Accidental Surrogate for Alpha novel Chapter 352

Chapter 352 – Keeping it in the Family

Ella

I’m the last one to the conference room – baby stuff but when I come through the door I’m very surprised to see that it’s just family gathering today.

“Where is everyone?” I ask, holding Rafe close to my chest so that he peers over my shoulder. He’s a very curious baby – he likes to look around, even though he can’t see much yet. I move over to the table where Cora, Roger, Henry, and Sinclair sit, all clearly waiting for me, all with faces which are …drawn. Concerned. And turned on me.

“What,” I breathe, freezing before I can sit down. “What’s wrong? What is it?” “Sit, Ella,” Henry says, waving to the open chair between him and Sinclair.

“No,” I say, shaking my head, the word falling out of my mouth before I can even think. “No way this looks… this looks like bad news.’

And some part of me knows that I’m being ridiculous – that it won’t be good news miraculously if I don’t hear it but still. Fear stripes through me – I really, really can’t handle more bad news now, not after the few days we’ve had. And not if it, apparently, all focuses on me.

“Ella, please,” Sinclair says, looking at me with gentle eyes and pulling the empty chair out. “I promise it’s not as bad as you think.”

“Do you all know?” I ask, going rigid.

“Henry told us before you came in,” Cora replies, leaning forward towards me across the table, Roger’s hand on her back. “He just wanted us to be prepared, so that the focus could be on you when we told you.’

“Oh my god,” I whisper, slowly moving to the chair and sitting down.” Is it me?” I ask. “Did I did I do something?”

“Not at all,” Henry says, shaking his head at me. “I’m sorry, Ella – – I may have gone about this in the wrong way. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just – it was convenient that you were last, so I told them first so that the focus could be on you now, as I believe that this news will affect you most.”

“And where ” I ask, looking around again for the members of the team who went on the mission yesterday. Some of them, I know, would be well enough to attend now, if they were wanted. ” Where are the other researchers?” I ask, knowing that Henry has been working all day and night with his own team.

“This is…” Henry continues, hesitating, “a family matter, Ella. Those who don’t know will be briefed soon. But I wanted to talk about this together, with the main parties involved.” Henry’s eyes drift, now, to Rafe in my arms, and I go tense.

“Okay,” I say, drawing my lips together in a thin line. “Let’s get on with it then. What’s wrong?”

Henry looks towards Rafe now, nodding to him, apparently giving him permission to talk in some kind of pre- arranged pattern. This, contrary to what they wanted, somehow makes me more nervous, that they’ve rehearsed how to tell me this news.

Is this some kind of intervention or something? What did I do? Feeling my tension, the baby starts to fuss, and Sinclair takes him from me tucking Rafe into the crook of one elbow before draping his other arm warmly over my shoulders. I feel at once calmer, and start to wonder – ridiculously if Sinclair isn’t just the baby whisperer, but the Ella whisperer as well.

“Ella,” Roger starts, and I turn my entire focus to him. “Yesterday, when we were fighting the priest, he said something…strange.”

I don’t say anything, just clench my teeth and stare at him, willing him to continue Fast.

“We had him pinned – he only got to whatever…I don’t know, whatever magical powder allowed him to really fire bomb us, by accident, and when he realized that he was going to be able to use it – I think he slipped.”