Chapter 91
Elara's POV
The car stopped in front of my house. I unbuckled my seatbelt. Reached for the door handle.
"Elara. Wait."
Kael's voice cut through the silence. Low. Serious.
I froze. Turned my head.
He was staring at me. Those amber eyes locked on mine. His expression was intense. Focused. Like he was trying to memorize every detail of my face.
The air in the car felt thick. I could hear my own breathing. His breathing. The faint hum of the engine. Nothing else.
My heart started pounding. Fast. Too fast.
"What... what's wrong?" My voice came out shaky. Unsteady.
He opened his mouth. Hesitated. His jaw tightened.
We just stared at each other. The moment stretched. Time felt frozen.
God what is happening right now.
Then someone knocked on the window.
I jumped. Actually jumped like I'd been shocked.
Ethan's face appeared outside the glass. Arms crossed over his chest. Expression flat.
Kael's shoulders went rigid. He pressed the button. The window rolled down with a soft mechanical whirr.
"Ethan," Kael said. His voice had gone cool. Controlled.
"Sister," Ethan said. Not looking at Kael. Looking straight at me. "It's late. Still not coming home?"
My face burned. I grabbed my bag and shoved the door open. "I... I'm coming! Right now!"
I practically fell out of the car. Stood there on the driveway feeling like an idiot.
Ethan stepped back but didn't move away. He turned to Kael. Studied him for a long moment.
"Kael," Ethan said finally. His tone shifted. Less hostile. "I'll admit you're a decent guy."
I blinked.
Ethan's words echoed in my head. "Decent guy."
When did that happen?
I thought back. The basketball game. Kael had won but he'd shaken Ethan's hand after. Complimented his speed. They'd talked about training for almost ten minutes while I sat on the bench.
And then. That day Ethan came home late from practice. He'd mentioned something. What was it.
"Ran into Kael at the gym. He spotted me on the bench press. Didn't have to. Just did it."
I'd barely paid attention at the time.
And last week. When Mom's car wouldn't start. Kael had been the one who came over with jumper cables. Fixed it in fifteen minutes. Didn't even wait for a thank you before leaving.
Ethan had watched from the porch. Silent. Thoughtful.
Oh.
So that's what happened. Kael had been proving himself. Quietly. Without making a big deal about it.
And Ethan had been watching. Evaluating.
I just hadn't noticed.
"But," Ethan continued. His voice dropped. Got serious. "If you want to pursue my sister, that's not going to be simple."
My brain short-circuited.
Pursue. PURSUE?
"Ethan!" I squeaked. My voice came out way too high. "What are you talking about! We're not... we're just..."
I couldn't finish the sentence. My tongue stopped working. My face felt like it was on fire.
Kael got out of the car. Stood up. Faced Ethan directly.
"You're right," he said. Calm. Clear. No hesitation whatsoever. "I do want to pursue Elara."
Everything stopped.
The world. Time. My heartbeat.
He just. He actually just said that.
Out loud.
In front of my brother.
My brain screamed.
"And I know what that means," Kael added. His eyes flicked to me for half a second. Then back to Ethan. "I'll prove my intentions through my actions."
Ethan raised one eyebrow. "Oh? You understand what this means?"
"I do."
"Good." Ethan's expression didn't soften. "But you still have to pass my test first. I'll be watching. To see if you're serious."
Oh my god.
I couldn't take this anymore.
I covered my face with both hands. "You two... keep talking! I'm going inside first!"
I ran. Literally ran up the driveway and through the front door.
Slammed it behind me. Leaned against it. My heart was trying to break through my ribcage.
He said he wanted to pursue me.
He said it like it was a fact. Like he'd already made up his mind and nothing could change it.
I pressed my hands to my cheeks. They were burning.
But my mouth. My mouth pulled into a smile I couldn't control.
He's serious. Kael is actually serious about this.
---
The next day started the same as always. Five thirty AM. I rolled out of bed. Changed into running clothes. Went outside.
And found Kael already in his driveway. Stretching his hamstrings.
We both froze.
"You run in the mornings?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Me too."
Silence.
This was going to be awkward.
But then he just nodded. Started jogging down the street. I followed.
We ran the same route. Same pace. Didn't talk much. Just the sound of our footsteps hitting pavement. Our breathing syncing up.
It was. Nice.
Comfortable in a way I didn't expect.
Like we'd been doing this together for years.
After that it became routine. Every morning. Five thirty. We'd meet in the driveway without planning it. Run together. Sometimes we talked. Mostly we didn't.
But it felt right. Natural.
This feeling is actually pretty good.
Then one morning about a week later, I stepped outside and found both Kael and Ethan in the driveway.
Ethan was wearing running shoes. Stretching.
"I'm working out too!" he announced. Looking way too cheerful about it.
He was obviously doing this on purpose.
Kael looked at me. I looked at Kael.
"Sure," Kael said evenly.
Ethan jogged over. Planted himself directly between us. Shot Kael a look that said I'm watching every move you make.
Great.
So now we ran as a group of three. With Ethan acting like a human chaperone. Staring at Kael the entire time. Making sure we didn't get within two feet of each other.
Fantastic.
---
Days passed. Then weeks.
My routine settled into a pattern. Morning runs with Kael and my overprotective brother. Council training sessions when Warren called. School. Homework. Pretending to be a normal student.
Wild Hunt had gone quiet. Too quiet. But I knew better than to relax. They were out there. Waiting. Planning their next move.
All I could do was train harder. Get stronger. Be ready when they came.
At least my family was safe. Warren's people were watching the house. Kael lived next door. Cole was tracking leads on Wild Hunt's employer.
For now that had to be enough.
Then one afternoon a month later, my phone buzzed.
Council encrypted message.
I opened it.
"Special Agent Selection - Final Phase. Field assessment begins in three days. Report to designated location. This is mandatory."
I stared at the screen.
Final phase.
This was it. Everything before this was just preliminary testing. This was the real evaluation.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
I need this. Need to pass this selection. Only by becoming an official agent can I access more resources. More intelligence networks.
I clenched my fist.
This isn't just about protecting my family anymore. It's about hunting down Wild Hunt. Ending this threat permanently.
My eyes went sharp. Focused.
Finally. The real test is coming.
Time to prove I deserve this position.