Chapter 214
Lynette's POV
I watched Elara climb the stairs. Her hand trailed along the banister. Slow steps. Hesitant.
She stopped at the landing. Turned back.
Our eyes met.
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"Goodnight," she finally said.
Not what she wanted to say.
I knew that look. The one where words piled up behind her teeth but wouldn't come out.
"Sleep well," I said.
She nodded and disappeared down the hallway.
I stayed on the couch. Stared at the dark TV screen.
Cole's face kept flashing in my mind. The way he'd looked at Elara outside. That soft, broken expression.
Fuck.
I'd seen Cole take bullets without flinching. Watched him snap necks with zero hesitation. He was ice and steel and unshakable loyalty.
But tonight?
Tonight he'd cracked wide open because a seventeen-year-old girl told him he seemed lonely.
My jaw clenched.
This was a problem.
Cole was leaving in the morning. Going back north to handle the fallout from my "death." Dangerous work. The kind that might actually kill him this time.
And now he was leaving with Elara's face burned into his brain.
I rubbed my temples.
Nothing I could do about it tonight.
---
My eyes opened at five AM sharp.
No alarm. Didn't need one. Twenty years of military discipline didn't just disappear.
The room was dark. Window showed nothing but black sky and streetlight glow.
Elara's breathing came steady from the other bed. Deep. Even. Dead to the world.
I smiled despite myself.
Some things never changed. Elara could sleep through an apocalypse.
I slid out of bed. Grabbed my running clothes from the chair. Changed in the dark.
I tied my shoes and slipped out of the room. Closed the door with barely a click.
The house was silent. Dad's snoring drifted from the master bedroom. Mom had probably stuffed earplugs in hours ago.
I headed downstairs. Grabbed my keys from the hook by the door.
The morning air hit my face like a slap. Cold. Sharp. Perfect.
I started running.
---
My feet hit pavement in a steady rhythm. Breath came easy. Lungs pulled in air without protest.
This was freedom.
No wheezing. No panic. No feeling like my own body was trying to kill me.
Just muscle and bone and power.
I pushed harder. Faster. Let my wolf stretch under my skin. She purred with satisfaction.
The streets were empty. A few early risers walked dogs. One old man watering his lawn waved as I passed.
I didn't wave back.
My mind was already spinning. Planning.
Cole would be gone by noon. That left me alone to handle whatever came next. The Wild Hunt wouldn't wait forever. They'd tracked me to Canada. They'd track me here eventually.
I needed weapons. Safe houses. Exit strategies.
And I needed to figure out what the hell was happening between Cole and Elara before it became a disaster.
The school came into view ahead. St. George's iron gates. Empty parking lot.
I slowed to a jog. Planned to run past.
Then I saw her.
Chloe.
She stood near the front entrance. Clipboard in hand. Boxes stacked beside her. Probably winter sports equipment or some shit.
I immediately changed direction. Angled away from the gate.
Too late.
"Elara?"
Fuck.
I stopped. Turned slowly.
Chloe was squinting at me. Head tilted. Confused.
My brain kicked into overdrive.
Chloe knew Elara. Was Elara's only real friend. But she didn't know me. Not this version of me. Not Lynette in Lynette's body.
We looked identical, sure. But twins weren't interchangeable.
I forced a polite smile. "Sorry. You've got the wrong person."
Chloe's frown deepened. She took a step closer.
Her eyes scanned my face. My hair. My running gear.
"Oh my god." She laughed. Embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. You just... you look exactly like my friend."
"No worries," I said.
I should've left. Should've jogged away and ended the interaction.
But Chloe didn't move.
She kept staring. Not rude. Just... curious.
"You're not from around here, are you?" she asked.
"Just visiting family," I said. Kept my voice neutral.
"That's cool." She shifted her clipboard. "I'm Chloe, by the way. I go to school here."
"Nice to meet you."
Silence stretched.
Chloe's eyes were still on me. Analytical. Like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"You're really similar to my friend," she said again. "Like, scary similar. Are you sure you don't have family at St. George's?"
My stomach tightened.
Chloe was sharper than I'd given her credit for.
"I'm sure," I said. Smiled again. "But I get that a lot. Must have one of those faces."
"Yeah." Chloe nodded slowly. "Must be."
She didn't sound convinced.
I gave a small wave. "I should get going. Nice meeting you."
"You too."
I turned and jogged away. Didn't look back.
But I felt her eyes on me the whole time.
---
By the time I got home, my mind was racing.
Chloe had clocked the resemblance immediately. And she wasn't stupid. If she started asking questions—if she mentioned it to Elara—this whole twin secret could blow up in our faces.
I slowed to a walk as I approached the house. Tried to shake off the paranoia.
The living room window glowed warm yellow. Someone was already up.
I pushed through the front door. Expected to see Mom in the kitchen making coffee.
Instead, I froze.
Ethan sat on the couch. Spine straight. Shoulders tense. His entire body screamed alert.
A fruit basket sat on the coffee table. Expensive-looking. Wrapped in cellophane with a giant bow.
And sitting in the armchair across from Ethan—
Kael Harrington.
Kael looked completely at ease. One ankle crossed over his knee. Hands resting casually on the armrests. Like he belonged here.
Mom's head popped out from the kitchen. Her face lit up when she saw me.
"Lynette! You're back!" She wiped her hands on a towel. "Perfect timing. Kael stopped by to visit. Come have breakfast with us."