His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 118

**Chapter 118**

**Claire’s POV**

Time slipped through my fingers like grains of sand as I immersed myself in the library’s labyrinth of ancient tomes. I hunched over the weathered pages, my fingertips gliding over the faded ink, each letter a whisper of knowledge that seemed to taunt me. My mind was a tempest, swirling with every conceivable reason for Elijah’s sudden and alarming transformation.

Moon sickness.

The term echoed in my thoughts, a haunting incantation that had been murmured among the elders like a dark omen. I had caught fleeting glimpses of its ominous implications in the healer’s records, yet I had never imagined it would ensnare him so fiercely, so rapidly.

Turning another page, I scanned for clues—triggers, symptoms, anything that might illuminate the searing fire I had sensed in him just a day before. And then, my gaze fell upon a word that struck me like a thunderclap: trauma.

Emotional trauma could unravel a wolf, particularly one of Elijah’s stature as an alpha, and if left unchecked, it could manifest in catastrophic ways.

A sharp intake of breath caught in my throat. Trauma. The weight of that single word crashed over me, heavy and unyielding. Elijah had been submerged in a deep, dark pool of depression for the past week—gripping, quiet, withdrawn.

I hadn’t truly grasped the depth of his despair until yesterday, when we had shared a day together. The façade of normalcy had masked the undercurrents of his suffering. I had thought I understood him, but I had barely grazed the surface of his pain. Now, it was painfully evident—the bond between us had amplified every emotion, magnifying even the slightest tremor until it threatened to engulf him completely.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples in a futile attempt to ease the growing tension. A stinging sensation welled up behind my eyes as my wolf growled softly within me, a warning that echoed through my very being. He was vulnerable now, more than I had ever witnessed, and I had to find a way to reach him without pushing him further into the abyss.

“Claire?” A soft cough pierced through my spiraling thoughts. I looked up, startled, to find my mother standing before me, her expression a blend of concern and surprise.

“What are you doing, Claire?” she asked gently, crossing the room with a grace that belied the worry etched on her face. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, as if to anchor herself against the tide of uncertainty.

“I… I’m researching,” I confessed, feeling a flush creep into my cheeks. “I’m searching for anything that could explain Elijah’s… moon sickness. Causes, triggers, patterns—anything.”

Her eyes widened in understanding, and she sank into the chair opposite me, her posture heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. “Oh, Claire, I’m so sorry. Ethan doesn’t even know where to begin. There’s no known cure for this. All we can do is keep him calm for the sake of being calm and ensure that the world doesn’t throw him further off balance.” She hesitated, her gaze drifting to the floor. “The rogue reports—those attacks—they could have just exacerbated his condition.”

A tight knot formed in my chest, and my wolf hissed within me, sharp and urgent. Guilt, fear, and determination settled heavily on my shoulders, a cocktail of emotions that threatened to crush me. I couldn’t abandon him like this—not when there was something, anything, I could do.

“I’ll help him,” I declared, my voice firm and resolute, almost as if I were trying to convince myself as much as her. “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring him back to balance.”

Her hand brushed against mine, a fleeting touch that radiated warmth and comfort. “Be careful, Claire,” she murmured, her voice low and filled with caution. “This isn’t something you can fix with sheer will alone.”

I nodded, determination coursing through me like fire. My fingers returned to the pages, soaking in every word, every account, every mention of the bond intensifying with emotional trauma, every warning that a wolf could spiral out of control if left unchecked. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I made my decision. I couldn’t wait any longer; I had to see him.

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