His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 104

**TITLE: Betrayal Births**

**Chapter 104**

**Claire’s POV**

For what felt like an eternity after the unsettling rustle, I found myself paralyzed by uncertainty, unable to discern whether the sound was the result of a lurking animal, a hidden person, or simply the manifestation of my frayed nerves finally unraveling.

The night enveloping the cabin was unnervingly silent, the kind of cold that burrowed deep into my bones, making every shadow appear alive, pulsating with a heartbeat of its own. I swiped the back of my hand across my clammy forehead, forcing down the tightness constricting my throat, and steeled myself to face the trees once more.

“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice more forceful this time, though it still trembled with an undercurrent of fear. “If someone’s out there, just—just answer me.”

Silence reigned, the only reply a faint echo of my own voice, swallowed by the trees.

Then came another rustle, this one closer, too near to dismiss. My wolf surged to the forefront of my consciousness, her instincts sharpening, hackles raised, a sense of alertness coursing through me. She didn’t seem frightened; rather, she was poised, focused, ready to spring into action. I chose to trust her instincts over my own rising dread and cast a glance back toward the cabin.

Through the narrow window, I spotted Ethan, pacing like a caged animal, his movements frantic as if he was trying to outrun the fear that threatened to engulf him. He kept glancing toward the room where Selene was working tirelessly on Elijah, then turning away, unable to stay still, as if the very act of standing still would invite disaster.

Selene was out of sight, likely engrossed in her battle to stitch Elijah back together, pushing back against the encroaching darkness that was threatening to drag him into unconsciousness.

Another rustle echoed through the air, closer still, and I could no longer ignore it.

I stepped forward, hesitating for just a heartbeat before calling out again, my voice firmer now. “Elijah’s bleeding out in there. I don’t have the patience for games tonight. Show yourself.”

The rustling intensified, morphing into deliberate movement, and then, from between the trees, a figure emerged. For a fleeting moment, I thought I was staring at a person, tall and imposing, but as the pale moonlight shifted, the shape lowered, its shoulders broadened, and the gait became unmistakable.

It was a wolf.

A large one.

I inhaled sharply as it approached, slow and unhurried, completely unfazed by my warning. My wolf didn’t growl or retreat; she merely observed, a mix of curiosity and tension coursing through her. I instinctively stepped back, my hand searching for something—anything—that I could wield for protection, and my fingers closed around a thick, fallen branch. I raised it, claws extending just enough to remind this intruder that I was not defenseless.

But as the wolf stepped into the clearer patch of moonlight, everything inside me froze in disbelief.

I recognized this wolf.

The dark, midnight fur glistened under the moonlight. The faint silver streak running down its neck. Those sharp, intelligent eyes that held an expression more annoyed than threatening.

“Adrian?” I gasped, utterly bewildered.

The wolf blinked slowly. And then, as if the night held no terror for him, he continued his forward stride, moving toward me as if he hadn’t just emerged from the depths of the woods like something out of a horror film.

He halted about five feet away, casting a glance down at the branch in my hand before returning his gaze to me, an unmistakably judgmental expression etched onto his features. I lowered the branch slowly, muttering under my breath, “Don’t give me that look. You scared me.”

In an instant, he shifted—no gradual transition, no politeness—just a sudden transformation accompanied by the pop of joints and the stretch of skin. I instinctively turned my head away, determined not to witness the royal pack’s head doctor materialize fully naked in front of me.

“Can you calm down?” Adrian’s irritated voice broke through my thoughts from behind me. “I wasn’t sneaking. I was patrolling.”

I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, relief flooding through me when I saw him tugging on a pair of sweatpants he must have stashed in the woods. Of course, he had a stash.

He had earbuds nestled in his ears—white ones—and clutched a small digital pad in his hand, scribbling furiously as if caught up in the throes of some midnight research project.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, glancing up and finally noticing the tear stains on my face. His expression shifted—still irritated, but softened around the edges. “Claire? Why are you—wait, is that… blood I smell?”

In a rush, I spilled everything—the gala, the darkness that had swallowed the room, the brutal hit Elijah had taken, Ethan’s frantic efforts to carry him out, Selene working diligently in the cabin. I hadn’t meant to ramble, but once the words began to flow, they poured out uncontrollably, each detail echoing in my mind with sharper clarity than before.

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