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 –”

his 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

on either side of my baby. Then I close my eyes, resting

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

body relax. I open my eyes again, feeling a rush of sudden and unexpected joy. I look

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

that for a long

unstoppable. It’s all just…it’s 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

no where else I’d

doctor,” I hear Roger murmur, and then his footsteps move to the door, heading out

room.

Sinclair straightens at my side, letting us have our moment as I take

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

to help myself, and 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,

the Goddess’s –

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

”

–

–

of course

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

”

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.

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

the tears off of

—

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

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,

was…” I say, hesitating, looking up at Sinclair. “Not

my hand. “An intervention from the Goddess, if you will,” he observes, a little humor

says, turning back to the monitors.

as a sharp pain spikes through my back. Sinclair starts at my grimace, leaning closer to me, scenting me,

I was in here.” “Good,” I say, almost under my

not,” the doctor scolds, turning towards me and frowning. “You’re still incredibly weak. You have days yet in this hospital –

head too, letting me know he agrees with the doctor. “I want you home as

a little shocked to hear Sinclair pa*sing the power of decision making to

to concentrate on his work. “I’m the best. And I’m not letting you go until you’re ready.” He glances at me then, raising an eyebrow, waiting

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