Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate by Caroline Above Story

#Chapter 274 – Bonded

Ella

My head feels…so heavy. I groan, trying to move my hands up so I can press them against my temples, but I can’t move them.

“Easy,” I hear him say beside me and instinctually I turn towards his voice. Where –

“Easy, Ella,” he murmurs, his words thick with emotion. “It’s all right…”

I peel my eyelids apart, then, confused at the effort. It’s like I haven’t opened my eyes for weeks…

My vision comes back to me slowly, the room around me coming into focus with effort. I blink rapidly, looking around at Sinclair, and Cora, and Roger all standing around me, peering at me with worried faces. I feel very suddenly like Dorothy, when she wakes up from her trip to Oz.

“What?” I murmur, my voice thick and my throat scratchy. Suddenly anxious, I try to sit up, pushing at the bed beneath me but –

What the hell were all these wires, tied to my arms?

“Easy, trouble,” Sinclair whispers, pressing his hand to my shoulder, keeping me down. My body responds to his command, relaxing backwards as I look up at him. But…

“Where am I?” I ask, staring at him, and then I press my eyes closed. It’s all just too much.

“You’re in the hospital,” I hear my sister explain. “After the gift, at the temple…”

But her voice fades, almost as if I can’t hear it. I feel my heart start to pound, my breath ratchet up as my memories start to come back to me. Of being on the temple steps of Cora there, and what we learned about each other of Sinclair’s warm arms around me –

–

–

–

And then, nothing – and then clouds – and Sinclair again, and my baby –

Oh my god, where was my baby?

“Rafe?” I gasp, spinning towards Sinclair as my eyes fly open, desperate. “Where is Rafe?” Then I start to look all around me, searching for him – he’s here, he has to be, I remember him, my little baby, wrapped in white swaddling, holding him in my arms

“A dream,” Sinclair says hurriedly, “it was a dream, Ella – we met him in the dream –”

to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here, I

my own hands so that they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head

I can feel him, my ties to him. My bond with my baby. I reach out to him, sending all the love I have in

open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair and nod. “Okay. Yes. He’s

huge rush of air, grasping one of my hands and lowering his

stay like that for a long minute

a lot to take in in just a few minutes. To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling in the dream state to get here. It is hard on me, on my

else I’d want

and then

room.

other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as I take her

she huffs, laughing through the tears that are falling down her own cheeks.

down at my poor beat up little body. “Um, I think so?” I feel so weak but there is also…a warmth, a stillness in me that feels… I frown, looking up at her. “Did you…do something to

and running her hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the

my bed. “Cora!” I scold. “Why?!

”

–

–

she chides, “you’re being ridiculous – you were dying – of

frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our mom – I worked so hard to get

”

Sinclair growls next to me, and my eyes snap to him as I feel suddenly guilty and a little childish, arguing with my sister like this in front of him, especially when I’m clearly so sick. I look up at him, my

then turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as soon as I’m better, you’re

wiping the tears off

—

in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t

to say, I’m shocked to see you awake –” He quickly

I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not precisely a

just shrug. Sinclair stands stoically beside me, still holding my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he

monitors.

working to sit up further and wincing as a sharp pain spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me, clearly working to figure out what’s wrong and how

time I was in here.” “Good,” I say, almost under my breath, pleased to have my suspicions confirmed. My baby and I… we are going to make it. “Can I go home?” I ask quickly, hoping to heap more good news on top of

me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You have days yet in this hospital –

he’ll pick me up and carry me bodily out of this hospital right now. But he slowly shakes his head too, letting me know he agrees with the doctor. “I want you home as well, baby,” he murmurs, “both of you. But he’s been good,” Sinclair says, glancing at the doctor. “We

little shocked to hear Sinclair pa*sing the power of decision making to someone else. I turn to look at the doctor

something on my chart, almost ignoring me to concentrate on his work. “I’m the best. And I’m not letting you go until you’re ready.” He glances at

little laugh and raise my hands. “All right,” I agree. “If both of you say so, then I’m sticking around. For as long as it takes. But um,”