Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Sinclair

When Ella collapses in my arms, I can hardly wait for the nurses to come running. I immediately

assume we must have missed some injury from the accident, and I’m instantly furious with myself for

letting her talk me into being prioritized by the medical staff.

What was I thinking? I know they checked her out and there weren’t any physical marks on her body,

but what if it was something internal? What if she somehow hit her head amid all the chaos? Deep

down I know that doesn’t make any sense, she was completely wrapped in my arms when we collided

with the car, but my fear isn’t logical. It’s sudden and violent and overwhelming.

“It’s okay, Alpha.” The doctor assures me as they move Ella onto a gurney of her own. “It’s probably

just the stress. There’s been a lot of excitement today.”

“She has high blood pressure.” I warn, “we’ve been monitoring it daily, but her OBGYN is worried she’s

developing preeclampsia.”

My wolf is growling and whining at once – impatient for the doctors to help Ella, worried for her health,

and hating that anyone else is near her when she’s so vulnerable. She looks so young and innocent in

her unconscious state – so small and fragile. Her rose gold hair is a shining cascade over the flimsy

pillow, still streaked with my blood. I stay beside her even after the nurses try to order me away. “Tm

not going anywhere.” I insist, battling my guilt over whether this is all my fault.

Would she have been so overwhelmed if I hadn’t needed her to keep me calm? If I hadn’t been such I

an ogre with the EMTs and the doctors, would she have been free to relax and recover without added

stress?

At once, I think about her comments regarding Lydia. On one hand I know she’s right, continuing our

fraud when there’s an honest option changes things completely from a moral standpoint. But beyond

morality, if there was a way to protect Ella from all this stress and guilt, from the threats posed by the

Prince and being my Luna, shouldn’t we pursue that? I’ve been justifying our arrangement on the

grounds that becoming King is the only way to make the pack and my family safe, so the threats she’s

facing to help me win the crown are necessary. But that won’t be true anymore if Lydia conceives.

Should I be trying harder to find a she-wolf to become my Luna? Not for the campaign’s sake, but for

Ella and Rafe’s?

It’s not that simple. My wolf insists. The pack aren’t going to accept you throwing over Ella for Lydia.

You’ve been doing everything in your power to make them fall in love with the human and it’s worked.

That’s not because of me. I remind him., stroking Ella’s hair as the nurses take her vital signs and hook

her up to an IV. She made them love her all on her own, just by being herself.

And Lydia made them hate her by being herself.

He argues. If you come forward and tell them you’ve decided to take Lydia back, it could cost you the

campaign, whether she’s breeding or not.

You may have a point. I acknowledge.

I don’t just have a point, I’m completely right and you know it. He replies haughtily.

Fine. I concede, feeling exhausted by this debate, but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way after

the campaign is over. Ella deserves to have whatever life she wants – if that’s a quiet existence with

our pup out of the public eye, then I want to give that to her, even if it means letting Lydia or someone

else be Luna after I’m King. That was the original plan, remember? It’s not her fault I got lost along the

way.

But you’re not the only one who’s gotten lost along the way. My wolf argues. Think about how jealous

she was, how upset she became over the idea that you’d been with another woman. That has to count

for something.

“Dominic?” Ella’s soft murmur wrenches me from my thoughts. I breathe an instant sigh of relief – how

long had I been holding my breath? It doesn’t seem fair that such a small, harmless creature can tie all

my insides into knots the way Ella can. She thinks she’s powerless. I muse, standing to lean over her

bed, yet there is no one on earth who has ever had so much power over me.

The doctors had declared Ella dehydrated, stressed and hypertensive, but otherwise unharmed,

leaving me to brood over my thoughts while I waited for her to wake. Her OBGYN is on his way in, but

until he arrives, we’re alone.

“You naughty girl.”I tease, stroking her soft cheek.

“Fainting to get out of telling me your feelings?”

“It wasn’t on purpose.” She pouts, looking over me with obvious concern. “Why are you out of bed?

What about your X-rays?”

“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.” I encourage, how are you feeling?”

“Sort of hungover.” She admits, trying to sit up. I gently catch her shoulder, keeping her in place.

Eventually she huffs, “Dominic, I have to pee.”

“Well why didn’t you say so?” I’m still smiling at her like an absolute idiot, so relieved that she’s awake

and talking to me that my tormented thoughts have taken a backseat – for now at least. I scoop her up

into my arms, unhooking her IV so I can take her to the restroom.

Ella squeaks, holding her hands crossed over her chest as if she’s afraid to touch me. “What are you

doing!? You’re hurt, you shouldn’t be doing this!”

“Don’t worry, trouble. I heal fast.”I assure her, glaring at the nurses we pass, each of whom look as

though they’d like to chastise me as well. They all cower beneath my forbidding glower, and a fresh

wave of amusement passes over me as I think about how much harder it is to int!midate the human in

my arms.

“Not that fast.” Ella insists, gnawing on her lower lip and seeming to forget the cut she gave herself

earlier until her sharp little teeth dig into the wound. She gasps with pain, so I tsk and purr.

“If you keep that up I’m going to have to find some way to keep your lips occupied so you can’t keep

biting yourself.” I intone darkly, realizing too late that this might have sounded even more lascivious

than I intended.

Ella doesn’t seem to mind. Her heart thumps loudly against her ribs, and her pupils dilate with intérest.

Luckily if there is one thing that can kill a mood quickly, it’s a bathroom. I deposit Ella on the toilet and

calmly weather her glares and admonishments until I finally leave her to take care of things in private,

making her promise to call for me when she’s done. Instead I hear the commode flush and the sink

running, so I push the door open to glare at her, “Ella you’re a fall risk.”

“And you’re an overprotective ogre.” She counters, drying her hands and climbing back into my arms

so willingly that my wolf completely melts. Indeed, she comes to me so sweetly I have to fight to

maintain my stern demeanor, reminding myself that I musn’t coddle her, no matter how tempting.

“Do you think that just because I’m injured and you’re in a delicate condition I’ll let you get away with

defying me?” I rumble in Ella’s ear, chuckling when she shivers in response.

“How long have I been asleep?” The brazen creature asks, ignoring my question.

“About half an hour.” I inform her, “and my x-rays did come back while you were out. I’m going to be

fine.’

“Good.” She breathes, sounding as though a huge weight is leaving her shoulders.

“You were really worried, weren’t you?” I inquire, settling her back in her bed.

“How could I not be?” Ella asks in return, blinking up at me with wide eyes. “I mean, I know you’re

strong, but that car… it’s a miracle you’re not more hurt after an accident like that.”

“I’m fine.” I promise, dropping a k!ss to her hair. “

You don’t have to worry about me, Ella.”

She shoots me a challenging stare. “I’d like to see you take your own advice.”

I flash my fangs at her, but the OBGYN interrupts us, “Knock, knock.” He says, peaking around the

curtain surrounding our ER bay. “I hear you two have been causing some real chaos among the

nursing staff here, defying all the hospital’s protocols.”

“I’m innocent.” Ella immediately announces, pointing at me. “It was all him.”

I throw my head back and laugh, ignoring the pain which ricochet’s down my back. “Oh you’re really

determined to dig yourself into a hole aren’t you, baby?” I remark ominously, stroking her nape.

“I’m just being honest.” She shrugs, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Well I think it’s safe to say you’ve had more than enough excitement for the time being.” The doctor

shares, giving us a reluctant frown. “I’m afraid we’ve reached the point where you need to go on bed

rest, Ella.”