Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Accidental Surrogate for Alpha by Caroline Above Story Chapter 176

#Chapter 176 — Bound Trigger warning — Assault (non-sexual)

Ella

“It’s all right, Ella.”

The first priest says, approaching me as one might a skittish horse — with slow, measured movements and hands exposed to show he holds no weapon.

“We only want to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” I question shakily, my back flush against the locked door.

“You have a very powerful magic inside you, and if it’s allowed to come out you’ll be exposed.We can’t let that happen.” He explains, using a tone much too gentle to be trustworthy.

It’s as though he’s trying to trick me, to convince me he’s kind when he truly intends malice.

“I don’t have any magic.” I insist, wishing that I did.

Maybe if I was magic I might be able to put a stop to the things happening here — to protect the others without bringing harm to myself.I was so preoccupied with this statement that I almost missed the second piece of information.

“Exposed to what?”

“You do, it just hasn’t shown itself yet.”

The second priest sighs, keeping his distance but watching me with sharp eyes.

“At least not in ways you understand.Tell me, have you never noticed how much stronger you are than your peers? That you can hear and smell things from much greater distances? That you can run faster, jump higher, suffer greater injuries with less pain?”

He inquires, his hawkish gaze searing into me, “do they not follow you? Gravitate to your side and obey you as a leader?”

My head spins, making me dizzy with the possibilities.He guesses correctly, but that can’t be because I have some sort of special power.It’s just the way things are…isn’t it? “And exposed to a world you cannot yet join.”

The first man adds.

“It must happen when the time is right – but that time is a very long way off.”

“I don’t understand.”

I squeak, a sense of pure dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

“We know, Ella.”

The second man proclaims, “And I’m sorry that this must happen, it will not be pleasant, but it is necessary for the future of our people.”I shake my head, fighting back tears.

Their words are triggering every alarm bell in my young mind.I know what men do to little girls under the guise of necessity, the pretense of helping or protecting.

And I know exactly how unpleasant things can get.

My blood runs cold, and my pulse races, triggering a strange new energy deep in my bones.

thing writhes just

I hiss, my body shuddering with these

men look at each

timing was spot on — another week

“I’m sorry, child.”

gravely, closing the

not do this

terror, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, takes over my

are screaming at me to run, to

that whatever these men intend will be far worse than anything the doctor or dormitory matron have ever

there isn’t anywhere

larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the second priest clamps his hand over my mouth

his palm, but

simply wrenches me away from the

my legs, and

thrash violently against their hold, my screams muffled and garbled as the

the metallic tang fanning the flames in my already

and I’m gagging, fighting for air and struggling to focus

don’t know what to do or how to fight them — I’m powerless

in the wind

keening pierces the air, sounding very

own, thick with grief and pain more

tinged with concern, joins the terrible

“It’s too much.”

“Just a little more.”

second voice, floating

“We’re so close.”

where these sounds are coming from, and the

single-minded focus, and i’m nothing more than

thrust onto the floor and pinned

the other sits on my kicking

it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like moonlight, glowing in

begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around

fabric, winding it round

sides and my legs tightly shut,

muscle in the fabric’s punishing grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they intend to

the silk falls over my mouth, the priest finally removes his hand from my

scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking my face into

able to breathe, though I don’t understand

of my nightmares come to life – my mind is awake but I’m trapped in my own body, unable to move or

to do something – anything! But nothing happens because this isn’t a dream from which I can wake, this is real,

around outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The

pungent, herbaceous fragrance a moment before

or crystals placed

in my veins warning me

but I refuse to give up hope

speaking a