His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 264

Chapter 264

Claire’s POV

26

55 vouchers

“Truck’s toasted,” Ethan grunted, slamming the steering wheel as the engine let out a pathetic, metallic cough and died.

We were stalled in a ravine about two miles out from the Citadel’s outer walls. The radiator was hissing like a bag of snakes, and the front bumper was basically nonexistent after the drone chase.

The air here was different-it didn’t smell like pine or snow anymore. It smelled like wet concrete, burnt oil, and something sharp, like bleach.

“Everyone out,” Ethan ordered. “We go on foot from here. Val, what’s the play?”

Valerius hopped off her bike, kicking the kickstand down into the mud. She looked up at the horizon, where the Citadel’s massive industrial towers pierced the gray sky like jagged teeth.

“The front gate is a suicide mission. They’ve got bio-scanners that’ll pick up Elijah’s wolf DNA before he even gets close. We have to use the drainage pipes.”

“Drainage pipes? Seriously?” Felix asked, adjusting his glasses and clutching his tablet. “That is so cliché. Can’t we, like, hack a delivery drone or something?”

“Unless you want to be delivered in a body bag, no,” Valerius snapped. She looked at me, her eyes lingering on the blue light still pulsing faintly under my skin. “Claire, how are you holding up? That blast back there… it wasn’t exactly subtle.”

102 bpm.

“I feel like I drank ten espressos and then got hit by a bus,” I said, leaning against the side of the truck. “But the humming stopped. For now.”

“Stay behind me,” Elijah said, his voice low. He didn’t ask; he just moved into my space, his presence a solid wall between me and the scary-looking towers in the distance. “I don’t like this place. The ground feels… dead.”

He was right. In Red Pine, the earth felt alive, like it was breathing with the Wells. Here, under the shadow of the Citadel, it felt like someone had sucked all the soul out of the dirt.

We started trekking through the industrial sector, staying in the shadows of giant, rusting storage tanks. Every few minutes, a spotlight would sweep across the sky, and we’d have to dive behind a pile of scrap metal or into

a ditch.

“Wait,” Valerius hissed, dropping to a crouch.

We all froze. Around the corner of a massive warehouse, a patrol was moving. But they weren’t Sentinels. They were drones-small, spider-like things that skittered across the pavement with terrifying speed.

“Scouts,” Valerius whispered. “They’re looking for heat signatures. Felix, can you loop their feed?”

16:23 Tue, Feb 3

…

พร

26

Chapter 264

55 vouchers

“On it,” Felix whispered back. He opened his tablet, his fingers blurring as he typed. “Give me ten seconds… five… got it. They’re seeing a playback of an empty alley. Go! Now!”

We sprinted across the open space, my heart racing again. 115 bpm. We reached a massive iron grate set into the base of the Citadel’s outer wall. It was covered in slime and smelled like a dumpster, but it was our only way in.

“Ethan, help me with this,” Silas said, grabbing one side of the grate.

The two Alphas pulled, their muscles bulging, until the rusted bolts finally gave way with a groan that sounded way too loud in the quiet night. We scrambled inside, dropping into a tunnel filled with ankle-deep

water.

“Gross,” I whispered, lifting my boots. “Tell me this is just rain water.”

“It’s cooling runoff from the main relay,” Valerius said, leading the way with a small flashlight. “It’s actually a good sign. It means the relay is running hot. They’re prepping for something big.”

“Or they’re just trying to find you, Claire,” Elijah said, his hand never leaving my arm.

The tunnel went on forever, winding deeper and deeper into the belly of the fortress. The walls changed from rough concrete to smooth, white metal. The air got warmer, and that “buzzy” feeling started to come back, making my teeth ache.

“We’re getting close,” Felix whispered, staring at his tablet. “I’m picking up a massive energy spike. It’s… it’s not just a relay. It’s like they’ve built an artificial Well.”

“An artificial Well?” I asked. “Is that even possible?”

“Not a stable one,” Valerius said, her voice grim. “My father’s scientists have been trying to bridge the gap for years. They use ‘Anchors’-usually low-level conduits-to jumpstart the reaction. But they burn out after a few days.”

I felt a cold pit in my stomach. Burn out. That was what they wanted for me.

“Stop,” Valerius said, halting in front of a heavy blast door. “This is it. The service entrance to the Relay Chamber. Once we go through this door, we’re in the heart of the beast. There’s no turning back.”

Ethan looked at each of us. “If things go sideways, Silas and I will hold the door. Elijah, you get Claire to the console. Felix, you do your tech magic. Val, you keep them alive.”

“Got it,” Valerius said, checking the charge on her pulse rifle.

Elijah looked at me, his eyes turning that soft, protective gold. “Ready?”

I took a deep breath, feeling the sapphire light in my chest flare up in response to the massive power on the other side of the door. My heart rate settled into a steady, determined beat.

90 bpm.

“Ready,” I said.

16:23 Tue, Feb 3

Chapter 264

…

:

26

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify