Chapter 92
Elara's POV
The car stopped in front of St. George High. The past three days had been a blur of quiet preparation and nervous anticipation. Now, the morning of the assessment had arrived.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for my bag.
"Wait." Ethan's hand caught my wrist. Not hard. Just firm enough to make me pause.
I turned. He was staring at me with that serious expression he got sometimes. The one that meant he was worried but trying not to show it.
"Here." He pulled something from his jacket pocket. A small black device. Sleek. Compact. About the size of a USB drive.
"Emergency locator," he said. "Keep it on you. Always."
I took it. The metal was cold against my palm. Heavy for its size.
"Ethan, I'm just going to a school camping trip—"
"I don't care." His voice was flat. Final. "Something feels off. You've been... different lately. More secretive. So just humor me, okay? Keep it on you."
My throat tightened. God. He didn't know. He had no idea I was heading into actual danger. That this wasn't some harmless outdoor survival course.
That I might actually need this thing.
"Okay," I said quietly. "I will."
His shoulders relaxed a fraction. "Good."
I clipped the device to my belt loop and covered it with my jacket. Out of sight but easy to reach.
Last night I'd told them the lie. A five-day wilderness survival training program organized by the school. Mandatory for all students in the advanced track.
Mom had fussed over my packing. Made sure I had enough warm clothes. Extra socks. Granola bars.
Dad had just squeezed my shoulder and said, "Be careful out there."
They trusted me. Completely.
And I was lying straight to their faces.
I swallowed hard and forced a smile. "I should go. The bus is probably here already."
Ethan nodded. But he didn't let go of my wrist right away. "Text me when you get there. And every night. Even if it's just one word."
"I will."
"Promise."
"I promise."
He finally released me. I grabbed my duffel bag from the backseat and pushed the door open.
The morning air was crisp. Cold enough to make my breath fog. I slung the bag over my shoulder and started toward the school entrance.
"Elara!"
I turned. Chloe was jogging toward me from the parking lot. Her blonde bob bounced with each step. She was smiling. Bright and cheerful like always.
But she wasn't looking at me.
She was looking past me. At Ethan's car.
I stopped walking. Watched as she slowed down. Her cheeks were pink. Not from the cold.
"Hey Chloe," I said carefully.
"Hi!" She glanced at me. Then back at the car. "Is that... is Ethan still here?"
Oh.
Oh.
"Yeah," I said slowly. "He just dropped me off."
"Cool. That's... that's cool." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Shifted her weight from foot to foot.
I knew that body language. I'd seen it before. On other girls. When they were nervous about talking to a guy they liked.
But I'd never seen it on Chloe. Not around my brother.
She took a breath. Straightened her shoulders. "Actually, I wanted to ask him something. Is that okay?"
"Sure." I stepped aside.
She walked past me. Toward the car. Ethan had rolled down the window. He looked confused.
"Hey Ethan," Chloe said. Her voice was a little higher than normal. "Um. So. There's this new restaurant that opened downtown. The one with the outdoor seating? And I was wondering if... if you wanted to check it out sometime. Maybe this weekend?"
Silence.
Ethan blinked. Looked at Chloe. Then at me.
I met his eyes and gave a small nod. Go ahead.
"Uh." He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Sure. That sounds... good."
Chloe's face lit up. "Really? Okay! Great! I'll text you the details?"
"Yeah. Okay."
"Cool!" She was practically bouncing now. "Have a good trip, Elara! I'll see you when you get back!"
She waved and jogged back toward the school building.
I stood there for a second. Processing.
Chloe liked my brother.
How did I not notice this before?
Ethan was still staring at me through the car window. He looked shell-shocked.
I walked back over. Leaned down. "You're welcome."
"What just happened?"
"Chloe asked you out. You said yes. Congratulations."
"I... she... what?"
I couldn't help it. I grinned. "You'll be fine. Just don't be weird."
"I'm always weird."
"Then be yourself. She obviously likes you anyway."
He ran a hand through his hair. "This is your fault somehow."
"How is this my fault?"
"I don't know. But it is."
I laughed. Actually laughed. It felt good. Normal.
"Go home, Ethan. I'll text you tonight."
"Yeah. Okay." He was still frowning. But there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Be safe."
"Always."
I stepped back. Watched him drive away.
Then I turned toward the school.
That was... surprisingly sweet.
If Ethan had a girlfriend. Or at least someone he was interested in. He'd be distracted. He wouldn't spend every waking moment watching me and Kael like a hawk.
He wouldn't show up on every single morning run. Wouldn't position himself between us like a human barrier.
I loved my brother. I did.
But holy hell he was exhausting.
Go Chloe. Keep him busy.
I walked through the front entrance. The hallway was mostly empty. Just a few students lingering by their lockers.
A black bus was parked outside the east exit. Council logo on the side. Subtle. Easy to miss if you weren't looking for it.
I headed toward it.
My phone buzzed.
I pulled it out. Encrypted message. Cole.
Wild Hunt has movement. Need to leave town for a few days to track leads.
My stomach dropped.
I stopped walking. Typed fast.
Where? What kind of movement?
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Northern forest border. Activity signs. Will share details once I confirm target.
Shit.
Be careful. Don't expose yourself. If there's danger, retreat immediately.
I know. You too. Stay alert during assessment.
I stared at the screen.
Wild Hunt was moving. Cole was tracking them. I was about to walk into a Council evaluation that could last days.
Everything was happening at once.
I needed to pass this assessment. Not just pass. Excel. Prove I was worth the resources. Worth the protection detail. Worth the intelligence access.
Because if I didn't get official agent status, I'd be fighting Wild Hunt alone.
And I couldn't do that. Not with this body. Not without backup.
I shoved the phone in my pocket and kept walking.
The bus door was open. Warren stood at the bottom of the steps. Clipboard in hand. He looked up when I approached.
"Grey. Right on time."
"Sir."
He checked something off on his list. Gestured toward the bus. "Find a seat. We leave in ten."
I climbed the steps.
The interior was standard. Rows of seats. Most students already seated. Some I recognized from the forest exercise. Others were new faces.
I scanned the bus.
Dylan was in the front row. Talking to two other guys. Big. Muscular. Probably betas.
He turned his head. Caught me looking.
His eyes narrowed.
I held his gaze for a second. Then looked away. Walked toward the back.
Found an empty row by the window. Dropped my bag on the floor and sat down.
Dylan was still watching me. I could feel it.
He was pissed. That much was obvious. He'd been ranked second in the forest exercise. Lost to an Omega who couldn't even shift.
That kind of thing didn't sit well with guys like him.
I pulled out my phone. Pretended to scroll through messages.
But I was watching him in the window's reflection.
He leaned toward one of his friends. Whispered something. The friend glanced back at me. Smirked.
Great.
So that's how this was going to be.