His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237

Claire’s POV

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The fog hadn’t lifted by three in the morning, it had only thickened, turning the ancient pines of the Hale estate into jagged. ghostly sentinels.

I adjusted the straps of my tactical pack, the weight of the thermal scanners and GPS units pulling at my shoulders.

“You’re overthinking the rhythm again.” Elijah muttered, his voice a low vibration in the dark. He was leaning against the rugged hood of the off-road vehicle, his eyes glowing a faint, steady amber.

Tm not overthinking.” I whispered, checking the seal on my boots. Tm calibrating. Silas said the Wells react to the biological frequency of the pack. If my heart rate spikes because I’m nervous. I might as well be carrying a neon sign that says Unstable Variable for Valerius to find.”

Elijah stepped into my space, his hands sliding up to cup my face. The heat from his palms was a stark contrast to the biting mountain air. “Claire, look at me. Your heart isn’t a liability. It’s the key. The Wells aren’t just energy; they’re a legacy. They’ll recognize you because they recognize us.”

“Is that the “Alpha-Heir pep talk or the boyfriend” pep talk?” I asked, a small smile finally breaking through my nerves.

“It’s the Tm-not-lenting-you-out-of-my-sight pep talk,” he replied, leaning down to press his forehead against mine. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be to go ghost-hunting in the deep woods”

We moved in silence, bypassing the main trails.

Felix and Jax were holding the perimeter back at the house, running a loop on the surveillance cameras to make it look like we were still sound asleep in our rooms.

The First Mission’ wasn’t about a fight; it was about reclamation.

“According to the Reed files, the first seismic node is located near the Blackwood Ravine,” I said, tapping the screen on my wrist comms. “It’s deep. Elijah. Almost three hundred feet below the ridge line.

“The Ravine is sacred ground.” Elijah said, his jaw tightening. “My father hasn’t let anyone hunt there in decades. For the Reeds to plant sensors there…. it’s a desecration.”

“Val said the Council is looking for a blueprint,” I reminded him. If the Wells are as powerful as Silas says, whoever controls them controls the evolution of the pack. No wonder they’re auditing us.”

We reached the edge of the ravine, the ground dropping away into a dizzying abyss of shadow. I pulled out the thermal scanner, the screen flickering to life with a jagged pulse of blue and green.

“See that?” I pointed to a steady, rhythmic violet glow at the bottom of the display. That’s not a natural thermal signature. It’s too consistent.”

“That’s a pump.” Elijah growled, his eyes narrowing as he peered over the edge. They’re siphoning the lunar runoff before it even hits the aquifer?

“How do we get down there without tripping the proximity alarms?” I asked.

“We don’t go down the path.” Elijah said, his hand finding the small of my back. “We drop.”

“Drop Elijah. I’m a wolf with a reconstructed heart, not a paraglider.”

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17:38 Thu, Jan 22 D & D

Chapter 237

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“You’re a Hale,” he corrected, his arm wrapping around my waist “And you’re with me. Trust the bond, Claire. Let my strength be your gravity.”

Before I could argue, he stepped off the ledge.

The world turned into a blur of rushing wind and dark needles. I didn’t scream-I didn’t have the breath for it.

I felt the surge of Elijah’s power, a golden heat that enveloped us both, dampening the impact as we descended. He moved with a predatory grace, his boots finding purchase on outcroppings I couldn’t even see.

We hit the floor of the ravine with a soft thud, the air down here smelling of ancient stone and something sweet, like crushed violets.

“You okay?” Elijah whispered, his eyes scanning the darkness.

“My heart is at ninety-five,” I panted, checking my pulse. “But yeah. I’m okay. Remind me to never do that again.”

“No promises,” he teased, though his hand stayed firmly locked in mine.

We crept toward the violet glow.

Tucked into a natural alcove of the rock face was a sleek, black cylinder, huming with a low-frequency vibration that made the hair on my arms stand up. It was covered in Council markings.

“This isn’t Reed tech,” I whispered, kneeling beside it. “This is Southern. Marcus lied. He didn’t just ‘audit’ the Reeds; he collaborated with them.”

“The Council wanted the Wells for themselves,” Elijah said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, lethal register. They let the Reeds do the dirty work so they could swoop in as the ‘saviors’ and claim the resources.”

“Elijah, wait,” I said, grabbing his arm as he reached for the cylinder. “If you touch it, the alarm will go straight to Val’s phone. We need to bypass the biometric lock.”

“Can you do it?”

“I can try to override the frequency,” I said, pulling a cable from my pack. “But I need you to ground me. The energy in this thing is volatile. If it spikes, it’ll blow the sensor-and probably my heart monitor.”

Elijah knelt behind me, his chest pressed against my back, his arms wrapping around mine so his hands could cover mine on the device. “Do it. I’ve got you.”

As I plugged into the sensor, a jolt of pure, white-hot energy shop through the cable.

I gasped, my vision flashing white, but Elijah’s grip held firm. I could feel his wolf pushing back against the surge, acting as a lightning rod for the energy.

“Stay steady, Claire,” he urged, his voice a calm anchor in the storm. “Focus on the beat. Our beat.”

I closed my eyes, tuning out the hum of the machine and focusing on the thrum of the bond. Slowly, the violet glow on the sensor faded, replaced by a soft, steady gold.

The machine hissed, the internal fans dying down.

“It’s offline,” I whispered, leaning back into him. “I redirected the signal to a dead-loop. As far as the Council knows, this node is still humming along perfectly.”

“One down.” Elijah said, his lips brushing my temple. “Six to go.]

“Elijah?” I turned in his arms, looking up at him in the dim light If Marcus finds out we’re doing this, he won’t just send Val.

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Chapter 237

He’ll come himself. This is treason in their eyes.”

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“Then let it be treason,” Elijah said, his eyes burning with an unshakable resolve. “This land belongs to the Red Pine. Not to a group of men in suits three states away. We’re taking our power back. Claire. One Well at a time.”

The walk back out of the ravine was longer, but the air felt lighter. We had moved from being targets to being players.

As we reached the top of the ridge, the first light of dawn was beginning to bleed through the trees.

“We should get back,” I said. “Felix is going to have a heart attack if we’re not in the kitchen by six.”

“Felix has survived worse,” Elijah joked, though he didn’t let go of my hand. “But you’re right. We have school. And I have a feeling Valerius is going to be looking for a reason to be ‘helpful today.”

“Let her try,” I said, looking out over the territory. “She has no idea what’s coming.”

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1738 Thu Jan 22 SG B

Chapter 238