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 – ”

sob, looking up at her in desperation. “Do

go out go

her grief on the goddess’s face,

are from different realms – I know she is bound by rules

– but I can’t believe that

“Once, Ella,” she says, her face hard. “There

physically in your world

Are you sure that you want it

desperate. There is nothing else – – no other

worse – ”

is a price,” she says, looking clearly into my eyes. “You will…not

again. Ever, Ella. It is the last time we

of my temples.”

her, as I realize that

looks steadily down into my eyes as she nods, realizing

understand.

she says softly to me. “I just wanted

was, so you could save

should think about it more – that I should hesitate

I nod. I let her know

heart

she murmurs and then she

“It will be all right.” And for a

the same as her hands against my face

slight tingle until, slowly, her lips grow warm and

skin.

as I feel my wolf come howling back to me, her

to her, in her eagerness to

to help our baby

knowing it is done – knowing that she has

my wolf and her gift.

been…

she says as she begins to fade from my

she says, reaching out

her gift grows

quite suddenly,

to myself realizing thatThat even though that felt

have passed –

to get to my son. Now. So I

I hold onto it,

my mind, my heart, my skin And

ice begins to

Sinclair

of rage, dashing away from

outside the clinic, holding his

move, shifting into my wolf and bellowing in pain

as the wounds on my skin stretch horribly, as I

injuries in them scream in protest against it. But I’m

now, running on fear and adrenaline, pushing myself to go after my

screams in my mind to

it can’tBut I ignore it, forcing myself forward

my son. She’s locked in my sight now, her form

as I ignore my pain and hurl my

into the chase.

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