Chapter 7 Untitled Chapter
CLAIRE
I looked out the window, becoming aware of the darkness slowly creeping its way into the sky, casting a shadowy figure on earth. I was restless, I had to pretend to be asleep to finally get the chance to be alone with my thoughts and now I was confronted with the fact that I lied.
Having recalled the events that lead to me being captured by the council, rage stirs up inside me which makes me unconsciously crawl my fingers into a fist. Different emotions course through my body at once, knocking me out of breath.
I held on to the dresser table, trying to calm myself down through the storm of emotions. Just as I straightened up, a knock came through the door and Trisha strolled in.
At first her facial features appeared distinct and it took a while for the familiar locs of hair, the ancient beads entwined with it, deep brown eyes with a few piercings here and there to finally sink into my brain.
Inhaling sharply, I relaxed a little when I caught her scent. Relieved to know she wasn’t human.
“You’re awake.” She remarked, her full lips spreading into a smile. “The healer left a while ago meaning I will be in charge of your healing process now as long as nothing goes wrong. You may not remember this but I’m the only one who knows something about natural medicine.”
“Is that so?” I grabbed her wrist, my eyes roaming across the burn marks on her hand. “And how did you get these?”
She blinked, probably surprised by my question. “It’s a long story that involves the council. Which is why I want you to know you’re not alone, we’ve all been through something at their hands.”
“How kind of you.” I let go of her hand, sitting perfectly still as she examined me.
“Are you feeling alright?” A slight frown appeared on her face. “You’re acting more differently than Hunter said you did when you woke up earlier.”
“Hunter…” I echoed the name, and once again, it took a while for a face to come to mind. “You’re a healer, does my body tell you there’s something wrong with it?”
“I’m not a healer.” She corrected me. “I’m a witch who practises nature spells, drawing my power from mother earth herself.”
Before I could respond, the door opened revealing Hunter and Jet as they strolled into the room. Jet, I recognized right away due to the fact that he bears a striking resemblance to a woman I hold dear in my heart.
Trisha pulled away from me as Hunter approached me, I watched as she whispered something to Jet and a confused look flicker across his face in response. Looking away from them, I looked at Hunter as he reached for my hand.
Lifting my hand out of the way to comb it through my hair, I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. “Do you think something is wrong with me?” I demanded, now turning my full attention to him.
There was a pause before he answered. “No.”
Jet approached me next, keeping his hands clasped behind his back. “Claire…how are you feeling.”
“Like I want to talk to you…alone.” I responded.
They all exchange curious looks before Jet nodded, silently ordering them out of the room. Just what I needed, the power of an Apex Alpha even though something tells me that he doesn’t know it yet.
“Have you always had that white streak in your hair?” He questioned, his eyes flickering from my face to my hair.
“Has it always been there?” I sat up from the bed, frowning when I realised someone put me in a freaking dress. “Does that answer your question?”
“No.”
“I want Heather dead.” I declared, meeting his concerned gaze with my own fierce one. “Heather can wait actually, Gianna is someone I want dead more than anything. I have seen files of you at the institution meaning you probably know more than anyone here so I need your help in finding her.”
His left eyebrow raised so much that one would think it would fly up his hair. Several seconds passed with him not saying anything, just observing me like a piece of puzzle he is trying to figure out.
“Revenge.” He finally muttered. “I know that feeling, I feel it everyday.”
“Does that mean you will answer me? Or did you kill her when you attacked the facility? Please tell me you did.”
“That is a question I cannot guarantee an answer to because when I’m in the lycan state, I lose control. I may or may not have killed her.”
“And it’s only going to get worse Alpha Jet, the more power you have, the harder it will be to control.”
“Claire…”
“Call me Flaire.” I corrected, brushing past him to the dresser. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled up my hair into a ponytail and secured it with the band.
“Flaire…I presume this has something to do with how odd you have been acting since I stepped into the room?”
Impressed by his calm demeanor, although I wished I could guess what he was thinking. With Hunter, it was easy to read him, perhaps because of Claire’s connection to him.
“Are you not curious to know what I meant by your lack of control? I know something that might help you in gaining them back only if you give me your word as an Alpha to help me find Gianna, Heather and the council.”
“Pardon me, it appears that I’m still stuck on why you want me to address you as Flaire. You’re Claire, Fair Claire.” His emphasis on the ‘fair Claire brought back memories.”
“Because I’m Flaire, although I’m aware your mother calls her that.” I paused, coming back to stand in front of him. “I need your help Alpha Jet, Claire needs your help.”
Something flares in his eyes, turning them red. I was slammed against the wall with his hand wrapped around my neck, choking me.
“Who the fuck are you!” He growled in my face, coursing a vibration through the wall. “And you have two seconds to tell me before I rip your fucking head off.”
“Jet!” Hunter growled, launching towards him.
Seeing this, he moved, effortlessly invading his attack and taking me to another end of the room with his hand still around my neck. However, he lessened his hold on my neck when Hunter collapsed on the floor.
“Let her go!” He growled again, on the verge of shifting.
Jet hesitated, looking between us before he finally let me down on my feet. Hunter leaped across the room to my side, still glaring at him like he couldn’t believe he would possibly do that.
The second he tried to touch me, I flinched away from him, coughing and trying to catch my breath. I didn’t blame Jet for having that reaction, only those who have been in the institution would understand the damage the council does to a person.
“What the hell Jet!” Hunter cussed, now addressing him.
“What happened?” Trisha and Camille hurried inside, looking alarmed and confused.
“That isn’t Claire.” Jet grits out, his eyes returning to their normal colour.
“What? That’s crazy!” Trisha said, glancing over at me as if to confirm the truth of his statement. “What made you think so? Did she say or do anything?”
“She is Claire.” Hunter disagreed. “I think I would know my own mate when I fucking see her!”
“Enough!” I hissed, grateful to finally breathe air properly again. “You are both right, I’m Claire but I’m also not her.”
Jet chuckled, the smile didn’t reach his eyes, in fact it was a dangerous laugh that had Hunter stepping in front of me in case he needed to protect me from Jet again.
I shoved him out of the way, I may have needed his help getting out of the institute but I don’t need his help protecting my own body. As Jet took another step toward me, it was Trisha who jumped in front of me this time.
“If you think she might be a clone of Claire then we may need to keep her alive if we want to know what happened to the real Claire.” Her words made him stop.
Feeling offended, I glared at him. “I’m not a clone! Just because I have a different name doesn’t mean I’m not Claire.”
“Then where the fuck is she!” Jet growled once again, taking another threatening step toward me.
“I think you should be more worried about your mate. Before you broke me out of there, I heard Gianna talking to a strange someone on the phone. Isn’t your mate Grayson’s Dane daughter?” I spat, trying to control the depth of hate in my voice.
If Jet finds out the reason why I let Hunter break me out of the institute was because I want to kill his mate then he wouldn’t give me the help I needed!