Chapter 247

Chapter 247
“You were not selfish, Ellie. I promise you, Nolan doesn’t blame you for hiding the boys.”
“How could you possibly know that?” I asked, feeling my throat grow tight with emotion.
“Because he’s told me.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“You two really need to work on your communication skills” Cassian sighed. “Nolan and I have talked about what happened last year. He told me that the whole situation is painful for him, but given the situation and how he was behaving, he thinks you did the right thing.”
“He really said that?” I asked softly.
“He did. But you should ask him about it. I’m sure that hearing the words from his own mouth would do you both good.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said softly.
The conversation continued for a short time after that. I asked about Alaric and Rae, and Cassian asked about the boys. After that, the routine of the day resumed.
By noon, the boys were settled down for their nap, and I had a moment of quiet to reflect.
I stood by the nursery window, watching the late afternoon sun paint the grounds in gold. The boys slept soundly behind me, worn out from attention and new faces and too many hands trying to hold them at once.
Nolan had been called away briefly-elder business, he’d said, though his jaw had tightened when he mentioned
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I rested a hand over my stomach, an old habit she hadn’t quite broken yet.
Something felt… off.
Not wrong, exactly. Just unsettled. Like the air before a storm when the sky still looks clear.
My phone chimed softly.
Rae.
I answered immediately. “Hey.”
“Ellie,” Rae said, voice tight. “I need to ask you something
I straightened. The strain in her voice immediately put me on edge. “What’s wrong?”
“Have you ever gotten a weird feeling from Claire? Or noticed anything off about her?”
I frowned. “No. Why?”
There was a pause. “She kind of freaked me out today. Maybe it’s nothing, but
My unease sharpened. “Rae, what happened?”
“She made it sound like Nolan made a mistake by protecting Cassian,” she said softly. “Said he was selfish to put himself in danger. That as alpha, he has a greater responsibility to you and his pack.”
My pulse quickened. “If Nolan hadn’t stepped in, Cassian-
“I know,” Rae said quietly. “And when I pressed her, she backtracked.”
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I moved further from the crib, lowering my voice instinctively. “Why would she say something like that?” “I don’t know,” Rae admitted. “But something’s wrong. I can feel it.”
“It might be nothing,” I said softly. “Just her opinion on something she doesn’t really understand.”
“That wasn’t the only thing,” Rae said tensely. “She made comment about Kieran.” My heart skipped at her words. My grip on the phone tightened. “Kieran?” “Yeah,” Rae continued. “She made it sound like you made a mistake by going back to Nolan. Like you should have chosen Kieran instead.”
I closed my eyes briefly. I wanted to rationalize that away. I had told Claire so many things about Nolan and the problems we had. Of course she had a poor opinion of him.
And Kieran had always been charming and kind when he was around, especially when my friends were there.
There was no reason for Claire to feel anything negative about Kieran. I could see how my choice did seem foolish from an outsider’s perspective. This was probably nothing.
Claire. The woman Cassian had trusted enough to leave me with while I was vulnerable. The woman I had laughed with, confided in, and allowed near my children.
I was being paranoid. This was an innocent conversation, and Rae and I were just
on high alert because of everything else going on.
“It’s probably nothing. Still, better to be cautious. But Rae, I said softly. “Don’t confront her.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” Rae replied. “I just wanted you to know.”
“I’m glad you told me.
>>
We ended the call, but the tension remained.
I turned back to the window just as Nolan returned, his expression stormy.
“The elders are restless,” he said. “Rowan especially.”
I nodded, distracted. “Nolan… I think someone’s still watching us.’
His gaze sharpened instantly. “Who?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s nothing, but I have this feeling…
>>
Nolan exhaled slowly. “Then we assume the worst and prepare for it.”
He crossed the room, resting his forehead briefly against mine. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Or the boys.”
I believed him.
That didn’t stop the fear from curling in my chest.
Because somewhere, far beyond Silver Fang’s walls, someone was paying very
close attention.
And the game wasn’t over yet.
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