His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 183

183 /227

Chapter 183

Claire’s POV

The house felt like it was holding its breath all evening.

Dinner was a slow-burning minefield. Mom chattered about baby names and ultrasound appointments, Ethan nodded along, and Elijah and I sat across from each other doing our best impression of normal siblings.

Every time his eyes met mine, heat flared low in my stomach-a silent reminder of the storage closet, of his promise for tonight.

I kept my foot away from his under the table. Barely.

After dishes, I escaped to the living room couch with my sketchbook, pretending to work on showcase concepts while actually counting down hours until lights-out.

Elijah sprawled in the armchair opposite me, controller in hand, playing some shooter game with the volume low. Every so often he’d glance over, lips twitching like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Mom finally yawned her way upstairs around ten. Dad followed twenty minutes later, clapping Elijah on the shoulder with a “Don’t stay up too late, Captain.”

The second their bedroom door clicked shut, Elijah muted the game and looked at me-really looked. The air shifted, thickened.

“Midnight?” he mouthed.

I nodded, throat suddenly dry.

He smiled, slow and dangerous, then unmuted the TV like nothing had happened.

I lasted another hour upstairs in my room, lights off, phone under my pillow. Every creak of the house made my heart leap. At 11:47, I slipped out of bed, pulled on an oversized hoodie, and padded barefoot to the door.

My hand was on the knob when my phone buzzed.

Elijah: Coast clear. Come to me.

I smiled into the dark, heart racing.

I opened the door-and froze.

Elijah was already in the hallway, halfway to my room, wearing nothing but low-slung sweatpants.

Moonlight from the window at the end of the hall painted silver across his bare chest, and his eyes glowed faintly gold-his wolf close to the surface.

We moved at the same time.

He reached me in three silent strides, hands sliding into my hair as he backed me against my doorframe. The kiss was immediate, hungry, all teeth and breath and barely restrained growls.

My fingers dug into his shoulders, pulling him closer until there was no space left.

“Inside,” he whispered against my mouth, voice rough. “Your room.”

I nodded, reaching blindly behind me for the handle.

That’s when everything went wrong.

A sharp, metallic scent hit my nose-foreign, feminine, clinging to his skin like perfume. My wolf snarled before my brain caught up.

I pulled back, eyes narrowing. “Why do you smell like Audrey?”

Elijah froze. “What?”

“You heard me.” My voice came out colder than I intended. “You smell like her perfume. That cloying vanilla thing she wears.”

His expression shifted-confusion first, then realization, then frustration. “Claire-”

“Did she hug you after practice or something?” I stepped back into my room, arms crossing. “Or was it more than that?”

He followed, keeping his voice low but urgent. “It was nothing. She cornered me outside the locker room after the team meeting. Said she wanted to wish me luck for the game, then threw her arms around me before I could dodge. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” I repeated, incredulous. “You let her?”

“I didn’t let her,” he hissed. “I stepped back the second it happened. Told her I wasn’t interested. Again.”

My wolf was pacing now, claws prickling under my skin. “You’ve told her that how many times now? And she still thinks it’s okay to touch you?”

“Claire, come on.” He reached for me, but I moved out of range. “You know I don’t want her.”

“Do I?” The words slipped out sharper than I meant. Jealousy tasted bitter on my tongue. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you keep letting her get close enough to leave her scent all over you.”

His jaw tightened. Gold flared brighter in his eyes-his wolf reacting to mine. “You think I like this? You think I enjoy having to push her off every other day?”

“Then why does it keep happening?” I shot back. “You’re the captain. You’re Elijah freaking Hale. You could shut it down so hard she’d transfer schools, but you don’t.”

“Because I’m trying not to be a dick!” he whispered fiercely. “She’s new, she’s on the cheer squad, she’s friends with half the team. I shut her down politely so it doesn’t blow back on-”

The rest of the day dragged and flew at once.

Last period was study hall in the library, I packed my bag early, told Jessica I had a headache, and slipped out with three minutes to spare,

The hallway behind the rink smelled like ice and rubber mats. The storage closet was tucked between lockers -small, dim, rarely used this late.

I hesitated outside the door.

It opened before I could knock.

Elijah pulled me inside and clicked the lock, backing me against the door in one smooth motion.

“Hi,” he said, voice low.

“Hi,” I breathed.

Then his mouth was on mine.

No hesitation this time. No careful distance. His hands framed my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks as he kissed me like he’d been holding it in all day. I kissed him back just as desperately, fingers curling into his jersey, pulling him closer.

He groaned quietly, lifting me just enough that my feet barely touched the ground, pressing me harder against the door.

“Claire,” he murmured between kisses, “you have no idea what you do to me.”

“Show me,” I whispered.

His hands slid down my sides, gripping my hips, and he kissed along my jaw, my neck, teeth grazing lightly. I tilted my head back, breath catching as his fingers slipped under the hem of my sweater, tracing bare skin.

“You were jealous,” he said against my throat, smug and soft all at once.

“So were you,” I managed.

“Still am,” he admitted. “Every time someone looks at you.”

His mouth found mine again, deeper this time, and I felt the length of him pressed against me-hard, urgent. My hands moved on instinct, sliding down his chest, over the ridges of muscle under his jersey, lower-

He caught my wrist gently, pulling back just enough to rest his forehead against mine.

“We can’t,” he said, voice ragged. “I’ll lose my mind if you do that.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But I want to.”

“God, me too.” He kissed me once more-slow, deliberate-then let me slide back to my feet. “Tonight. Your room or mine. After everyone’s asleep.”

I nodded, still catching my breath.

He smoothed my hair, tucked a strand behind my ear. “You’re okay? After Audrey?”

“I hated it,” I admitted.

“Good,” he said, soft laugh escaping. “Because I hated watching it too.”

Footsteps echoed in the hallway-distant, but coming closer.

We froze.

Elijah stepped back, putting space between us just as someone jiggled the handle.

Locked. Thank God.

“Hello?” A voice called, female, curious. “Anyone in there?”

We stared at each other, eyes wide.

Elijah cleared his throat. “Uh-maintenance!” he called, deepening his voice comically. “Checking pipes!”

Silence. Then retreating footsteps and a muffled laugh.

I pressed my face into his chest to stifle my own laughter.

“Maintenance?” I whispered.

“Best I had,” he hissed back, shoulders shaking.

We waited another minute, then he cracked the door, checked the hall.

“Clear,” he said.

I slipped out first, heart racing, lips tingling.

He caught my hand for one brief squeeze before letting go.

“Tonight,” he mouthed.

I nodded, unable to stop smiling.

As I walked away, I heard him exhale-long, shaky, full of promise.

Jessica cornered me by my locker at the end of the day.

“You disappeared,” she said, eyebrow raised.

“Headache,” I lied again.

“Uh-huh.” She studied mé-flushed cheeks, swollen lips, messy hair. “Sure.”

I didn’t deny it this time.

She just shook her head, grinning. “You’re glowing again. Be careful, Claire.”

“I’m trying,” I said.

“Try harder,” she teased. “Or don’t. Just don’t get caught.”

Too late for that, I thought.