Chapter 48
Elara's POV
I kept my face blank. "What? We're just friends."
Chloe rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might stick. She leaned in close. Dropped her voice to a whisper. "Oh please. The whole school is talking about it."
My stomach dropped. "Talking about what?"
"The combat class thing. When Kael stopped Sophia from attacking you." She paused. Eyes sparkling with mischief. "And someone saw you two together at the training grounds. Early morning. Standing really close."
Shit.
The training grounds. When Kael made me prove myself. When did someone—
"Who saw us?" I kept my voice level. Casual.
"I don't know exactly. Some guy who goes running at like six in the morning?" Chloe shrugged. "But the way he described it... Kael was looking at you like—"
"Like what?"
"Like you were the only person in the world."
Heat crawled up my neck. I wanted to deny it. To tell her she was reading too much into gossip. But my brain kept replaying that moment. The way Kael's eyes had locked onto mine. The way the air between us had felt electric.
Focus. This is dangerous.
"We were just talking," I said. Flat. Final.
Chloe grabbed my arm. Shook it. "So you ARE together! Oh my god Elara. Kael Harrington. Future Alpha of Pinehollow. How did you even—"
"We're not together." I pulled my arm free. "He's helping me with something. That's all."
"Helping you with what?"
"Just... stuff."
Real smooth, Elara.
Chloe opened her mouth to push harder. Then her eyes went wide. She was staring past my shoulder.
I turned.
Sophia stood at the corner of the hallway. Two girls from the archery club flanked her. She wasn't even pretending not to stare. Her eyes were cold. Calculating. The kind of look that promised violence.
Chloe's fingers dug into my arm. "She looks like she wants to kill you."
"She does want to kill me."
"Elara—"
"It's fine." I kept my voice low. Calm. "She won't try anything at school. Not after what happened in combat class."
Chloe didn't look convinced. "But the camping trip is in the forest. Away from teachers. If she tries something there—"
"Then I'll handle it." I cut her off. Turned to face her fully. "The forest works both ways. No teachers means no witnesses when I fight back."
Chloe's eyes went huge. "You can't be serious."
I was completely serious.
In the forest, away from the structured rules of the school, I could use every skill Lynette had taught me. Every dirty trick. Every ruthless tactic.
And if Sophia wanted to play predator?
I'd show her what a real predator looked like.
"Elara." Chloe's voice shook. "You're scaring me right now."
I blinked. Forced my face to soften. "Sorry. I'm just tired of running."
That part was true at least.
I was so goddamn tired of pretending to be weak. Of letting people like Sophia and Blythe think they could push me around. Of swallowing my rage every time someone treated me like I was nothing.
Lynette would have torn them apart.
And maybe that's what scared me most. How easy it would be to let her take over completely. To stop fighting the urge to hurt the people who'd hurt Elara.
"Just promise me you'll be careful," Chloe said. Her voice was small. Worried. "Please."
I looked at her. Really looked. She wasn't faking the concern. She genuinely cared whether I lived or died.
"I promise," I said.
Liar.
Lunch period dragged. I sat with Chloe at our usual table near the windows. Picked at my food without really tasting it. My mind was already in the forest. Planning. Strategizing.
The camping trip was this weekend. Two days in the woods. Archery practice. Team building exercises. All the normal stuff.
Except nothing was normal anymore.
Sophia would make her move. I was sure of it. She'd been humiliated in front of the entire combat class. Her pride wouldn't let that slide.
And if the Goldman situation escalated? If the professional team behind the attacks decided to make another move?
I needed to be ready.
"Earth to Elara."
I looked up. Chloe was waving a hand in front of my face.
"Sorry. What?"
"I asked if you packed yet. For the trip."
"Not yet."
"You need to bring warm clothes. And your inhaler. And—" She started listing things on her fingers.
I let her talk. Nodded at the right moments. But my attention kept drifting to the windows.
The forest was visible from here. Dark. Dense. Full of shadows.
Somewhere in those trees, a pack of desperate refugees was hiding. Somewhere, a team of professional killers was planning their next move.
And I was supposed to go camping.
The absurdity almost made me laugh.
"—and definitely bug spray because last year the mosquitos were insane."
"Mm-hmm."
Chloe sighed. "You're not listening to me at all."
"I am."
"What did I just say?"
I had no idea.
She threw a napkin at me. "You're impossible."
"Sorry." I tried to focus. "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Like Kael?"
My face heated. "No."
"Liar." She grinned. "You went all red."
"I did not."
"You totally did. It's cute."
I buried my face in my hands. This was mortifying.
Chloe laughed. Actually laughed. "Oh my god you're so into him."
"I'm not—"
"You are. And honestly? Good for you. He's hot. Powerful. Rich. A little scary but in a sexy way—"
"Chloe."
"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." She took a bite of her sandwich. Chewed thoughtfully. "Plus he clearly likes you back. The way he looked at Sophia when she tried to attack you? I thought he was going to rip her head off."
I remembered that moment. The cold fury in Kael's eyes. The way he'd stepped between us without hesitation.
My stomach did something complicated.
Stop it. Focus on survival first. Romance later.
Except my body didn't seem to care about priorities. Every time I thought about Kael, my pulse kicked up. My skin felt too warm. I kept remembering the cave. His arms around me. The way I'd felt safe for the first time in twenty years.
Dangerous. This is so dangerous.
"I need to go," I said abruptly. Stood up. Grabbed my tray.