Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 356 – Gone too Far

Ella

I find Cora, a little later, in the long room thoat we’ve turned into a hospital, working hard probably to distract herself. I grimace, a little, when I see that her bedside manner has certainly suffered in the wake of her frustration she’s snapping at patients, glaring at them when they take too long to answer, and stalking from bed to bed. As I come into the room the men look towards me with desperate eyes.

I hold up my free hand – Rafe bundled in my other arm – to the men, letting them know that I’ll handle it, and then I walk calmly over to my sister’s side.

“Hey Cora,” I say casually, looking down at the clipboard in her hand on which she’s writing in her messy doctor’s scrawl. Cora doesn’t respond, just glares at me and turns her attention back to the clipboard.

I scoff a little at her and bump my shoulder against hers, a little pissed off now. “Why don’t we try that again, Cora,” I say, through my teeth a little. ” Hello, Cora. How are you?”

“I’m not speaking to you, Ella,” Cora snaps, shaking her head and continuing to write. “Or my stupid mate, or yours. Or their dad.”

“What about Rafe,” I ask, adjusting the baby so that she can see him more clearly.

Cora flicks her eyes to Rafe, who looks up at her with his big sweet eyes, and she hesitates a little. “Rafe is fine,” she mutters, “he did not betray me. Unlike the rest of you.”

cute,” I say, grinning down at him. But Cora scoffs and turns away, angry that I am

like him a lot! I was very team Hank for a minute there, and I was the only one! But we have to be

seriously fool me, Ella?” she asks, folding her arms across her chest, holding the clipboard close against her. “Do you seriously think I have such a bad taste in men that I would honestly sleep with someone

the bed closest to use flinch, his eyes going wide with awkward surprise. But

think that Hank did anything! I just think that Henry has a point – that we need to double-check everything before we trust people! I mean, they wouldn’t even let me call you when we first got the anonymous note that someone

but clearly seeing my point. “Well, that was bullshit

and beginning to bounce Rafe a little bit, who is getting agitated now, probably because of my frustration. “But they checked anyway! Honestly, Cora,” I say, taking a deep breath and trying to bring all of our energy back down to

did nothing wrong. And now he has people hurling these accusations at him, which he totally doesn’t deserve! He’s my

hurting to see her feeling

sorry,” I whisper to her, putting my arm around my sister and pulling her close. “I’m sorry,

– just trying to protect your baby.” And I see her unconsciously move the clipboard lower on her

a little levity to the situation. “Your simple existence has

his position, lets out a little squeak of surprise, which makes Cora laugh. She shakes her head, smiling now, and reaches for the baby, taking him from my hands. “Nooo, not my nephew,” she says, cradling him against her arm and

as my baby wrinkles his little face and sighs, honestly as if a grave injustice has been done to him, and we

at me. “Thanks, Ella,” she whispers. “I think…I think you snapped me out of it