Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Chapter 313

#Chapter 313 – Cora at Home

Cora

When I wake up it’s almost eight at night and I groan, realizing that my sleep schedule is

completely wrecked. I’m reminded, suddenly, of my years as a medical resident when this sort of thing was normal – sleeping all day, taking night shifts, living moment to moment rather than a steady, scheduled life.

And quite frankly, right now? That sounds really wonderful, compared against a whole night of empty hours in which I have nothing to do but… think.

Think about what I’m doing in my life, think about my career which has gone in a really weird direction, think about my relationship…s.

About a certain kiss in the woods.

About a sweet doctor who, apparently, wants to build a life with me.

I sigh and sit up, looking around at my sterile little apartment. I never really decorated, I realize as

I look around at the grey and beige furniture, the simple linens, the charmless curtains. Everything is functional and high quality but none of it is… me?

Or is it?

I frown at my space, thinking of Ella’s sweet home that – even though Sinclair picked out most of the furniture before she moved in – still sings Ella Ella Ella in every corner. It’s warm and sweet

and comfortable. What does my space say about me?

I mean, I’m an orphan – I never had any possessions or any control over the environments in

which I lived, so where would I have learned to decorate? I never had a mother to show me how

So where did Ella…

I groan, rolling my eyes at myself, sick, again, of being jealous of my sister.

I love her so, so much – and I’m so happy she has what she wants in her life. But sometimes she’s just so….perfect. That it makes me realize how unhappy I am, when I stand next to her.

I roll over, reaching for my phone, seeking some kind of distraction from these disquieting- thoughts. But when I pick it up the first thing I see is one of those relationships I’m trying to avoid leaving me an assortment of messages. I sigh and click open my message app.

Hank: Hey, Cora – how did the baptism go? Dinner later?

Hank: Cora? You okay?

2

Hank: Hey, send me a text when you get up – I know you were up all night but I’m worried that I

haven’t heard from you.

Sighing, I swipe the messages away and click through the rest of my phone, trying, determinedly,

to not let it bother me that there’s nothing at all from Roger. Not a peep. As I take a deep breath and check my email, another message from Hank pops up.

Hank: Hey, are you home? I’m… I mean, this is a little pathetic, but I’m outside. Can you let me in? I

your apartment door…

My heart twinges a little bit when I see that. Hank. He’s being so sweet and I’m…well, I’m not being fair to him, am I?

Ella’s right. I’m holding a space for Roger, one he doesn’t even want – despite what might have passed between us last night, it doesn’t change anything. And there’s a man standing outside my door with mooshoo pork, dying to love me.

God, what’s wrong with me? Quickly, I jump out of my bed and dash for the front door of my apartment.

When I get to it, I yank it open, hoping

Hank jumps a little, his eyes going wide, accidentally dropping the large bag of Chinese on the little mail table I keep outside my door. “Gah!”

too cheerful. “I’m so sorry,” I continue, smiling at him, “I just woke up

smile. “I get

door frame

turning up a bit at the corner. “That

around us on the coffee table, eating right out of the containers with the supplied chopsticks, Hank tells me all about his day. He held down the fort at the little free clinic we both work at, seeing both prospective mothers as well as general ailments from humans and wolves who currently don’t have access to

tells me his story, my eyes flicking over his handsome, serious

in my stomach as I watch him, something that makes me…well, makes- me want to jump across the couch

focus on him. “Did you hear me?”

I’m sorry, Hank,” I say, giving him an

reaching out to grab my hand, squeezing it a bit before sitting

a morsel. “But she doesn’t have any medical experience. Would she really be helpful there? I think that she

”

need most.”

his chopsticks. “And it’s true that she doesn’t have medical experience, but she does

head at him,

powers,”

I ask, raising my eyebrows

she was able to do to herself twice now. To bring herself out of that coma that should have killed her. And then I saw her, before my eyes, almost instantly heal wounds that should have incapacitated

my mouth going to a little “o” as I lower the takeout to my lap. I had honestly never thought of it – of leveraging my mother’s power for the practice of medicine. It seemed somehow… too sacred, too special, to be used to heal

be used to fight things

the possibilities, but I’m wary. I mean, I gave the gift back to Ella – and our mother gave it to

would I

says softly. “Did I…was it wrong to suggest

a bigger question than just I can answer. We’ll

better, maybe we can have that conversation soon. If the gift

excited. “And it’s not like she’s got

taking the container of food out of my hands and putting it on the table next to me. “At least, not for the next twelve hours or so, until we have to go to

body over mine, bringing his face close to me

as I let Hank use that hand on my back to lay me flat on

312 – Reinforcements

Cora

each other about nothing, when suddenly I hear a pounding on my door – a dangerous, feral,

–

is that,” Hank gasps, sitting up and whipping his head to look towards the front

my apartment.

we both sit there, frozen,

my jaw drops a little because…well, because I know that voice. “Open the

damn door, Cora!”

my naked body in my sheets –

hurriedly getting out of

sheets for my robe hanging on the back of

through the living room.

Hank, standing at the doorway to my bedroom, sees for himself the moment

open.

door flies open, but he drops it as he glares

Cora,” he growls, storming past me into the apartment, “don’t you ever check your

pho-

goes silent, though, the moment he sees Hank standing in the doorway to my bedroom, pulling on his shirt. And then Roger turns slowly and looks at me, taking me in from head to toe in my bathrobe. He doesn’t say

I hiss, filling the void that his silence left as I slamming the door shut and stalking forward to give

damn it,” Roger growls, snapping out of his shock and turning his attention to me as he blatantly ignores Hank. “It’s a crisis – Ella and Sinclair

hour –”

—

– and then finally spotting my phone, wedged between the pillows of the couch. I dash to it and grab it and see that Roger is right that Ella has been calling me for the

  1. do.

–

in my throat. I can’t grasp the

–

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