk orders for the men to press forward no matter what. The men nod, steeled

towards the stairs, determined

we start to climb, considering that there is a blank wall at the top of the stairs instead of a hallway or a door through which we can pass. When I get to the top, I press a hand

close, sniffing it.” It’s off,” he

my chest and

that the priest’s power comes from binding

you mean?” I ask, turning

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

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

considering it. “So,” I say slowly, “we

his head and considering again. And then