Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 376-The Cost Ella

My internal screaming continues, echoing through me as I grab whatever bond I

have to my Goddess mother and pull on it as hard as I can –

And I’m still screaming, there, in my mind and honestly maybe from my throat as

well, I’m too far beyond myself now to know – when suddenly…

…She’s here.

My mother’s presence materializes first in my mind as she reaches for me,

worried.

“Ella!” I hear her say, her voice chiming against my own frantic screams, “Ella, I

am here!”

Shocked shocked to feel her, shocked that it worked – I find myself thrown out

of my meditative state and into my own body, which is still freezing cold. But

when my eyes fly open I gasp to see that she’sShe’s actually here. Not just present in my mind – but standing before me. And

as I blink frantically, letting my eyes adjust, I realize that she’s not… physically

here. Not in the way she was when we met her in the desert. But she’s here in

her spirit – she presents herself before me in an echo of her true form, a

glowing, beautiful specter that reaches her hands out towards me.

“Mother!” I gasp. “Mom please – I need my baby – please release me -”

“Ella,” she says, coming forward and reaching for me, though her hands can’t

quite touch my face. I feel her, though something about her touch tingles against

my cheeks as she tries and fails to take my face in her hands. ” I don’t

understand, child – I don’t know what’s happening -”

And then I’m sobbing, looking up at her, desperate for her to know but so cold

now so incredibly cold – and unable to find the words to express it all-

“Close your eyes, darling,” she murmurs, looking down at me with her beautiful,

glowing face. “Show me.”

And I do. I press my eyes shut and, sobbing, I press my thoughts – my

memories – my fears – my ideas everything forward towards her. And I hear her

gasp at first in shock, and then coo with understanding. –

“All right, Ella,” she says softly, and I open my eyes again to see her shaking her

head at me. “Your gift is bound, my love and I cannot – ”

up at her in desperation. “Do

gift – go out go out and kill her just something my

on the goddess’s face, her desire to help as

different realms – I know she is bound

can’t believe that

grim. “Once, Ella,” she says, her face

world once in your life. And I

be able to do it again. Are you sure

is nothing else

be worse –

is a price,” she says, looking clearly into my eyes. “You

Ella. It is the last time

of my temples.”

at her, as I realize that the price for this

She looks steadily down into my eyes as she nods, realizing that

understand.

child,” she says softly to me. “I just wanted you

so you could save your

knowing I should think about

nod. I let her know that I know

breaks my heart – I

murmurs and then she leans forward

And for a moment the press of her

same as her hands against my face

her lips

skin.

as I feel my wolf come howling

at the injustice done to her,

help our

– knowing it is done – knowing

our bond to unbind my wolf and her gift. And in its

been…

she begins to fade from my sight.

she says, reaching out

grows warm.

then, quite suddenly, she is

thatThat even though that felt like a few long minutes with my mother, only

have passed –

to my son. Now. So I reach within

hot within me. And I hold

it burn through me – through my mind, my heart, my skin And

begins

Sinclair

brother lets out a roar of rage, dashing away from Hank who sits

outside the clinic, holding his

already on the move, shifting into my

on my skin stretch horribly,

wolf form and the injuries in them scream in protest against it. But I’m

running on fear and adrenaline, pushing myself to go after

screams in my mind

can’tBut I ignore it, forcing myself forward beyond the pain, sprinting towards

locked in my

I stream towards her, as I ignore my pain and

into the chase.

her steps, turnHer eyes go wide with horror as I pull together my last bit