His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 84

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**TITLE: Betrayal Births by Joseph King**

**Chapter 84**

**Claire’s POV**

As dawn broke the following morning, I awoke to find my mother absent from the room. The chair where she often sat vigil by my bedside was unoccupied, a neatly folded blanket draped over its armrest, as if she had just stepped out for a moment.

I propped myself up slowly, feeling the remnants of an ache in my chest—a dull throb that lingered as a reminder that my body was still in the process of healing. I rubbed my palms against my thighs, attempting to dispel the stiffness that seemed to cling to me like a heavy fog.

Just then, the door creaked open, following a gentle knock.

It was Ethan. I had caught glimpses of him in the hallway a few times since my return home, but our interactions had been limited. There was an unspoken weight to his presence, a gravity that made the air feel thick with tension. He carried himself with a straight posture, each step deliberate, and his voice resonated deeply, filling the space even when he spoke softly.

He offered me a small nod as he entered. “Good morning, Claire,” he said, his tone calm yet serious.

“Good morning,” I replied, my voice tinged with uncertainty.

He pulled out the chair positioned near the desk and settled into it, resting his forearms on his knees. For a brief moment, silence enveloped us, and I could feel his gaze probing me, as if he were contemplating the best way to broach the conversation that lay ahead.

Finally, he broke the stillness. “Your mother believes it’s time for us to talk. You deserve to understand everything that’s been happening.”

I nodded slowly, my heart racing in anticipation. “Okay.”

He inhaled deeply, his eyes unwavering as they locked onto mine. “You already know I’m your mother’s husband,” he began, his voice steady. “What you may not recall is that I am also the Alpha of this pack—the leader of our community. That means you are now my stepdaughter.”

The term “Alpha” felt strange as it rolled off my tongue, yet something inside me stirred at the mention. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. “So… that means you’re—”

“The head of this territory,” he interjected, his expression serious. “It also means that the families surrounding us, the ones from your school—they know who you are. You’re part of this family now.”

I let his words wash over me, trying to absorb their meaning. They made sense logically, yet the emotional connection felt elusive. “Okay,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

—

He leaned back in his chair, observing me closely. “You had an accident, Claire. A car hit you a few nights ago. It was pouring rain, and you were walking near the intersection by the woods.”

A shiver ran down my spine at his words. “Did I… was it serious?”

“You were unconscious for nearly four days,” he explained, his expression grave. “Your heart stopped for a moment, but the doctors were able to stabilize you.”

I nodded, my hands twisting together anxiously. “Do you know who…?”

He hesitated, the weight of the truth palpable in the air. “Yes. It was Dr. Adrian. He didn’t see you in time. The footage confirmed it was an accident.”

The name sparked a flicker of recognition in my mind. My chest tightened slightly, but I couldn’t discern if it was from pain or a distant memory. “I remember him,” I said slowly. “I don’t know how, but I can picture his face.”

Ethan’s expression shifted subtly, but he chose not to comment on my revelation. Instead, he redirected the conversation. “Before the accident, you had begun to adjust to school. Elijah—my son—was helping you catch up. Initially, you two didn’t see eye to eye.”

—

“Elijah,” I repeated, the name resonating with a weight I couldn’t quite explain. “He’s your son?”

He nodded affirmatively. “Yes. That makes him your stepbrother.”

—

I glanced down at my hands once more, attempting to conjure an image of the boy who had visited me just yesterday. Suddenly, his gaze from that day—the way he had looked at me as if I were someone familiar—began to make sense. “You mentioned we didn’t get along?”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ethan’s mouth. “You two clashed quite a bit. Both of you are stubborn, but things have changed recently. You started working together, and it seemed like you were finally beginning to understand one another.”