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 –”

my stomach then, drawing my attention to it, reminding me that he’s here – of course

Then I close my eyes, resting my head back on

him. My bond with 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

I open my eyes again, feeling a rush

of air, grasping one of my hands and

We stay like that for a long minute as tears start to

to reality after such

else I’d want

and then his footsteps move to the door,

room.

call, opening my eyes and reaching my other hand for her. Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as I take

all right,” she huffs, laughing through the tears that are

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

through her hair. “Yeah? I gave you back mom’s the Goddess’s – the gift, I gave it back to you,” she

my bed. “Cora!” I scold. “Why?! I gave it

”

–

–

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

“It’s a gift from a Goddess – from our mom – I worked so hard to get it here, the

”

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 soften. “Please, Ella,”

I repeat, raising a finger to point at her. “But as soon as

laughs, agreeing to these terms, wiping the tears off of her

—

in my own, when the Doctor comes in, Rafe hot on his heels. It’s a man I haven’t seen before certainly not one of my

almost running 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 turning towards the monitors behind them, scanning them for new information.

up at Sinclair. “Not

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 face screws up further with confusion but then he simply exhales quickly and shakes his head,

says, turning back to the monitors.

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

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, pleased to have my suspicions confirmed. My baby

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

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 go

power of decision making to someone else. I turn to look at the

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

both of you say so, then I’m sticking around. For as long as it takes. But