Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 267 – True Sister

Ella

The power comes slow, at first, and I feel like a dry terracotta pot into which the first drips of rain begin to fall. But then, as my body beings to take in the power, to soak it up like thirsty clay, the power starts to fall into me like a summer storm. It soaks every bit of me, splashing against my tired soul like a cooling salve.

But then, even when I feel I’ve had enough, it keeps coming, and coming. The storm of power in me grows until it becomes a monsoon, until it fills me, overflows me. Until it reaches my throat, threatening to fill my mouth, my nose, my lungs. I tilt my head back, desperate to keep above the tide, but it’s ceaseless.

I gasp, struggling, but I can feel it trickling around the edges of my mouth, finding its way in despite my efforts –

If only I’d had more time – if only I were stronger – but I can’t fight this – it’s too much –

I spit, trying to keep the water out of my mouth, but it pours in and I gasp against it, coughing as the power fills my lungs.

“Ella!”

Only a sliver of me can hear Cora’s shout – the rest of me is gone, consumed by the power, by the knowledge is gives me, by the way it fills me, possesses me, chokes me with its strength –

I can feel her hands on my shoulders, but then, suddenly – I’m gone –

My mind is filled entirely within the power now and I feel myself weakly working to swim through it, to get to the top, to come up for air. But my arms – they can’t seem to push through, to lift me. I gasp again, desperate for air, and the power floods down my throat, filling me, consuming me, grasping every edge of my body until my vision goes not black, but totally white.

And then, what I see next…

It is as if I’ve always known it. Always been aware, deep down, of precisely who she is. But in this moment, in my greatest weakness, I’ve finally realized it. That she is the only one who can help.

me a gift. A single image of her kneeling by a bedside in the orphanage, pressing a kiss to a little girl’s forehead as she whispers the

little girl

It’s Cora.

my sister. The sister of my heart, my

it. Also the sister of

smile. “Two daughters,” she says, soft. “One of wolf, one of human born. To

“Why?”

more than ask it. I couldn’t form the words if I tried, drowning as I am in her power. The Goddess shakes her head slowly, that small

each other willingly, to want to save each other. Not because you had to, because it was some written destiny. It must be a gift, freely

her. “Go now,” she

eyes fly open in the real world then and I can see that I am spilling power, overflowing with light, but I’m laying flat

voice, tears streaking down

I draw a gaping breath, then, which feels like fire within me and for a moment I close my eyes, trying to fight against the pain in

wrench my eyes open, then, and look down at myself, at

blood

Oh my god.

rip my eyes back to Cora’s face. “Cora,” I demand. “Cora,

as I plead with my sister, hear it somewhere across

or it will kill me, and

almost screaming against the sound of explosions so close to us, gripping her hand as hard as I can. “TAKE IT, Cora! Take the gift, and

– what?” She mumbles, her voice

I stare into

with the knowledge of