Accidental Surrogate

Ella

I look back and forth between Roger and Isabel, noting her pallid skin tone and his quiet concern. “

How long overdue is the plane?” I inquire, checking the time on my phone.

“It was supposed to get in five hours ago. James has never been late before.” Isabel pipes up, bouncing Sadie in her arms and visibly trying to control the tremors of fear wracking her body. I rise from my chair and attempt to put an arm around her, but she j.erks away from my touch like a skittish horse. Sighing, I drop my hand.

“Is it possible there weren’t any refugees needing to make the journey today?” Henry asks, logical as ever.

“We haven’t had a single day without a new batch.” Gabriel answers grimly, “the wait list back on the continent is a mile long. If he didn’t come today, then something has gone wrong.”

“Is the news out of the continent still blacked out?” I question, even though I already know the answer. Damon shut such a tight lid on the media that the only information available to us anymore is brouğht by refugees and spies.

“Yes.” Gabriel replies, with the same dark expression. “I’ll see if I can tap into our spy network. I have a few people stationed around the egress points on the coast. But to be frank the fact that they haven’t reported in either doesn’t bode well.”

“What do we do?” Isabel frets aloud, looking hopefully at the King. “Can you stage a rescue mission?”

“We can’t go in blind.” Phil!ppe declares evenly.

We need to know what we’re dealing with before we send relief troops or more aircraft.”

“But if the camps on the coast are under attack then they need your help now.” Isabel argues, swinging her frantic gaze to me, “Ella, do something!”

“We will.” I promise, resisting the urge to reach for her again. “We’re not going to just leave our people to fend for themselves, but Phil!ppe is right, if we charge in blind then not only do we risk failure, but we risk losing even more people than were already in danger.”

orphans to the safety of Isabel’s nursery

her gently, “but we don’t have

me that way!” She snaps, cuddling Sadie closer. “Like I’m some hysterical woman who can’t see reason. I’m not fragile and

my c.hest. Isabel jolts, her wolf reflexively quivering in the face of my warning, “That’s not what I’m doing, and lashing out at me isn’t going to bring him home any faster.”

and then she deflates, submitting to my

her shoulder and leading her from the room. “We’ll get through it, whatever

comes racing up behind us, “We just got word, James’s plane is about to

j.erks her head up,

called in clearance to land.” Roger explains, Henry, Gabriel and Phil!ppe joining us as we change direction. We all pile into the King’s car and speed towards the airfield. Isabel is

date. I immediately sense that something has gone terribly wrong back home – worse even than before. There are too many people, and the looks on their faces break my heart. These aren’t the panicked but hopeful expressions of relief at a long journey’s end, but the hollow-eyed numbness of those that have seen

soon as

she-wolf who is determined not to be mollified.

turn my attention to the refugees, who ebb forward as if in a trance. The triage tent separates the injured from the unharmed, individuals from families and unaccompanied children from temporary guardians. I go to a.ssist with the intake process, trying to offer what comfort

a couple with minor injuries to the medical tent, and

don’t know.” I sigh, “but it isn’t

my face for understanding.

that my sister asks, because as Luna I should probably know about the major treaties

gruffly, though this doesn’t

if he grew too ambitious and lost control, or if this was part of his plan all along… but it’s done now… the

still don’t understand them. I don’t know about any secrecy pact, but I don’t want to force these weary wolves to explain things when they need to be focused on healing. “It’s

I see Gabriel and Henry huddled with James near his plane, I can’t stay away. I return to their side, noting that while Isabel is taking charge of unaccompanied pups, her eyes are locked on the pilot. I approach behind them, just in time to hear James saying, his army breached the borders in broad daylight – fully shifted, and set upon the humans. It seems

as I’ve ever heard him. “Not some sort of military exercise gone