Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Ella

I gather Henry, Phil!ppe and Gabriel just after lunch, careful not to hint about my motives for this meeting. Instead I ask them to come to my suite for a chat before returning to their regular daily tasks. Naturally, as my personal guard Phil!ppe would have been here anyway, but when Henry and Gabriel arrive and realize that this is a group discussion rather than a private audience, they automatically sense that something is up – and they’re right.

“What’s on your mind, Ella?” Henry inquires, wheeling over to take a place beside me.

“I have to ask a favor of you all.” I begin hesitantly, knowing that my next request isn’t going to go over well at all. “And while I know this puts you in a very difficult position, I’d like to ask that this conversation remain between the four of us – whether you agree to help me or not.”

Phil!ppe stiffens, and Gabriel’s sharp eyes search my face. “You’re asking us not to tell Dominic?”

“Yes, but I swear that I have good reason.”I insist, the words spilling out of me in a rush. “You all know what happened in my hypnosis session and how many questions it raised about my past. You know how unprecedented all of this is, and that the events I recalled suggest powerful forces at work.” I take a steadying breath to try to stop my voice from shaking. “You must also realize the implications of all this, and how seriously the people are taking these rumors.”

The men exchange wary glances. They may be among the few shifters in the palace not treating me like some sort of divine savior, but they’d have to be blind and deaf not to hear the whispers, or notice the worshipful gazes and gifts raining down on me from the pack. “This is so much bigger than finding out who my parents were or why I was given up.” I continue fervently. “If that were all it was then I wouldn’t mind waiting -I didn’t want to do this in the first place.” I pause to laugh at the sheer irony of this – how quickly the tables have turned.

are you asking, Ella?” Gabriel

and he’ll be here to take care of me if things get difficult again.” I acknowledge. “But it will also be more stress on him – far more than it is or any of you, because we aren’t bonded. The bottom line is that Dominic can’t protect me from my past, and he’s already got enough to worry about without his wolf going berserk because I have a

may be true, but I can tell you right now that this argument isn’t going to hold water with us, Ella.” Gabriel replies, even though there’s a softness in Henry’s eyes which I understand only too well. “You are Dominic’s Luna, and interfering with any wolves’ mate -let alone an Alpha’s – is forbidden except in cases of a.buse. What’s more, none of us would do or feel differently if it was our own mate in your shoes. I understand you have a tender

me, who sit with their arms crossed over their c.hests and wear identical brooding expressions. I decide to change tracks. “Fine, we won’t make it about Dominic.”I amend. “Perhaps I should have started by saying that we can’t afford to wait, regardless of any of our wishes. If the people are right.. if things truly are the way they appear and the Goddess’s servants hid me and bound my wolf to fulfill some prophecy in this war, then there isn’t any time to waste. We

missing major pieces of the puzzle. We owe it to our people to do everything we can to bring Damon down, and if I’m part of that then there is no justification for putting this off.” I shrug. “Dominic isn’t the only one

hope I’ve finally gotten through to them. They know

throwing out one final impediment to my

shift- hours of terror and agony

wolf bound.”I remind him, running my palm over my round belly. “I hate upsetting him more than any of you ever could, but he’s his father’s son. He’s strong and healthy, and frankly I don’t believe there can be anything worse than what

stress is the worst thing for the baby, don’t you think it’s worth waiting until you can do this under the best possible circ.umstances?” My stomach fl!ps. Phil!ppe worried me more than Gabriel or Henry from the start, because he knows exactly how tormented I’ve been by the memories of

this without – since he’s glued to my side nearly 24/7. In truth,

my nightmares to the others, šaying, “Do you think it’s less stressful for me to be floundering in

of whether I might hold something in my memories that can change the