His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 215

Chapter 215

Chapter 215

Claire’s POV

The taunting howl from the border echoed in my bones long after the sound died away.

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Beside me on the mattress, Elijah didn’t move, but his heart rate tripled. I could feel the heat radiating off him in waves-a literal fever of aggression.

He didn’t go back to sleep. Neither did I.

The next morning, the house was a pressure cooker. Ethan was gone before dawn, his truck tires crunching over the gravel with a finality that made my stomach churn. Mom was silently packing lunches, her movements sharp, while Felix sat at the kitchen island, methodically cleaning his hockey skates.

I had somehow realized he was staying here since Elijah’s accident, and the thoughtfulness made my heart warm.

At least Elijah had a support system.

I looked at what he was doing. It was a mundane task, but the way he gripped the steel blade looked more like he was sharpening a weapon.

“You’re not going,” I said, walking into the kitchen and looking straight at Elijah.

He was standing by the coffee maker, dressed in a black hoodie, his jaw set. He looked remarkably put-together for someone who had spent the night staring at the ceiling, but the dark circles under his eyes told the truth.

“Mason is at that school, Claire,” Elijah said, his voice flat. “If I’m not there, he thinks I’m hiding. He thinks the Hales are cowering because he landed one lucky hit.”

“It wasn’t a lucky hit, it was a cheap shot that almost broke your neck!” I snapped.

My heart gave a warning flutter, and I pressed a hand to my chest, forcing myself to take a slow, measured breath. “Ethan said your focus is on staying calm. How is walking into a lion’s den ‘staying calm’?”

“I’m the Captain,” Elijah said, turning to face me. The golden hu in his eyes from the day before had faded to a cold, icy blue.

“A Captain doesn’t hide behind his stepsister while a rival pack mocks his family. Felix is coming with me. We’ll be in the same classes. No one is getting near you, and no one is touchingne.”

“It’s a trap, El,” Felix muttered, not looking up from his skates. “You know it is. Reed is back because they want us to snap, They want a reason to bring the Council down on our heads for unprovoked violence.””

“Then we don’t snap,” Elijah said. “We endure.”

The atmosphere at Ridgeview High had shifted from curious

to toxic.

As we walked through the front doors, the usual morning chatte died instantly. It was like a physical wall of silence followed us down the hallway.

I stayed close to Elijah, my shoulder occasionally brushing his an. I could feel the tension in his muscles-he was a live wire, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.

We reached my locker, and for a moment, things felt almost normal.

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Chapter 215

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“I’ll meet you here right after second period,” Elijah said, his hand lingering on the locker door. “Don’t go to the library alone. Don’t even go to the bathroom without Jessica.”

“I’m seventeen, Elijah, not seven,” I whispered, though the way y hands were shaking contradicted my bravado.

“In this building, today? You’re a target,” he countered. He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine for a fleeting second. “Stay safe, Claire. Please.”

The morning was a test of endurance. Every time I turned a corner, I saw a Reed sympathizer-some of the lower-tier wolves from Mason’s pack who went to our school. They didn’t do anything; they just watched.

They leaned against lockers, whispering and smirking, their scents sharp with the smell of wet dog and arrogance.

By lunch, the pressure was unbearable.

I was sitting with Jessica in the cafeteria, picking at a salad I had o intention of eating. Elijah and Felix were at the far end of the table, surrounded by the rest of the hockey team. The ‘wall of muscle’ was back, but it felt brittle.

Then, the double doors of the cafeteria swung open.

Mason Reed walked in like he owned the place. He was wearing is varsity jacket, his arm in a light sling-a calculated move to look like the victim of ‘Hale aggression.’ He didn’t go to the food line. He walked straight toward our table.

The entire cafeteria went silent. The only sound was the rhythmic scuff-scuff of Mason’s sneakers on the linoleum.

Elijah stood up before Mason was even within ten feet. Felix was a half-second behind him. The rest of the team followed suit, a line of giants standing in defense of their captain.

“Lost your way, Reed?” Felix asked, his voice echoing. “The trash cans are out back.”

Mason stopped, a lazy grin spreading across his face. He didn’t look at Felix. He looked at Elijah, then shifted his gaze pointedly, to me.

“Just wanted to check on the patient,” Mason said. He raised his voice so the surrounding tables could hear. “Heard the Captain was having some trouble keeping his head up. Figured I offer some… support.”

slowly,

Elijah’s knuckles turned white where he gripped the edge of the able. “You shouldn’t be here, Mason. The Council’s ‘error’ won’t save you if you cross the line again.”

“The line?” Mason laughed, stepping closer. The scent of him hit me-it was cloying and sharp. “I think the Hales are the ones who crossed the line. Sending the Alpha to harass my fathe at the border? Very ‘diplomatic. My pack doesn’t forget a slight like that.”

He turned his attention fully to me, his eyes dark and malicious. And you, Claire. Must be hard, having a heart that can’t keep up with the drama. You look a little peaked. Maybe you need a real wolf to look after you, instead of a broken one.”

The sound that came out of Elijah wasn’t a growl; it was a roar.

He moved so fast the human eye couldn’t have followed.

He didn’t swing-he knew the cameras were watching-but he slammed his hands onto the table, the plastic cracking under his strength.

He was inches from Mason’s face, his eyes full of golden fire.

“Say one more word about her,” Elijah hissed, his voice vibrating with the power of a future Alpha. “And I will forget every rule this Council has ever written. I will hunt you until there is where left to run.”

Mason didn’t flinch. He leaned in, whispering something I couldn’t hear.

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Chapter 215

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