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 into my
to take mine. I slip my hand into
“Is it “I
–
anything and I realize that he doesn’t know he came to
stride to the front door,
–
against Sinclair as my knees weaken, just a little, as
turning towards her and saying a few
tears filling my eyes as
throw myself 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
—
baby,” I
moment, all I care about is that I have my sister back, safe. “Where
course – I made
“We were in the storm for
have a charger?” I
to stay
charging cord in
wasn’t one
stopped,” I cry, “at a gas station to buy
says, stepping forward and looking into my eyes with
you were so worried. We were fine. – we are fine! We didn’t want
home, we just wanted to get here quickly. I’m sorry I
–
little and wiping my angry tears of relief
can’t lose you, Cora. I
putting a warm arm around
over to us. “You’re right we should have called, or texted, or sent
–
fault. We were…” she
at me and sinking his
ask, confused, looking between the two of them.
Cora blushes –
Blushes?!
My mouth drops open.
storm was bad – we stopped…at a little motel. Just to
a little. “I’m sitting here, for hours, worried
sometime, Ella,” Roger quips, and when I turn to him I see
“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
awe.
ignoring my little shove and closing the distance
and Cora to
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