Filed To Story: Falling for the Alpha as a Surrogate Novel
“We can’t blame them for that,” I sigh as we head directly for the children’s medical tent. “Their world has been so displaced by the secret of shifter existence. Especially these humans.”
“Plus, humans are naturally more wary,” Isabel says passively, “we are predators to their prey, after all.”
“Isabel,” I say, stopping and putting a hand on her arm. “Do you really think that about humans?”
And then Isabel’s mouth falls open a bit and she 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 humans and wolves to be equal, I just spent my entire life with wolves.”
“It’s okay,” I say, cocking my head to the side. “I’m sure you’re not alone in that. And that plenty of humans have a lot of ideas about what wolves are like. But…”
“No,” she says, interrupting me and nodding eagerly. “I get it. I need to… spend some time thinking through those preconceived notions.” She glances now 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, Ella. Will you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” I say, smiling at her. “Your heart is in the right place, Isabel. I know you and I know that we can just move forward.”
Smiling at me, nodding, Isabel takes my arm and we join Conner, Cora and Hank, the two guards following behind. Without a word, we all pass into the tent and my heart instantly sinks at what I see.
“Oh my god,” I murmur, one hand immediately going to my mouth as another presses my baby closer against my chest.
The tent is loud filled to the brim with crying children and only a very small number of adults working their way around the room. I grit my teeth with frustration because these poor people they clearly need so much help, and they certainly have not been getting their fair share of it. As bad as the children’s medical tent was at the Wolf Camp?
This one is…five times worse.
“We have to get to work,” Cora says, turning angry eyes to me. I nod, agreeing completely as Hank strides away, already seeking action.
“Same old plan?” I murmur, seeking her guidance, and she nods once before striding off herself, Isabel going with her. One of the guards follows her as Conner comes to my side.
“I’m with you, Luna?” he asks.
“You’re with me, Conner,” I say, and then I nod to Theo as well, who is likewise assigned to my duty. And, with that as our final word, we get started.
The hours pass quickly 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, and throughout the day I see their expressions changing. At first they were hesitant, wary, as the humans with whom we worked gave us glares and clutched the children to them protectively.
But then, as our guards Theo and Anthony see the work we’re doing – see the relief we bring to the children, see the change in their parents’ faces as they see their children given new life – an ease comes to my guards’ expressions and their postures.
After I open my eyes and smile down at a little boy named Benny whose breath had been rasping, but who is now smiling and breathing easily, Theo looks at me in wonder and nods, his head bobbing eagerly. I smile at him, glad that he’s truly on the team now, in spirit as well as assignment. Behind him, holding Rafe in his arms, Conner grins and gives me a thumbs-up.
I move to stand up, smiling at both of my guards, but the little boy catches my hand.
“Hey!” he says, grinning up at me.
“Hey,” I reply, laughing and sitting back down to smile at him. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Benny says quickly, obviously eager to move on from that very boring subject. “Hey, are you one of the wolf people?”
“I am,” I say, laughing.
“No, you’re not,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me, still holding my hand.
“Why don’t you think so?” I asked, grinning and cocking my head to the side, charmed by his bold, frank nature.
“Because,” he replies with a frown, ” you are pretty. And so small.”
I laugh and wrinkle my nose at him. ” Wolves come in all shapes and sizes. My mate is very big. You would believe he was a wolf, if you saw him. But my sister is a human,” I say, pointing over at Cora, who is checking a young man’s vitals in a bed nearby.
“That’s impossible,” Benny says, narrowing his eyes at me. “If your sister is a person, you are also a person!”
I laugh and shake my head. “Not in this case,” I say, grinning at him. “I promise, I’m a shifter.”
“Prove it,” the little boy says, smiling fully at me now and revealing a missing front tooth that’s so cute it breaks my heart. “Turn into a wolf!”
“Nah,” I say, leaning in to stroke a hand over Benny’s hair, “I can’t shift right now now. I have to go and help some other kids.”
Still suspicious, the boy takes his hand from mine and crosses his arms over his chest. “Tell me your name. When my mom comes back, I’ll ask her to look you up on the internet. Then we’ll know whether or not you’re a wolf.”
Laughing, I tell him my name, and then I look around the tent. “Where is your mom, anyway?” I ask. “I’d like to meet her.”
The little boy is quiet for a moment and then he shrugs. “She’ll be back any minute.”
“Oh,” I say, and then I feel my heart ache a little bit inside of me, though I do my very best to keep my voice cheerful. “Did she just step away? When’s the last time you saw her?”
“Coupla days,” Benny murmurs, looking down at his blankets for a second. I glance up at Isabel, who has come close and was listening. She grimaces and then nods, confirming my suspicions. This little boy hasn’t seen his mother for a long, long time.
“Okay,” I say, reaching out and stroking a hand over his hair. “I’m going to do some work, okay? But I’ll come back and visit you in a little bit, all right, kiddo?”
“Okay!” he replies, instantly cheerful and smiling up at me. “Will you turn into your wolf then?”
“We’ll see,” I reply, laughing and giving him a wink. Then he waves to me as I stand up and move to Conner to instantly take Rafe into my own arms, hugging my baby close and passing him all of the love I have in my heart down the bond to him.
Because I honestly feel as if I could spend the rest of the day crying if I allow myself to think too hard about Benny, who was just quietly suffocating in his bed while he waited for his mother to come back.
Hank catches my eye and comes closer, glancing at Benny as he does.
“Will he survive?” I murmur, pitching my voice low enough so that the boy can’t hear me.
“After what you just did, Ella?” Hank asks. “Yeah. He’s going to make it. But he needs more than just medical help,” Hank continues. “You know that.”
“I do know that Hank,” I reply, and then I look sharply at Theo. “I need you to text Sinclair,” I say, my voice taking on more of Sinclair’s command than I’ve ever heard it do before. “Tell him we need to triple everything. Or more, if we can. All of the medical aid that’s being sent to these people, and the social workers, and…and everything. All right? Tell him I said immediately.”
Theo’s eyebrows go up, but he does as I say. My eyes return to Hank, though I’m very surprised to see him smiling at me.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?