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.
dash out of the room and pound down the
the bottom, a hand raised to take mine. I slip my hand into his as I reach him,
“Is
–
I realize that he doesn’t know he came to get me before he
both stride to the front door, which
–
moan of relief, sinking against Sinclair as my knees weaken, just a little,
see Roger, turning towards her and saying
cry, tears filling my eyes as I dash
me a big smile as I throw myself at her, tossing my arm around her neck. Cora takes too steadying steps backwards at the force of me, but
—
baby,” I mutter,
is that I have my sister back, safe. “Where were you?”
course – I made sure to hold Rafe
“We
have a charger?” I ask,
plan to stay
charging cord
there wasn’t
cry, “at a gas station to buy
forward and looking into my eyes with her
worried. We were fine. – we are fine! We didn’t want to
get here quickly. I’m sorry
–
you should have,” I say, sniffing a little and wiping
lose you, Cora. I was
around me. “I’m sorry, Ella,” she
we should have called, or texted,
–
fault. We were…” she hesitates here, but Roger finishes for
me and
I ask, confused, looking between the two of them.
Cora blushes –
Blushes?!
My mouth drops open.
explains. “The storm was bad – we stopped…at a little motel. Just to weather it out.” She doesn’t
little. “I’m sitting here, for hours, worried to death, and you’re
sometime, Ella,” Roger quips, and when I turn to him I see that he’s smirking at me again. “There’s nothing
Roger for his comment for good measure and then turning to
awe.
together,” Roger says smoothly, ignoring my little shove and closing the distance
to take
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!