Accidental Surrogate

On the Edge Ella My eyes flick to Jessica’s to find her gaze already on me. I stare at her, hoping she can intuit, hoping she has the courage to run when – “If you think my human sister is a bitch,” I say, taking another precise step forward, forcing Xander to rise his foot to take his final step back. As that foot falls, I bare my teeth. “Then just wait until you really meet me.” And as Xander places that foot down, and it falls on the edge of the stair that he didn’t know was there, I bare my teeth and transform in a flash.

Xander’s foot slips and slides unsteadily to the step below, unbalancing him. He flings out an arm to balance himself and while he keeps one hand steadily on Jessica – As I hoped, the hand he flings out for balance is the one that holds the knife.

The moment she feels the cold press of it leave her neck, Jessica screams and rips herself away from Xander. His hand is still knotted in her hair and I swear I hear it rip from her scalp as I leap for him, but I can’t turn and see Instead, I’m already in the air in my wolf’s body, sailing for him, my teeth bared.

His eyes are wide as my paws slam into his shoulders, as I take him down to the ground.

A garbled scream falls from his mouth as he whips the knife in his hand toward my side, but it’s too late.My teeth are already closing around his throat, digging deep.

The dagger cuts me, I can feel it, but it slides away from my skin to clatter on the ground as Xander’s body crashes into the stone steps. My jaws close, my teeth meeting, and instincts take over as I shake my head, ripping the life from him as I tear his flesh.

I feel him go still beneath me quickly, leaving no time for a last gasp or a final word.

I did my job well.

My chest heaving, I stand above him for a moment, looking down into his face, making sure his eyes are dead.

And then I disdainfully step away, wanting nothing more to do with him, wanting the taste of his putrid blood out of my mouth.

I transform back into my human body as I continue to stand above him, my shoulders still heaving, and I drag an arm across my face, wiping the blood away from my mouth with my sleeve as much as I can.

around us, shouting orders and I blink suddenly, brought instantly away from my primal instincts to protect and back to my reality, where I’m

But suddenly, I see flashes

and Jessica, and the guards… That this is still a palace in the middle of a city

of me are crowded with people who look at me

when I panic and stare out at the flashing cameras, but then suddenly – quite suddenly – everything is chaos. An arm grabs me and I look up into Conner’s face, blinking in surprise to see him there And I turn when

voice worried. I tug at his arm but he won’t let me go, so I glare up at him. “Seriously, Ella,” he says, his voice low as he whispers his words, “you’re covered in blood, and the Alpha is going to flip out if he sees you here like this -” “But she -” “She’s breathing,” he says, nodding to me, “she’s conscious – let us take her inside, you can heal her there -” And I look up at him, blinking a little, and then I nod, agreeing to it, realizing that he’s right. Because I am panicking right now, and trying to do everything at

against the guards who hold her

her head to me,

I command, holding out my free hand. The guards hesitate but then let the girl go as they see my serious face. Jessica rushes to my side, wrapping her hand in mine, whimpering

arm around her. “The doctors are going to bring Sarah in,” I say quietly, “don’t worry, all right? I’ll keep you safe.” “Do you,” she says, looking back, “do you promise she’s all right?” “I promise, Jessica,” I say quietly, meaning every word of it. “We just all need to get inside, okay? And Sarah needs people

– they’re going to help bring her in.” Jessica nods shakily, pressing herself closer to my side, but

large form fills it, and my knees go almost shaky with relief as I instantly

I can’t. Not yet. and I Conner removes his hand from me now, knowing that I’m safe, and he steps back as Sinclair takes a step forward, his face livid and scared and breathless

down at Jessica and over

up and place my hand on his cheek, shaking my head. “I’m fine, it’s fine,” I say,

him, I know, but it’s tempered now

get her in,” I say, my eyebrows going

wanting to storm out and assess the situation, wanting simultaneously – I know – to yell at me for taking whatever risk it was that I just took But he masters himself, glares at me a little, and nods as he realizes that I’m right. And then the King steps behind Jessica and I and