Ella
I’m sitting anxiously by Rafe’s basinet, watching him sleep, while my mind wanders impatiently
elsewhere. It’s been twenty–four hours since we heard from Cora and Roger and I feel, just a tiny
little bit, that every passing minute is a knife in my heart.
Where is my sister? I wonder to myself, sighing as I look down at my baby and honestly barely
seeing him. 1
It’s okay, my wolf says to me, rubbing her body warmly against my poor aching heart, nuzzling
me with her snout. Roger will take care of her – I know it. He can’t not.
But what if he couldn’t, I think anxiously, my mind turning inevitably to that freak storm that
they hit – the storm which separated them from their guards, which seemed….just, too precise.
Too convenient. To perfect to be coincidence. What if the cult trapped them? And hurt them both?
I wail, inwardly, my wolf giving in a little and sitting back on her haunches to raise her nose to the
sky and howl a little along with me. She still believes, but she’s overwhelmed, a little, by my
despair, even though inwardly she keeps the faith.
“Ella!” I hear Sinclair shout from downstairs. I jump a little, turning towards the door, but I freeze,
not allowing myself to hope. If it was bad news – he wouldn’t be shouting from downstairs –
But something very urgent could be happening so he can’t come up –
“Ella!” he calls again. “Come down! There’s a car in the drive!”
I gasp, leaning down to quickly scoop Rafe up into my arms. He gives a little half–hearted cry of
protest and I know that I should leave him here to sleep more – but damn it, with the cult out
there looking for him, there’s no way I’m leaving him out of one of his parents‘ sight for an instant.
Not until I know he’s safe.
I dash out of the room and pound down the stairs, looking anxiously into my mate’s face as he
stands at the bottom, a hand raised to take mine. I slip my hand into his as I reach him, my eyes
his. “Is it “I
–
realize that he doesn’t know he came to get me before he could
so, together, we both stride to the front door, which Sinclair throws open.
–
of relief, sinking against Sinclair as my knees
her and saying a few words before they both open their
cry, tears filling my eyes as I
as I throw myself at her, tossing my arm around her neck. Cora takes too steadying steps backwards at the
—
the baby,” I mutter,
my sister back, safe. “Where were you?” I demand, stepping back and wiping at my eyes, shifting Rafe again
– I made sure to hold Rafe to
says, shrugging at me. “We were
didn’t have a
didn’t plan to stay
cord in the
wasn’t one
a
Cora says, stepping forward and looking into my
worried. We were fine. – we are fine! We didn’t want
on the way home, we just wanted to get here quickly.
–
I say, sniffing a little and wiping my angry tears of relief away from my
you, Cora.
warm arm around me. “I’m sorry, Ella,” she says,
should
–
We were…” she hesitates here, but Roger finishes for her.
says, smirking smugly at me and sinking
I ask, confused, looking between the two of them.
Cora blushes –
Blushes?!
drops
motel. Just to weather it out.” She doesn’t say anything else but the big smile that
for hours, worried to death, and you’re
Roger quips, and when I turn to him I
I repeat, taking a step forward to shove Roger for his comment for good measure and then turning to Cora. “Does this mean – are you two –” I’m unable to finish my sentence, my mouth hanging open in hope and
awe.
ignoring my little shove and closing the
and Cora to take her
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