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.
room and pound down the stairs, looking anxiously
to take mine. I slip my hand
leaving his. “Is it “I
–
doesn’t say anything and I realize that he doesn’t know he came to get
so, together, we both stride to the front door, which Sinclair throws
–
of relief, sinking against Sinclair as my knees weaken, just a little, as
Roger, turning towards her and saying
tears filling my eyes as I dash towards
at her, tossing my arm around her neck. Cora takes too steadying steps backwards at the force of me, but wraps her arms around me nonetheless. “Easy, sis!” she says, still
—
the baby,” I mutter,
about is that I have my sister back, safe. “Where
of course
me. “We were in the storm for
a charger?”
didn’t plan to stay
charging cord in the
there wasn’t
have stopped,” I cry, “at a gas station
looking into my eyes with her own wide with shock.
worried. We were fine. – we are fine! We
we just wanted to get here
–
and wiping
can’t lose you, Cora.
arm around me. “I’m sorry, Ella,”
“You’re right we should have called, or
–
We were…” she hesitates here, but Roger
at me and sinking his
looking between the two of them.
Cora blushes –
Blushes?!
My mouth drops open.
Just to weather it out.” She doesn’t say anything else but the big smile that creeps across her face then says
I shout, shoving her a little. “I’m sitting here, for hours, worried to death, and you’re out there
sometime, Ella,” Roger quips, and when I turn to him I see that he’s
god,” I say, suddenly realizing the implications of this. “Oh my god,” I repeat, taking a step forward to shove Roger for his comment for good measure
awe.
says smoothly, ignoring my little shove and
Cora to take
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