idental Surrogate For Alpha Novel Chapter 38


    Sinir


    When I reach the address Cora supplied, it’s all I can do to keep my temper in check. She hadn’t


    exined what happened, only that she and E needed to be picked up from a nightclub. I was able


    to stay calm while I got the details from her, but I found my anger growing exponentially the closer I


    drew to my disobedient little human. After everything that happened when she snuck out to see my


    father, I can’t believe she defied me again. However as soon as I round the corner of the alley behind


    the venue, my fury evaporates.


    I’m not even sure of what I’m seeing at first. Roger is standing near the back door, naked, disheveled


    and bruised. The scent of strange wolves reeks to high heaven, and blood is sttered over the ground


    leading away from the club, along with numerousrge pawprints. Cora is standing between me and


    E, her taller frame shielding my pup’s mother from view. She looks unharmed but a bit shaken,


    dressed in a tight red frock.


    Roger stiffens at the sight of me, and Cora turns to face me, finally revealing E. Her arms are


    wrapped around her body, and she’s wearing a glittery ck mini dress and heels. She’s staring at the


    ground, her energy agitated and withdrawn at once. There’s a huge ck and blue bruise on her high


    cheekbone, and a cut on her lip, dried blood congealed around the wound.


    I rush forward, surprised when Cora intercepts me, a pleading expression on her face. “Please be


    gentle – she’s in shock.”


    I immediately skirt around her, reaching for E. Roger and Cora both raise their hands to stop me,


    “No!” It’s as if they think my touch might frighten E, but as soon as our bodies connect the tension


    seeps out of E like a dam bursting. Shees to me instinctively, letting me gather her to my chest


    and nestling close to my body. Her small hands cling to my shirt as her nose presses to my chest,


    breathing in my scent.


    Roger and Cora look on with confusion, and I wonder if E had been afraid of their touch. The obvious


    implications of why she would feel that way pour over me, and I hold her tighter. “What happened?” I


    ask, ring at Roger. If it weren’t for E’s obvious need offort, I might have already attacked him.


    Seeing any man this close to her when she’s injured was a violent trigger.


    “Rogues.” Roger answers simply. “I caught their scent near my house and followed them. When I


    arrived they had E cornered. They were talking about…” He trails off, ncing nervously at the


    woman in my arms. “They were sent to kill her, but they obviously wanted to have a bit of fun with her


    first.”


    I can’t hold back the growl which tears through my chest, and I’m not sure what enrages me more – the


    fact that anyone wanted to hurt E, the way she trembles at Roger’s description, or the fact that he


    brought up their intentions in front of her. E burrows closer to me, and I wrap my coat around her


    shivering body, buttoning it around the small of her back so we’re both snug inside. “I fought them off


    and they ran for it.” Roger continues. “But she was already hurt before I arrived… it didn’t look like they


    did anything, but I don’t know.”


    Leaning my lips to E’s ear, I can’t help the ragged huskiness of my voice. My wolf is going berserk in


    my head, and I want nothing more than to hunt down the men responsible and rip them to shreds. “Did


    they touch you?” I demand, stroking her hair. She shakes her head against my chest, and I catch the


    sound of a hup – as if she’s holding back sobs. She still won’t look at me, and I realize she’s


    probably afraid she’s in trouble even though she needs myfort.


    “I think one of them hit her.” Cora supplies, no doubt referring to her sister’s battered face. “But she


    wouldn’t really talk about it. She just kept saying she’s fine and she wanted to go home.” I can picture it


    as if I was there, and I feel a rush of warmth knowing E sought me for safety when she shied away


    from the others.


    Cora frowns, continuing. “I don’t even know how they found her. We were inside dancing and then… I


    don’t know, I think she got overheated or something and came outside. But… it’s like they were waiting


    for her.”


    I nod, “However it happened, it sounds like we both owe Roger our thanks.” I hate saying these words,


    and I find all of these circumstances incredibly suspicious. Cora has hit the nail on the head, and the


    red gs are onlypounded by the fact that my brother managed to find E just in time to leap to


    her rescue. Still, I don’t want to let him on to my suspicions. If it happens the way he says, then I do


    owe him my thanks, and if it didn’t, I need to y my cards close to my chest in order to uncover the


    truth. “Brother, can you escort Cora home?”


    Cora looks very reluctant to leave E, but eventually she departs with Roger, giving me another


    imploring look as they walk away. If I had to guess I’d presume she’s asking me not to be too harsh


    with her sister, but she needn’t be worried. I have no intention of scolding or punishing E – not tonight


    at least.


    “Come on little one.” I encourage, unbuttoning my coat and scooping her up. She slides her arms


    around my neck and leans her uninjured cheek against my shoulder, still as quiet as a mouse. The car


    ride home passes much the same way, and when we reach the mansionI take her straight upstairs to


    my bathroom.


    Setting her on the counter, I rummage through the cabs for a first aid kit. E leans back against the


    mirror, her face devoid of all emotion. “Come here, let me look at you.” I instruct when I’ve retrieved the


    proper supplies.


    Catching E’s face between my hands, I tilt her head from right to left, studying her injuries and trying


    to stay calm. The bruise on her cheek is swelling quickly, it’s bright red center showing just how close


    the blow came to breaking her skin. The cut on her lip seems minor, but the amount of dried blood


    makes me worry it’s deeper than it looks.


    I wet a washcloth and begin cleaning the cut, causing E hiss and wince, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” I


    croon. “It has to be done.” E sniffles and mps her eyes shut as I continue working, determined to


    suffer through it withoutint. Of course, when I switch out the water for alcohol, she practically


    leaps off the counter, whimpering so pitifully my heart aches. “Shh baby, I know. I’m almost done.” I


    promise, holding her tightly in ce.


    “Do you want to tell me what happened?” I ask a littleter, pressing a cloth wrapped ice pack to her


    cheek. She flinches, but reces my hand with her own, keeping up the cool pressure.


    “They already told you.” She murmurs, silently submitting as I strip off her dress to check for other


    injuries.


    I’m relieved not to find any other wounds, and when I press my hand to her belly the pup seems


    perfectly well. It’s heartbeat is steady and strong, and though I sense earlier shes of unease – no


    doubt caused by Jane’s fear – it now seems relieved to be safely home with us both. “I want to hear it


    from you.” I press gently. “Roger and Cora don’t know what happened when you were alone with


    them.”


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    E blinks up at me, and I’m surprised by theck of emotion on her lovely face. “It was nothing. I went


    outside for some air. Then I heard movement in the alley and they appeared. I tried to go back in but


    the door was locked –”


    “It was locked?” I question, more sharply than I intended.


    “Yes, but it was probably just an automatic door.” She reasons. “Anyway I offered them money, I told


    them I was your mate and you’d kill them if you harmed me, then one hit me… and I made the mistake


    of provoking him…” She trails off. “Roger turned up soon after that.”


    “Provoked him how?” I ask, pleased that she’s talking but not liking the hollow look in her eyes, or


    emptiness in her words.


    E stares at herp, “it’s not important, he probably nned on… raping me even before that.”


    Sighing, I pull her into my arms, “I’m sure he did.” I confirm, knowing how strange afort this must


    seem. Still, E clearly knows exactly what they intended, and I’d rather her understand that she didn’t


    cause them to think that way, than deny that the danger was always present.


    “You really don’t have to fuss over me this way.” E says after a moment of cuddling. “I’m fine.”


    “You don’t have to be fine, E.” I inform her sternly.


    She squirms in my hold, and I reluctantly release her. I’m not sure what I expected her to say, but her


    next question takes me by surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me about the other rogue attacks?”