His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Claire’s POV**

As I slowly emerged from the heavy fog of unconsciousness, the first thing that assaulted my senses was the acrid scent of disinfectant, sharp and sterile. I blinked against the glaring fluorescent lights above, taking in the stark white ceiling that loomed overhead. My gaze drifted down to the IV line snaking into my arm, a stark reminder of my current reality.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, a dull ache radiating through my chest with each breath I took. Hospital… Again? The familiar surroundings felt like a prison, a place I desperately wished to escape from. Why couldn’t they just let me be? Allow me to drift away into the peace I so longed for, to finally reunite with Dad, wherever he might be now.

He must have missed me as much as I missed him, the thought gnawing at my heart like a persistent ache.

The muffled sounds of soft sobs pulled my attention, and I turned my head slowly, each movement feeling like a monumental effort. There, beside me, sat my mother, her face marred by streaks of mascara that told a story of anguish. Beside her, Alpha Ethan’s presence was a steadying force, his arm draped gently across her shoulders, a silent promise of support.

“Claire! Oh my God! Thank God you’re awake!” My mother’s voice was a mixture of relief and desperation.

“Why…” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Why didn’t you just let me die? I could have gone to be with Dad…”

“Claire!” My mother’s voice cracked like glass. “Don’t you ever say that again!”

“Why not?” I retorted, trying to sit up, but the machines around me protested, beeping angrily as I fell back against the pillows. “Isn’t it better? This stupid heart is going to kill me anyway… Might as well get it over with…”

Mom’s sobs intensified, her body shaking as if the weight of her emotions was too much to bear. “Do you want to kill me, Claire?” Her voice trembled, thick with tears. “What did we say about going to parties? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?”

Her words struck me like a dagger, but a surge of anger rose within me, hot and fierce. “So you can go on romantic dates with your new husband, but I’m restricted from living like a normal girl? Please, Mom, you don’t care about me. Stop pretending…”

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide with hurt and disbelief.

“Claire! Have you lost your manners? I am still your mother for crying out loud! You know the rules. Yet you choose to do the opposite! Do you want to kill yourself?”

Tears blurred my vision, making everything around me a hazy mess. “I just want to live a normal life! Like everyone else my age. I’m tired of existing with this death sentence hanging over my head… I don’t want to keep living like this. Just let me die, Mom… Tell the doctors to give me something… an injection, anything. Please…”

She gasped, her hand flying to her chest as if my words had struck her physically.

“What’s gotten into you? You were never like this before. Is there something I need to know? Did something happen?”

I shook my head, bitterness flooding my veins. “Even if I told you, what difference would it make? You’d still tell me to manage it. That problems never go away. That I should just endure…”

Her lips parted, but Alpha Ethan’s calm yet firm voice interrupted the charged atmosphere. “No. Don’t…”

He squeezed her shoulder gently, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that demanded her attention. “This isn’t the right place for this. She’s been through enough already. Please, go wait in the car. I’ll join you soon…”

Mom hesitated, her face a tumultuous mix of anger and sorrow, before she finally stood up and walked out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

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