Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 402 – The Camps

Ella

Someone must have called ahead because when we pull up to the refugee camp I see Isabel standing outside the gates, her arms crossed over her chest and a big smile on her face. I give a little squeal of excitement when I see her, my hand immediately going to the lever on the car door. “Seriously, Ella,” Cora murmurs, grabbing my other wrist. “Let’s not leap out of the moving vehicle just because we see our friends.” “Ohhh,” I say, tossing her a little glare over my shoulder.

“I’m not that dumb, Cora -” “You’ve done it before,” she sighs. “Once!” I snap, giving her a real glare and then quickly moving to unbuckle myself and then Rafe, getting him strapped to my chest as fast as I can when the car stops. The result of the delay is that Isabel pulls open my door the moment I turn around, ready to grab the handle again. “Ella!” she shouts, laughing already, and I burst out of the car, wrapping my friend in a one-armed hug, kind of regretting that I already strapped Rafe to me so that I can’t hold her properly.

“Isabel!” I gasp, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. “It issogood to see you!”

“And you, friend,” she says, sighing a little in relief that looks like it was a long time coming. “We were all going crazy when we didn’t hear from you for so long and we got some of the details, but no one really knows what happened? Some kind of…attack?” ” It’s an insane story,” I say, rolling my eyes as Cora and Conner come around the car. “I’ll tell you all about it, but it needs a long telling, so maybe…not now,” I say, glancing over at the refugee camp. “All right,” she nods, still looking at me.

“But you’re okay? Things are…steady?” “We’re fine, everyone’s fine,” I say, running a hand over my baby’s hair. “Things are steady for now.” I give a little shrug, letting her know that that’s all we’ve got. She smiles at me and nods, understanding, and then takes a moment to fuss over Rafe, telling him how big he got, and then giving Cora a kiss on the cheek as well. As Isabel hugs Cora, she pauses and steps back, looking down at her- belly. “Are you…”

says, laughing,” though I’m not sure

pup?” Cora laughs and shrugs a little. “Listen, it’s complicated. But yeah…. I’m a human with a wolf soul and I’m pregnant with a hybrid mostly-wolf baby.” Isabel blinks in

now and blushing to be called out. “God,” she

yourselves, apparently,” Isabel says, smirking at her. And then she turns her attention to Conner. “And who are you?” “A bit of a new addition,” he says, rubbing his hair awkwardly but giving her a smile

she folds her arms over her chest. Conner, bless him, blushes bright red as I burst into laugher and shove my friend on her shoulder. “Isabel!” I laugh, shaking my head at her. “You’d have bitten my head off if I asked that of you the moment I met you.” “Well, I’m different now,” she says, grinning at me. “More romantic, now that I see how much it turned my life around. after tragedy. I’m a meddler by nature,” she says,

feet, smiling a little.” I am single.” “Good,” she says, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder and then turning with all of us towards the gates. “We’ll see what we can do about that.” And then, together, Isabel walks us towards the gates. As we pass through them, I see her mood change just a

We want to help -we have resources now -” “I know,” she says, placing a hand on my arm. “I just these people have been through a lot. This is not going to be a walk in the park.” “That’s all right,” Cora says with a sigh, starting to look around, her hands

and starting forward. “Let’s get started.” She fills us in on her family as we begin to walk, letting us know that James is well and – interestingly – at the palace today, enough –

though I don’t think she knows it. The little girl is apparently growing like a weed and a fast learner, eager for every picture book she can get her hands on. While all of this news about my friend’s family warms my heart to its core, that heat fades from me the deeper we get into the camp. Isabel gives us a thorough tour, taking us down row after row of tents where families live together, scrapping together their world as best they can. “How did these people get here,” Cora murmurs, confused. “Well, this is the Wolf Camp,” Isabel says quietly, “the Human Camp is across the river -”

to me with narrowed

in, or have no way to get to that family, or who otherwise don’t have access to the resources they need to get their lives back together.” “Why the fences?” Cora asks, looking around at the tall chain-link fences all around the perimeter with barbed wire

“people can come and go as they please. The fences are here to