Chapter 327 – Back to the Real World
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.
out of the room and pound down the stairs, looking anxiously into
mine. I slip
his. “Is it “I
–
he doesn’t know he came
stride to the
–
of relief, sinking against Sinclair as my
turning towards her and saying a few words
filling my eyes as I dash
steadying steps backwards at the force of me, but wraps her arms around me nonetheless. “Easy, sis!” she says, still laughing a little.
—
baby,” I mutter,
moment, all I care about is that I have my sister back, safe. “Where were you?” I demand, stepping back and wiping
at all, of course – I
says, shrugging at me. “We were in the
you didn’t have a charger?” I
plan to stay
cord in
wasn’t one
have stopped,” I cry, “at a gas
Cora says, stepping forward and looking into my
didn’t know you were so worried. We were fine. – we are fine!
we just wanted to get here quickly.
–
sniffing a little and wiping my angry
you, Cora. I was worried I
a warm arm around me.
“You’re right we should have called, or texted, or sent a smoke
–
fault. We were…” she hesitates here, but
smugly at me and sinking his hands into
ask, confused, looking between the
Cora blushes –
Blushes?!
My mouth drops open.
little at Roger, explains. “The storm was bad – we stopped…at a little motel. Just to weather it out.” She doesn’t say anything else but the big
for hours, worried
I turn to him I see that he’s smirking at me again. “There’s nothing
implications of this. “Oh my god,” 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
awe.
Roger says smoothly, ignoring my little shove and
to take
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