Chapter 49
Elara's POV
Ethan pulled up in front of Chloe's house at exactly eight in the morning.
She was already waiting on the sidewalk. Backpack slung over one shoulder. Hair still damp from the shower.
The moment she saw the car, her whole face lit up.
I watched from the passenger seat as she hurried over. Pulled open the back door. Slid inside.
"Morning!" Her voice was too bright. Too cheerful for this early.
"Morning," I said.
Ethan glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Morning, Chloe."
Her cheeks went pink.
Oh.
Oh no.
I kept my face neutral. Stared out the window. But my brain was connecting dots I really didn't want to connect.
Chloe kept stealing glances at Ethan through the mirror. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her backpack. She tucked her hair behind her ear three times in the span of two minutes.
Classic signs.
Ethan drove in silence. His attention on the road. Completely oblivious.
We were about halfway to school when Chloe spoke again.
"So Ethan." She tried to sound casual. Failed miserably. "What are you doing this weekend?"
He shrugged. "Working at the shop. Why?"
"Oh. Just wondering."
Silence.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
Another minute passed. Then Chloe cleared her throat.
"Do you... I mean, are you seeing anyone?"
My head whipped around so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.
Ethan's eyes flicked to the mirror. Met hers. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason!" Her voice went up an octave. "Just making conversation!"
I turned back to the window. Pressed my lips together hard.
Don't laugh. Don't you dare laugh.
I dug through the original Elara's memories. Searching for anything about Ethan's love life.
Nothing.
No girlfriends. No dates. No mentions of anyone he was interested in.
Just work. And watching over his sister.
My chest tightened.
He'd given up so much. For her. For the girl who used to be in this body.
And now here was Chloe. Sweet, genuine Chloe. Looking at him like he hung the moon.
Ethan pulled into the school parking lot. Put the car in park.
I grabbed my bag. Opened the door.
"Thanks for the ride," I said.
Chloe scrambled out of the backseat. "Yeah, thanks Ethan!"
He nodded. Then his eyes found mine. "Call me if anything feels wrong."
"I will."
"I mean it, Elara."
The intensity in his voice made my stomach flip. "I know."
He held my gaze for another second. Then drove off.
Chloe stood beside me. Watching the car disappear around the corner.
"Your brother is really protective of you," she said softly.
"Yeah." My throat felt tight. "He is."
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "What kind of girl do you think Ethan would like?"
I turned to look at her. Raised an eyebrow. "You like my brother?"
Her face went scarlet. "What? No! I was just— I mean— It's not—"
"Chloe."
She deflated. Covered her face with her hands. "Is it that obvious?"
"Kind of."
A muffled groan. "God, I'm pathetic."
"You're not pathetic." I nudged her shoulder. "He's a good guy. You could do worse."
She peeked at me through her fingers. "You're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"I don't know. Some people get weird about their friends liking their siblings."
I shrugged. "I'm not some people."
She lowered her hands. Smiled a little. "Thanks."
We started walking toward the school entrance. Other students were already gathering near the front gates. I recognized most of them from the archery club.
My eyes automatically scanned the group. Old habits.
Checking for threats. For weapons. For anyone standing too close to an exit.
The club president—a tall Beta guy named Ryan—was taking attendance. He waved when he saw us.
"Elara! Chloe! Over here!"
We joined the group. Ryan checked our names off his clipboard.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" He raised his voice to be heard over the chatter. "We're taking the bus to Eagle's Cliff campsite. It's about a two-hour drive. Once we get there, we'll hike to the actual campsite. Should take about an hour."
Someone groaned. "An hour? Seriously?"
"It's not that bad. The trail is pretty easy." Ryan grinned. "We'll do archery practice after we set up camp. Then team building exercises. Campfire tonight. Breakfast tomorrow morning. Then we head back."
I listened with half my attention. The other half was busy calculating distances.
Eagle's Cliff was south of Black Ridge Forest. About five miles away according to the map I'd studied last night.
Five miles.
Close enough to be dangerous if the professional team was still operating in the area.
But far enough that we probably wouldn't stumble into the refugee camp.
Probably.
"Any questions?" Ryan asked.
No one spoke up.
"Great! Bus should be here in about ten minutes. Make sure you have everything you need. We won't be coming back until tomorrow afternoon."
The group started chatting again. Chloe pulled out her phone to take a selfie.
I stayed alert. Watching.
That's when I saw them.
Sophia and Blythe. Walking toward us hand in hand.
Sophia looked perfect as always. Designer hiking gear. Hair in a flawless ponytail. Makeup subtle but expertly applied.
Blythe was talking to her. But his eyes kept drifting.
To me.
My skin crawled.
Sophia noticed. Her jaw tightened. But she kept smiling.
They reached the group. Sophia immediately zeroed in on me.
"Elara!" She sounded delighted. "I wasn't sure you'd actually come. With your... condition and all."
Translation: I thought you'd be too weak and scared.
I met her eyes. Kept my voice flat. "I'm fine."
"That's wonderful!" She squeezed Blythe's hand. "Isn't it wonderful, babe?"
"Yeah." Blythe was still staring at me. "Wonderful."
Sophia's smile sharpened. "Well, I hope you can keep up. The forest isn't like the school gym. It can be... challenging."
"I'll manage."
"I'm sure you will." Her tone said the opposite.
Before I could respond, a new voice cut in.
"Alright everyone, gather around!"
A man in his forties stepped forward. Military posture. Scarred hands. The kind of face that had seen combat.
Ryan introduced him. "This is Coach Warren. He's a retired military officer and he'll be supervising our trip."
Warren's eyes swept over us. Cold. Assessing.
"Listen up," he said. His voice carried authority. "I'm here to make sure none of you do anything stupid. Rule number one: Stay with the group. Rule number two: Don't wander off into the forest. Rule number three: If I tell you to do something, you do it. No questions. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, sir" from the group.
Warren nodded. "Good. The area we're going to is relatively safe. But that doesn't mean you can be careless. There are wild animals. Rough terrain. And yes—" He paused. "—there have been reports of rogue wolves in the region."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
Someone laughed nervously. "Rogue wolves? Come on. Those are just stories to scare freshmen."
Warren's expression didn't change. "Believe what you want. Just don't blame me when you end up as someone's dinner."
The laughter died.
I kept my face blank. But inside, I was thinking.
Rogue wolves. Right.
Those "rogues" were probably the refugees. Starving. Desperate. Trying to survive.
Not a threat.
The real threat was the team hunting them. The professionals who'd attacked the Goldmans.
If they were still active...
The bus pulled up. Loud. Yellow. Exactly like every other school bus I'd ever seen.
"Load up!" Ryan called out.
Everyone grabbed their bags and started filing on.
I let Chloe go ahead of me. Took my time.
Blythe appeared at my elbow.
"Here." He reached for my backpack. "Let me help with that."
I stepped back. "I'm fine."
"Come on, Elara. It's heavy. I don't mind—"
"I said I'm fine."
His smile faltered. For just a second, I saw something ugly flash in his eyes.
Then it was gone. Replaced by that easy charm.
"Suit yourself." He shrugged. Walked past me onto the bus.
I waited until he was seated. Then climbed on.
Chloe had saved me a seat near the front. I slid in beside her. Dumped my bag at my feet.
The bus filled up quickly. Sophia and Blythe took seats near the back.
I could feel Sophia's eyes on me. Boring into my skull.
Let her stare.
The bus engine rumbled to life. We pulled out of the parking lot.
I pulled out my phone. Opened my encrypted messaging app.
Typed quickly: Heading to Eagle's Cliff campsite. Archery club trip. Should be back tomorrow night. Keep me updated on the investigation.
I hesitated. Thumb hovering over the send button.
Images flashed through my mind. The cave. Kael's arms around me. His soaked shirt. Those amber eyes watching me like I was something precious.
Stop it.
I hit send.
The reply came almost instantly.
Received. Contact me immediately if anything happens.
I stared at the words. My heart did something stupid in my chest.