His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 33

**TITLE: Betrayal Births by Joseph King**
**Chapter 33**

**Claire’s POV**

A low rumble reverberated through the house, more profound and ominous than before, as if the very foundation beneath my feet was quaking in response. The glass of water perched on my nightstand trembled violently, sending ripples across its surface. My mother and I exchanged anxious glances, the air thick with unspoken fears.

“Did you hear that?” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might summon whatever was lurking outside.

Mom’s gaze snapped toward the window, her instincts flaring to life. I could see the wolf within her stirring, her pupils narrowing into sharp slits. “Stay here,” she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Before she could take more than a few steps, a cacophony of shouts erupted from downstairs, harsh voices colliding in a chaotic symphony, punctuated by the sound of fists pounding against wood.

“Mom?” Panic gripped me, my heart racing as I watched her turn back to me, already halfway to the door.

“Stay close to me, Claire,” she urged, her voice steady but laced with urgency.

We descended the staircase together, each step amplifying the discordant shouts that grew clearer, more menacing. The front hall lights blazed down, casting elongated shadows that danced against the walls like specters. By the time we reached the foyer, the double doors shuddered violently under the relentless assault from outside.

Then came the crash.

The double doors burst open with a force that sent a jolt through my body.

A tide of wolves surged into the house, their forms half-shifted, faces twisted with rage, eyes glowing like molten amber and gold.

I recognized most of them—sentries, young warriors, even some pack mothers—but their expressions were contorted with an anger I had never witnessed before.

Mom stiffened beside me, her posture rigid. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, her voice firm, but I could hear the tremor beneath it.

A man at the forefront sneered, his lip curling. “We could ask you the same, outsider.”

The term hit me like a slap. Outsider?

The word stung, igniting a flicker of fear deep within.

Mom lifted her chin defiantly. “You will address me with respect.”

From the crowd, another voice snarled, dripping with disdain. “Respect? For a she-wolf that wasn’t born here? For someone the Alpha wants to make our Luna?”

My breath caught in my throat, the word “Luna” echoing in my mind. I turned to Mom, confusion and dread swirling inside me. “Mom, what is he talking about?”

She hesitated, just long enough for the realization to crash over me like a wave before she could articulate it.

“You didn’t tell me about the ceremony,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.

“I wanted to,” she replied quietly, her eyes filled with regret. “I intended to wait until things were settled. Ethan was going to announce it at the next gathering. I didn’t want you to worry.”

Well, that plan had backfired spectacularly.

The voices outside crescendoed into a furious uproar. “You’re destroying the bloodline!”

“She’ll weaken the Alpha!”

“She will poison our heirs!”

Each accusation crashed over us like a tidal wave, and something inside me snapped.

Before I could think, I stepped forward, fury igniting within me. “Enough!”

Dozens of heads whipped around to face me, surprise and disdain mingling in their expressions.

“She’s the outsider’s pup,” one of them spat, venom dripping from the words. “The half-blood from the border pack.”

“She’s not one of us either,” another growled, his voice low and threatening. “They both need to leave before they poison this pack.”

The world tilted on its axis, my pulse racing uncontrollably. My wolf roared within me, demanding to be unleashed. “You have no right to speak about us in such a manner,” I said through gritted teeth, my voice steady despite the tempest inside.

A few laughed, a cruel sound that grated against my nerves. “Oh? And what will you do, little heart-sick princess?”

“I said—”

“Claire!” Mom’s warning came too late, a desperate plea that hung in the air.

“—shut up!” I shouted, my voice rising above the chaos. “You don’t know her. You don’t know me. Do you think loyalty comes from bloodlines, not choices? You call yourselves wolves, but you’re nothing but cowards hiding behind tradition!”

The growls escalated, a menacing tide rising as someone pushed forward from the crowd. I barely had time to react before a pair of hands reached out, claws glinting in the light.

Mom gasped, her voice barely a whisper, but it was drowned out by the chaos. Then, out of the fray, a shape lunged at me—a young male, his eyes wide with madness, claws extended menacingly.

I didn’t even have time to flinch.

Then, a blur of motion cut through the turmoil.

The attacker was thrown backward with such force that the air shattered around him.

Elijah stood there, chest heaving, his eyes blazing like molten gold.

He looked like a creature from a nightmare—beautiful yet terrifying, the wolf within him barely restrained. His hand was fisted in the boy’s collar as he growled low, a sound that vibrated through the very air. “Touch her again, and I’ll snap your neck.”

The boy whimpered, his wolf retreating, fear overtaking his earlier bravado.

But the crowd continued to growl, a sea of fury undeterred by the display of power.

Mom pulled me behind her, her hand trembling as she faced Elijah. “Elijah, stop—”

He didn’t even glance at her, his fierce glare sweeping over the pack. “You dare raise your claws against the Alpha’s blood? Against his Luna?”

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