Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

I slide from the car and stride up the garden path, urging my wolf to settle. No violence. Violence is

bad.

Just think how disappointed Ella would be. I know it’s ironic that I’m urging myself not to resort to

violence after the slaughter l committed last night, but that was different. I didn’t have a choice then – I

do now.

The door swings open soon after I knock, and Roger’s surprised face appears. He looks so genuinely

shocked to see me, I actually contemplate whether he might not have been involved in the attack. Then

again, my brother has always been a good actor.

“Dominic, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He drawls, making it clear that my visit is anything but

pleasurable.

I push past him, knocking into his shoulder and forcing him back from the doorway as I go. “Were you

involved?” I demand, my voice little more than a growl,”

Did you know what he was planning?”

Roger blinks, “what are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Roger.” I scowl, “I know you’ve been working with the Prince.”

He offers me a humorless laugh. “You’re being paranoid, Dom.”

“Bull,” I snap, “You expect me to believe you just happened to turn up in the same back alley wherę

Ella was being attacked in the middle of the night by coincidence? Or that the Prince mysteriously

discovered I haven’t claimed Ella when you’re the only person who has that information?”

“I think you’re forgetting all your staff – your guards, your doctors, Hugo and Aileen.” Roger counters

smoothly.

“My people are loyal – you are the only person who knew who also has a vendetta against me.”I

combat.

“That you know of.” He intones ominously.

“Ella was almost killed last night.” T thunder, ” I understand you hating me, but how could you be so

cruel to an innocent she-wolf!”

“Wait,” Roger protests, visibly paling. “Back up, what happened last night?”

“Stop pretending you don’t know!” The words burst from my chest in a vicious snarl, and l just barely

hold onto my temper. Use your words Dominic! “I suppose you ran in to protect her the first time to try

and earn her trust, but when that didn’t work you decided to just sacrifice her to the rogues.”

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!”

Roger shouts back, losing his own temper. “On my life, Dominic, I had no idea there had been a

second attack!”

“Why should I believe you?” I grumble, clenching and unclenching my fists.

Roger raises his hands, his mouth a thin line. To my surprise, he seems genuinely shaken, and I

wonder if I underestimated his interest in Ella. “Look, I admit I knew about the first attack in advance.

The Prince planned on killing her outright, but I thought saving her might get me some leverage with

her. I.. I thought if she trusted me l could convince her to leave you.”

“What, so you could have her for yourself?” I bite, fighting the urge to reel back. I’ve never known

Roger to admit any of his misdeeds. He must truly like Ella.

“No.” Roger rolls his eyes, “Just so you would Iose the campaign. And yes, I told the Prince she hadn’t

been claimed, but I swear on my life, I was never going to let him hurt her. I didn’t know about last

night.”

“Do you really despise me so much?” I grind out, “

That you would rather a tyrant take over the realm just to spite me? Do you have no concept of the

damage he’ll do if he wins? The atrocities he’ll inflict?”

Roger’s face closes off, and I wonder if he truly was so blinded by his resentment of me that he never

considered the consequences of his schemes. “l just wanted to hurt you Dom. I admit I was being

selfish.

“Well l’ve got news for you,” I declare ferociously. “I plan on winning this campaign, and you can be with

me or against me. But you need to decide, because if you continue to make yourself my enemy, I’m

going to treat you as complicit to the Prince’s crimes.” Pacing I let my wolf flash in my eyes. “Further, if

anything happens to Ella I will hold you personally responsible – and I’m not talking exile, brother”

“ls she okay?” He gulps.

“Physically, she’ll heal.” I respond, trying to keep the emotional from my voice. “I’m not so sure if she’ll

be okay mentally.”

He flinches, and I wonder if he really does care for her. “Are you going to tell her what I did?”

“l should.” I answer gruffly, “But she’s been through enough already.” I start to turn away, before

changing my mind and whirling back to face him, “You know she actually defended you to me? She

feels for you, even though you’ve done nothing but try to hurt and manipulate her.”

Roger’s face draws tight, and I see a glimmer of something akin to shame on his features. “I didn’t

know.”

“That’s how good she is. She’d be your ally if you let her.” I explain, “And instead you chose to terrorize

her.”

“I’m sorry.” Roger professes, ashen-faced. “I know she’s good. I saw that in her from the beginning. I

think that’s part of why I was so angry when you found her.

You don’t deserve someone so pure.”

“lt’s not my fault I was born stronger, Roger!” I state simply, disgusted at how broken our relationship

has become over things that are not my fault. “Or that Mom sacrificed herself for me.”

He clears his throat, looking down at the ground. “It felt better, to blame you.. ” He confesses slowly,

“Than to believe it was all for nothing.”

I’m both grief stricken and amazed to hear him speak this way. We’ve never connected like this before,

and I know Ella is the reason we are now. “Well if you want to make it up to us, you can go back to the

Prince and find out what he’s planning next.”

Roger raises his chin, looking thoughtful. “You want me to be a double agent?”

“It’s not about what I want. It’s about whether you want to let a madman take over the Kingdom. It’s

about whether you want Ella and your nephew to live or die.”