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 –”

hand on the swell of my stomach then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course he’s here, I haven’t

they rest on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on the pillow, and search for him. And it’s hard,

my baby. I reach out to him, sending all the love I have in my heart down our bond, and feeling a little pulse back. He hears me. He tells me he knows. He’s holding

eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look up to Sinclair and nod.

grasping one of my hands

that for a long minute as tears start to slide

to take in in just a few minutes. To come flying back to reality after such a hard few weeks, after days of struggling

no where else I’d

doctor,” I hear Roger murmur, and then his footsteps

room.

and reaching my other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at

through the tears that are falling down her own

then glance 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

she says, laughing a little and running her hand through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift, I gave it back to

working to sit up straighter in my bed. “Cora!”

”

–

–

being ridiculous – you were dying – of course I gave it back to you I didn’t

want it?!” I almost shout, frantic and frankly a little mad now. “It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our

”

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 eyes apologetic, and I see his face instantly

turning to Cora. “Okay,” I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as

wiping the tears

—

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

into Cora in his hurry to get to me. He quickly scans my face, his expression worried. “I have to say, I’m shocked to see you awake –” He quickly grasps my wrist, feeling for a pulse and

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

and I just shrug. Sinclair stands stoically beside me, still holding my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he observes, a little humor in his voice. The doctor’s

turning back to the monitors. “Whatever it

all right?” I ask quickly, 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

doctor says, looking at a small monitor tucked in amongst the larger ones. “He’s fine,” he mumbles, almost to himself. “Better, if anything, than he was the last time I was in here.” “Good,” I say, almost under my breath,

still incredibly

if I ask him, if I want it enough, 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

shocked to hear Sinclair pa*sing the power of decision making to someone else. I turn to look at the doctor again, a*sessing him anew. He really must

my chart, almost ignoring me to concentrate on his work. “I’m the best. And I’m not letting

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,” I hesitate, looking up at Sinclair. “In