Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate by Caroline Above Story

Chapter 94 – Bed Rest

Sinclair

When Ella collapses in my arms, I can hardly wait for the nurses to come running. I immediately a*sume we must have missed some injury from the accident, and I’m instantly furious with myself for letting her talk me into being prioritized by the medical staff.

What was I thinking? I know they checked her out and there weren’t any physical marks on her body, but what if it was something internal? What if she somehow hit her head amid all the chaos? Deep down I know that doesn’t make any sense, she was completely wrapped in my arms when we collided with the car, but my fear isn’t logical. It’s sudden and violent and overwhelming.

“It’s okay, Alpha.” The doctor a*sures me as they move Ella onto a gurney of her own. “It’s probably just the stress. There’s been a lot of excitement today.”

“She has high blood pressure.” I warn, “we’ve been monitoring it daily, but her OBGYN is worried she’s developing preeclampsia.”

My wolf is growling and whining at once – impatient for the doctors to help Ella, worried for her health, and hating that anyone else is near her when she’s so vulnerable. She looks so young and innocent in her unconscious state – so small and fragile. Her rose gold hair is a shining cascade over the flimsy pillow, still streaked with my blood. I stay beside her even after the nurses try to order me away. “I’m not going anywhere.” I insist, battling my guilt over whether this is all my fault.

Would she have been so overwhelmed if I hadn’t needed her to keep me calm? If I hadn’t been such an ogre with the EMTs and the doctors, would she have been free to relax and recover without added stress?

At once, I think about her comments regarding Lydia. On one hand I know she’s right, continuing our fraud when there’s an honest option changes things completely from a moral standpoint. But beyond morality, if there was a way to protect Ella from all this stress and guilt, from the threats posed by the Prince and being my Luna, shouldn’t we pursue that? I’ve been justifying our arrangement on the grounds that becoming King is the only way to make the pack and my family safe, so the threats she’s facing to help me win the crown are necessary. But that won’t be true anymore if Lydia conceives.

Should I be trying harder to find a she-wolf to become my Luna? Not for the campaign’s sake, but for Ella and Rafe’s?

It’s not that simple. My wolf insists. The pack aren’t going to accept you throwing over Ella for Lydia. You’ve been doing everything in your power to make them fall in love with the human and it’s worked.

and hook her up to an IV. She made them love her all on her own,

being herself. He argues. If you come forward and tell them you’ve decided to take Lydia back, it could cost you the campaign, whether

may have a point.

don’t just have a point, I’m completely right and you know it.

with our pup out of the public eye, then I want to give that to her, even if it means letting Lydia or someone else be Luna after I’m King. That was the original plan, remember? It’s not her

My wolf argues. Think about how jealous she was, how upset

breath? It doesn’t seem fair that such a small, harmless creature can tie all my insides into knots the way Ella can. She thinks she’s powerless. I muse, standing to lean over her bed, yet there is

and hypertensive, but otherwise unharmed, leaving me to brood over my thoughts while I waited for her to wake. Her OBGYN is on his

I tease, stroking her soft cheek. “Fainting

looking over me with obvious concern. “Why are you out of bed? What

sweetheart.” I encourage, “how are

her

to me that my tormented thoughts have taken a backseat – for now at least. I scoop

afraid to

each of whom look as though they’d like to chastise me as well. They all cower beneath my forbidding glower, and a fresh wave of amusement pa*ses over me as I think about how much harder it is to intimidate the human in

lip and seeming to forget the cut she gave herself earlier until her sharp little teeth dig into the wound. She gasps with pain,

so you can’t keep biting yourself.” I intone darkly, realizing too late that this might have sounded even more lascivious

loudly against her ribs, and her pupils dilate with interest. Luckily if there is one thing that can kill a mood quickly, it’s a bathroom. I deposit Ella on the toilet and calmly weather her glares and admonishments until I finally leave her to take care of things

my wolf completely melts. Indeed, she comes to me so sweetly I have to fight to

because I’m injured and you’re in a delicate condition I’ll let you get away with defying me?”