#Chapter 401 – 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…”
“Yes, yes,” Cora says, laughing,” though I’m not sure I’m used to people being able tosmellit on me.”
“But,” Isabel’s eyes go wide as she looks sup into Cora’s face. “This baby…is a 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 surprise and then laughs, narrowing her eyes at her. “It’s Roger’s isn’t it?” she asks, grinning.
Cora laughs again, harder now and blushing to be called out. “God,” she says, running a hand through her hair, “were wethatobvious in Vanara?”
“To everyone but 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 anyway. “My name is Conner, I’m a sergeant in the pack,” he says, nodding to us to let her know which one. “And are you single?”
Isabel asks, looking him up and down as 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, giving me a wink before turning back to him. “So?”
she prods. “Yes, ma’am,” he murmurs down towards his 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 little bit as she looks at my sister and I warily.
“I know you’ve seen some tough things, Ella, Cora,” she says, but I do want you to be prepared for what you’re walking into.” I frown at her. “Please,” I say, shaking my head. ” Don’t hold back. 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 on her hips.
“We’ve never been park people, really. We like the beach.” “All right, then,” Isabel says, nodding 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 – reconnecting with Sinclair and seeing if there’s a place for him in the administration.
A beautiful smile takes over Isabel’s face when she tells us about Sadie, even 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 -” ” What?” I ask, a little appalled. “You’re keeping them separate?”
“I’mnot keeping them separate,’ Isabel says, turning to me with narrowed eyes. ” Theydemandedseparate accommodations.”
“Oh,” I sigh, realizing that that makes sense but disappointed nonetheless.” But anyway, these wolves are all people who had their home destroyed during the war and don’t have family to take them 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 on top.
“They’re not to keep the people in,” Isabel sighs, “people can come and go as they please. The fences are here to keep other peopleout.”
“Who?” I ask, a little appalled, my hand instantly going to Rafe in my sudden fear. “Stragglers, mostly,” she says, shrugging to me. “There’s probably a better word for it – but there are plenty of people – both human and wolf – who do not like the way that services are being distributed to refugees, and who believe that they can do it better on their own. Still, they need supplies as well, and many don’t hesitate to prey on those within this camp if they can get in.”
“Oh my god,” I sigh, looking around at all of the poor people around us, dozens and hundreds of them living in tents, doing their best just to survive after the war took everything from them. “Will you…will you take me to the human camps too?” “I will,” she says, biting her lip and looking up at me. “Though…they may not be as happy to see you as you think.” “Because I’m a wolf?” I ask quietly. Slowly, she nods.
“The humans have felt deeply betrayed by all of this, and I can’t say I blame them,” Isabel sighs. “It’s wonderful that human and wolf governments are able to come to a cease -fire, but the realization that this entirecityis under wolf jurisdiction and that wolves have for a long time considered humans second-class citizens, if not…worse,” she shrugs, clearly frustrated with it and without solutions regarding how to make it better. “It’s not good.”
“Still,” I say quietly, looking at Cora, who nods to me. “I want to go.”
“Okay,” Isabel says quietly, and then she turns to look me in the eye, glancing down at Rafe. “But there’s something I want you to see first. Actually,” she turns to Cora now, meeting her eyes, “I’m more eager foryouto see it, considering your medical experience.”
Cora smiles and glances at me, making Isabel frown a little bit, but Cora just waves a hand. “We’ll fill you in,” she says briefly, nodding to Isabel, “but you may want Ella now even more than you want me, if it’s something medical.
But please, lead the way.” Isabel does, silent and stern as she takes us towards a large brown tent towards the front of the camps. She takes a deep breath as she pulls back the flap, and then we all step inside. And my heart sinks down to the very pit of my stomach. Because the tent is absolutely filled with children.
