Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 453 – Fallout

Ella

I spin around to face my mate, my hands on my hips, ready to defend myself. But he closes the distance in an instant, taking my face in his hands.

“Are you all right?” he growls, looking down into my face, his eyes quickly moving over my features. My mouth falls open a bit and I blink in surprise. “I’m fine, Dominic.”

“Thank god,” he breathes, wrapping his arms around me and gathering me to him in a tight hug. “I mean, I’m mad as hell, Ella I can’t believe you did that, but -”

“Dominic!” I protest, pulling back a little and frowning up at him. “How could I not have done that!?”

“Are you seriously asking me how you could have not jumped out of the window and attacked a man under the explicit protection of a nation about to take us to war? How you could have just let the palace guards that we hired to protect our people handle it, like they were about to do?”

I narrow my eyes at him, but…well. I also see his point.

Still. I stand by it – every moment of it.

“His life was mine to take,” I say, my voice more of a growl than I intended it to be. “Mine, Dominic. And no – I didn’t do it for vengeance, but he crossed a line tonight, trying to take Sarah and Jessica like he did. Would you have let him live, after he did that?”

Sinclair’s mouth tightens into a thin line. “No,” he says, answering honestly. “I’d have had the guards shoot him, take the shot as soon as they safely could.”

“His death was mine,” I repeat. “If someone was going to take it, I wanted the blood on my hands. And you, of all people, know why.”

Sinclair steps back from me a second, looking down at the man’s blood quite literally all over me. And then he sighs, and shakes his head, and surprises me by starting to tug at my shirt.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“What, would you like to sleep in your blood-soaked clothing, Ella?” He asks, glaring at me a little. “You need a shower, and to get changed.”

“Oh,” I reply, realizing that he’s helping me. And so I take a step back, raising my hands and letting my mate pull my shirt over my head.

“It’s not that I disagree with any of the things you did,” Sinclair says softly as he helps me strip. He pauses and glares at me when he sees the long cut along my side, but I roll my eyes before closing them and accessing my gift. It just takes a second – it’s a scratch, honestly and when I open my eyes I’m all healed up.

twist so Sinclair can see the skin again smooth and healed. Satisfied, he nods and then moves to the shower, turning

me again. “I’m not sad

stained with my uncle’s blood. “I’m…Queen now. I should have let someone else do it. Should not have…gotten

the closet to grab us both a fresh set of clothes. When he comes back, I’m nearly finished. I rinse myself off as I look at my mate a

say quietly, my voice apologetic. “There may have

me with

know,” I sigh, glancing at the door as I towel off. “All the good press

and again pulling me flush against him. ” We’ll handle it, Ella,” he murmurs, brushing his knuckles down the length of my cheek, and

“You think it’s fixable?”

says, shaking his head with a little shrug. ” No going

up at

he raises his head more

him again, grateful that he’s on my side. I know that he’s madder than he’s

it’s good to know

get dressed in the soft clothing Sinclair brought in for me, twisting my hair up into a quick bun before stepping into some

stands next to her, Rafe asleep in his arms. Henry turns his chair towards us

at the tablet. “What’s

at both of us. ” It’s…not good,” Cora says softly, shaking her head as she concentrates on me. “The press is getting

you – are you

for my baby. “But forget

the aids are desperate to come in and start making plans for how to handle this but…” he glances up at Roger. “We wanted a moment, to make sure we’re all

is?” Sinclair says, crossing his

did the right thing, Ella,” he says, locking eyes with me and nodding. “I mean, I personally wouldn’t have leapt from the window

get taken out. It was just a

agreed?” I ask, looking particularly

at me. “Wait, why am I being singled

I say, shrugging a little.

says, raising

us say anything, because honestly, that’s what we’re all

at me. “Just because I’m human doesn’t mean a little bit of me isn’t pleased to see that man meet his end. Did I wish that that responsibility fell on your shoulders? Probably not. But still,” she shrugs, meeting my gaze steadily. “I am