Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 411 Ella Inside the Camp

“You, the future Queen,” Hank says, shaking his head at me, “asked me to be here, and already your friend Isabel is sniffing around me like I’m some kind of convict? Just because I’m a human?”

“What?” I ask, confused, glancing over at her. “Isabel Isabel is on our side in this, Hank – she wants to help humans too -”

“It’s not about what she wants, or she thinks she wants,” Hank says, shaking his head and catching my gaze, making me listen to him. “It’s about generations of families telling wolves to keep separate from humans, to not tell them their secrets. And then it’s about the very recent shock that humans have experienced, realizing that wolves are real – and having their world absolutely destroyed by that knowledge.”

“So…” I say, frowning, starting to understand. “Do you do you not want to help? Do you want to leave?”

“No” he says, surprised, “No, Ella, I want to help very much. I just think you need to be prepared for the kind of reception you’re going to get if you walk in there with fifteen wolves in tow. Especially if they, like Isabel, have good intentions but still see humans as inherently different at best, or at worst as dangerous, or untrustworthy.”

“Isabel doesn’t think that,” I snap, instantly defensive.

“She certainly didn’t trust me,” Hank says, shrugging, his eyes apologetic.” And again, Ella, you asked me to be here.”

I sigh, murmuring that I’ll talk to her, but then something else he said rings in my head. “Wait, fifteen?” I ask, confused and looking over my shoulder. “Where are you getting fifteen wolves from? We only brought four guards…and Isabel…”

Hank sighs and then nods to the two black cars in the parking lot that I didn’t notice. And then, as I look at them, the doors open and men begin to spill out. I groan, realizing that Sinclair sent more ahead of us.

“Okay,” I sigh, looking back at Hank. “I take your point. How do you think we should do this?”

“I think,” he says carefully, looking over at our group, “you should let me and Cora take the lead. And leave the vast majority of your guys at the gate, telling them to come in only in an emergency.”

“Sinclair will flip if I go in without a guard,” I say, shaking my head.

“Two,” he says, holding up as many fingers for me to see. “One for you, one for Cora. And Ella? Pick nice ones, okay?”

sigh, and nod, and we head back

a great deal of negotiation, Cora, Isabel, Hank and I head into the camp with three guards behind us – Conner, Anthony, and a new one named Theo who has a radio line to the men waiting outside the gate open at all times. He also has his phone constantly in his hand and sends Roger and Sinclair text updates

I say to Theo, resting a hand on his arm and looking up

and then looks down at his phone. “Alpha Sinclair said you’d say that,” he says with a little bit of chagrin. “And…he also said you forgot your phone

I murmur, scowling and pulling my hand

smile as he tucks his own phone into the

are consulting with Isabel.” Okay!”

a tour of the camp. When I ask why, she tells me that while she felt it would bolster the wolves to see me visiting, she worries that

medical tent. “Their world has been so displaced by the secret of shifter existence. Especially these

says passively, “we are predators to their

stopping and putting a hand on her arm. “Do you really

blushes. “Oh my goodness,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “I…I just heard what I said. Forgive me, Ella,” she continues, clearly contrite and embarrassed, “I…I grew up in a wolf household. I really do understand

okay,” I say, cocking my head to the side. “I’m sure you’re not alone in that.

to where Conner, Cora, and Hank are waiting for us at the entrance to the tent. Both of the doctors arms are crossed in frustration, clearly eager to get to work. “And I think I was…not very nice to your human friend there,” she murmurs before looking back at me. “I’m so sorry,

nothing to forgive,” I say, smiling at her. “Your heart is in the right

and Hank, the two guards following behind. Without a

my mouth as another presses my baby closer against

number of adults working their way around the room. I grit my teeth with frustration because these poor people they clearly

is…five

to work,” Cora says, turning angry eyes to me. I nod, agreeing completely as

guidance, and she nods once before striding off herself, Isabel going with her. One of

with you,

and then I nod to Theo as well, who is likewise assigned to my duty. And, with that as our final word, we

as we move through the tent. We follow our old methods, with Cora and Hank discerning the worst cases and me attending to those first. The guards stay to the side as best they can, letting us consult and heal,