Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 371-Unleashing the Flame

Ella

I fall into a little daze as I watch Hank work, as I hold my sleeping baby in my arms. It’s not that I’m not paying attention –

it’s just that…I don’t really understand what they’re doing or saying, so to me it’s all just quiet repetitive work.

I do pay attention, of course, when Hank deems Cora patched up enough to roll her over onto her side so that they can

perform an ultrasound. Cora gives a low moan when the nurses move her, a sound which at once pains me and gives me

a little thrill of hope. Because as much as I hate to hear my sister in pain –

Damn it, at least it means she’s alive. I watch carefully as the nurses hold her still, as Hank expertly spreads some clear

jelly on her stomach and then begins to search for a heartbeat. Then I bury my head in my hand a few moments later

when he finds it – a fast, faint fluttering of noise. My little niece or nephew, still fighting for life.

I drag my hand away from my face a moment later to see Hank nodding to his nurses and Cora lowered back on her belly.

Then, Hank turns to me, pulling off his gloves as he crosses the room and falls into a crouch so that we can be almost

face-to-face while I stay seated.

“You saw?” he asks, looking up at me a little from his lowered place on the floor. “Yes,” I reply, nodding sharply. “The baby

is alive, but – ”

“Right,” he says, glancing back towards Cora. “It’s – it’s not preferable, obviously, for a mother to be so gravely wounded

so early in a pregnancy. Frequently the body will decide…” he sighs and shakes his head, trying to come up with the right

words. He looks up at me as he finishes his thought, “the body will sometimes decide, Ella, to prioritize the mother.”

“So miscarriage…” I say, looking over at my sister.

“There’s a higher risk of it right now, yes. Ella,” he says again, his voice curious now, drawing my eyes back to him. “Did

Cora ever mention to you the possibility…”

where he’s going with this. “I can do it, Hank but, the people who hurt

he’s not going to understand what I’m talking about

getting away they they bound my gift and my wolf,” I say, giving

tried to heal her in the car, but I couldn’t

can – you can

wounds like that -”

narrow my eyes at Hank suddenly, a little disturbed by his curiosity

my sister. What, really, is

Hank says, putting his hands up in a little plea for forgiveness. “I’m I’m just a doctor, Ella. It’s

like that – it’s a dream. But please forgive my professional

little sigh and nod, my eyes moving back to Cora, wanting to move on from

feet and looking at Cora himself. “It

don’t know, Ella, unbind the gift? I know a lot about wolf biology, but

one of the priestesses of the Goddess,

with her? Ask for her aid

eyes flash to him suddenly as I realize that – that

good idea, Hank,” I say, getting quickly to my feet and

please?”

corner of the room. “Of course, Ella,”

Cora now. “I’m going to run some tests,” he murmurs, taking

update each

Rafe over to the little computer in the

information of the temple in the center of our city, hopping to hell

something to help.

Sinclair

of him, his teeth bared in determination

takes the hit first, yelping and turning

gets deep enough to actually

of attack turning into one of pain as I turn my back to

neck – a deep and searing touch that’s gone after an

the brunt of the flame, I turn back to the priest and

coming back

says, his teeth gritted as he glares

are left -”

won’t,” I snap, taking another step towards him. “Or else you’d have done it

frustration, I think, in being caught out. Roger, understanding my point,

begins to prowl forward