His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 249

Chapter 249

“Elijah?”

“Yeah?”

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“I’m hungry. My stomach is currently staging a protest,” I admitted, the sound of my own hunger breaking the romantic spell. “And I’m pretty sure Felix is currently downstairs trying to explain to your dad why the kitchen smells like burnt toast and desperation.”

Elijah sighed, resting his forehead against mine, his eyes closing again for just a second. “The bubble had to burst eventually, I guess. Reality is a persistent intruder. But if we go down there, we’re officially “The Hale Power Couple’ again. No more hiding in the shadows. No more pretending you’re just a ‘variable’ in their audit.”

“I’m okay with that,” I said, sliding my hand into his, our fingers interlocking perfectly. “As long as I’m with you, they can call us whatever they want. Variables, anchors, anomalies… as long as they stay off our mountain.”

“The Anchor and the Alpha,” he mused, his eyes bright and focused. “I like the sound of that. It sounds like a legend. Or at least a really good hockey team.”

He flipped the covers back, the cold morning air hitting us like a splash of mountain water, but he didn’t let go of my hand.

As we stood up to face the day, the house was noisy below us-the clatter of plates, the distant sound of Silas barking orders, and the laughter of the pack.

The world was still watching, and the Council would surely return with more questions, but for the first time, the rhythm was entirely our own.

I walked over to the window, looking out at the pines. The frost was melting, dripping off the needles like liquid diamonds. I could feel the energy of the mountain-the Wells were humming a low, steady song of protection.

“You think Valerius stayed?” I asked, watching a hawk circle the distant peaks.

Elijah stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. “If she’s smart, she’s

If she’s like her father, she’s waiting. But she saw what you did at the Crystal Well, Claire. She knows the rules gone. changed.”

“I don’t want to fight anymore, Elijah. I just want to go to school and complain about history essays.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” he promised, kissing the top of my head. “We’ll be the most boring, normal teenagers Red Pine has ever seen. We’ll go to the diner, we’ll finish the season, and we’ll ignore every black sedan that rolls through town.”

I turned in his arms, looking up at him. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he said, though we both knew it was a beautiful lie. The Council wouldn’t forget. The South wouldn’t stop wanting what we had. But for today, the lie was enough.

“Okay,” I said, reaching for my sweatshirt. “But if Felix burnt all the bacon, I’m calling Marcus and telling him the North is

for business.”

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Elijah grinned, that sharp, playful look returning to his eyes. “He wouldn’t dare. He knows I’m the one who controls the

kitchen schedule now.”

We headed toward the door, leaving the quiet sanctuary of the bedroom behind. The hallway was filled with the familiar scents of the manor-old wood, floor wax, and the faint, lingering smell of the pack’s power. It felt like a fortress again.

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