His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Claire’s POV

The night was peaceful, but like I said earlier, peace doesn’t exactly last in my world.

School the next morning felt louder than usual, as if the hallways were humming with a secret I hadn’t caught

onto yet.

My head was pounding, although maybe it was the leftover tension from what happened yesterday, or maybe it was because Elijah had promised me the evening and I kept wondering what that meant.

Either way, I walked into homeroom feeling like I was carrying a jar full of bees under my ribs.

Jessica waved at me from the second row. Her smile was small and a little hopeful, like she wasn’t sure if she should try again. I lifted a hand back.

Not a full wave, but enough to tell her she wasn’t imagining the progress we were making. She looked relieved, which made me soften a little more.

She really was trying.

Before the bell rang, a girl named Chloe, one I’d run into during one of Elijah’s practices, slid into the seat beside me and whispered, “So, I heard something interesting on my way

in.”

I gave her a wary look. “Is it the kind of interesting I want to hear before school starts?”

She leaned closer. “Depends. Someone said Dr. Adrian is on campus. Apparently he’s meeting with the school board.”

My breath caught even though I tried to pretend it didn’t. “Why would he be here?”

This was getting a bit weird.

“No idea,” she said, lifting her brows. “But if he’s here, it means something is going on. And everyone knows he’s

your doctor, so you should probably prepare yourself.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” I lied.

Chloe gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me for one second, but she let it go when the teacher stepped in.

After second period, another stranger, a boy who I’d caught staring at me yesterday caught up with me outside the library.

His name was Tyler–tall, curly hair, the kind of smile that probably worked very well on most girls. He wasn’t threatening, just enthusiastic, which somehow made it harder to deal with.

“Hey, Claire,” he said, falling into step beside me. “Are you going to the tryouts this afternoon?”

I blinked at him, confused. “Tryouts for what?”

“For the academic relay,” he explained quickly. “Your grades are, like, top tier. You’d crush it. The teacher in charge said they’re looking for one more candidate, and when I mentioned your name, she said she’d love to see you try.”

“Oh.” I said, because my brain was scrambling for a more coherent response. “That’s unexpected.”

He laughed, light and easy. “Unexpected is fine. Good, even. You should come.”

Before I could respond. Elijah appeared behind me with the kind of silent precision that should have been illegal. He didn’t touch me, didn’t say anything at first, but the way Tyler straightened told me everything I

needed to know.

“Are you done?” Elijah asked, tone calm but sharp enough to cut glass.

Tyler swallowed. “I was just inviting her to tryouts. It’s nothing serious.”

“It sounded serious enough,” Elijah replied.

I turned on him with a frown. “Elijah, stop. He wasn’t doing anything.”

Tyler lifted his hands as if surrendering. “I’ll, uh… see you later, Claire.”

When he disappeared into the hallway, I crossed my arms at Elijah. “Why did you do that?”

“Because he was staring at you like he already imagined your wedding colors,” he said flatly.

I tried not to laugh—partly because it would encourage him, partly because his jealousy came with an edge that could get dangerous if unchecked. I was starting to not like it. “You can’t glare at people until they evaporate. It’s rude.”

“And talking to random boys who can’t remember their own locker combination is completely fine?”

“Elijah.”

He exhaled slowly, the way he’d been practicing with the healer. “Fine. I’m sorry. I didn’t like how close he stood.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to scare him half to death,” I said, softer now. “I can handle myself.”

His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I know. I just… worry.”

The hallway noise washed around us, but for a moment it felt like we were standing in a quiet corner of our universe, balancing between frustration and something tender. I placed my hand on his arm.

“It’s school,” I reminded him gently. “Nothing here is going to hurt me.”

A flicker passed through his eyes, something like doubt or memory–but he managed a small nod.

“I’ll try,” he said, and even though it didn’t fix everything, it mattered.

Third period was interrupted when the principal’s assistant knocked on the door and said my name.

The whole class turned to look at me, which made my stomach tighten again. I followed her through the administrative wing, unsure of what to expect.

When she opened a side office, Dr. Adrian was standing beside the window, sleeve rolled up slightly as he read a file. He looked up at me with a warm smile.

“Claire. Good to see you.”

I stepped inside, careful to keep my voice steady. Of all people to expect, I didn’t expect him. “I didn’t know you’d be here today.”

“Well, I had a meeting with the school board about some ongoing health concerns,” he explained, then gestured to the chair. “I also wanted to check on you. How have you been feeling?”

“I’m okay,” I said, sitting down. “A little tired. School has been… busy.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s normal. If anything changes–headaches, sudden fatigue, trouble sleeping— you let me know immediately. Your recovery isn’t something we leave to chance.”

His concern wasn’t unwelcome; it just made me feel watched in a way I didn’t know how to process. I twisted my fingers together.

“Are you worried something might happen again?” I asked.

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “I’m cautious, Claire. Not worried. There’s a difference. You’ve gone through enough stress in the past month that any doctor would want to keep a closer eye on you.”

“Right,” I murmured. “Thank you.”

Before he could say more, there was a knock at the door. Elijah stepped inside, eyes moving between us like he was trying to read an invisible script.

“Is everything alright?” he asked.

Dr. Adrian gave a calm smile. “Just checking on her. Don’t worry, I’m not stealing her from you.”

Something in Elijah’s shoulders eased, but not completely. He moved to my side, thumb brushing lightly against my knuckles in a silent check–in.

“I’m fine,” I told him. “Really.”

Dr. Adrian dismissed me with a promise to follow up if needed, and Elijah guided me out of the office with a protective tension he didn’t bother to hide.

When we reached the end of the hall, he asked quietly, “Did he say anything strange?”

“No,” I replied. “Just normal things a doctor would say.”

He hummed, unconvinced, but let it rest.

During lunch, Jessica approached me again, and dare I say she wasn’t so shy.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify