Claire’s POV. 

As soon as I came out of the private room, I almost bumped into Alpha Xavier.

“Claire,” Alpha Xavier said sharply. “Why are you coming out of the private room?”

I turned slowly, my hand still on the door. His tall frame filled the hallway, his golden eye locked on me with suspicion.

“It’s… nothing, Alpha,” I said quietly.

“Nothing?” His tone dropped lower, firm and cold. “You expect me to believe that?”

I stayed silent, my heart beating fast. I couldn’t tell him because I am not permitted to involve anyone else.

He stepped closer, in his wolf's voice quiet but strong. “When I ask a question, you answer. I won’t ask again.”

His authority pressed against me like a wave, almost forcing me to speak. But I bit my lip and whispered, “I can’t tell you.”

His eyes darkened, anger flashing in them. “You’re testing my patience, Claire,” he said slowly. “And that’s not something you want to do.”

I looked down, feeling the weight of his power. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. “But I can’t.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then he sighed sharply. “Fine. But don’t think this ends here.”

He brushed past me, his shoulder almost touching mine. My heart pounded, but I turned away and started walking down the hall.

“Claire,” he called again, warning in his voice, but I didn’t stop walking. 

 I kept going until I reached the end of the corridor. Only then did I breathe out, pressing a hand to my chest to calm myself.

After I left Alpha Xavier, I went straight to the old cabin behind the east woods. There, I met one of Alpha Damien’s trusted allies.

When I walked in, he was already waiting. “You’re late,” he said quietly.

“I had a small problem,” I replied and sat down. “Let’s start before anyone notices.”

We placed some papers on the table and began to plan. We talked about how to get everything ready for the ritual. What to buy, where to hide the items, and when to start.

“The ritual must happen on the next full moon,” he said.

“I know,” I answered, writing down notes.

Together, we made a list of what we needed, which were rare herbs, moonstones, sacred oil, and a silver dagger for the offering. Every item had to be found and kept secret.

When we finished, I looked at the list and felt a bit worried. “What if Alpha Xavier finds out?” I asked softly.

“He won’t,” the ally said firmly. “Just follow the plan.”

I folded the paper and hid it inside my cloak. “Then let’s begin,” I whispered.

After we finished planning, we decided to go our separate ways to avoid suspicion, so I left the cabin quietly. The night air was cold, and the forest was filled with the sound of crickets and a soft breeze. Sound of crickets.

As I walked, I took out my phone and called Betty. She answered quickly, sounding happy.

“Claire! Where have you been? I was just about to call you!”

I tried to sound normal. “Hey, Betty… I just wanted to tell you that I won’t be around for a while, and I can't come to Texas with you. We will meet in school OK.”

“What? Why? Is something wrong?” she asked, with the expression of worry in her voice.

“No, everything’s fine,” I lied softly. “I just have something important to do. I’ll explain later.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Please don’t worry, okay?”

“Alright,” she said quietly. “Just promise you’ll call me soon.”

“I will,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure I could.

When the call ended, I slowly lowered my phone and sighed. I hate lying to her, but I have no choice. 

Betty's POV. 

I ended the call and stared at my phone for a few seconds. Claire’s voice still echoed in my head but it was a little strange.

Grandma looked up from her files she was arranging “So, what did Claire say? Is she coming with you to Texas?”

I shook my head slowly. “No… she said she can’t come.”

Grandma stopped and looked surprised. “She can’t? Why?”

“She just said she has something important to do,” I replied quietly. “She didn’t tell me what it is, only that I shouldn’t worry.”

Grandma frowned, looking a bit worried. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

“I know,” I said softly and sat on the edge of the bed. “We were supposed to travel together, start school together… but I guess she changed her mind.”

For a while, the room was silent. Then Grandma sighed and said, “Maybe something serious came up. Don’t be too hard on her.”

“I’m not,” I said, softly. 

Grandma gave me a small smile. “We’ll still go, dear. Maybe she’ll join us later.”

Yeah… maybe,” I said quietly, still thinking about Claire. But then her words replayed, and I blinked. “Wait, what do you mean we’ll go?”

Grandma chuckled softly. “I mean we, Betty. I’m coming with you to Texas.”

My eyes widened. “You’re what? You’re coming with me?” My voice came out louder than I expected, and I was full of surprise.

She nodded, still smiling. “Of course, dear. You didn’t think I’d let you go all the way to Texas alone, did you?”

I jumped to my feet, almost tripping over the suitcase. “Grandma! You’re serious?”

She laughed at my reaction. “Yes, I’m serious. I’ve already applied for a transfer to Texas. I’m just waiting for approval.”

“Are you kidding me?” I covered my mouth with both hands, unable to stop smiling. “Grandma, that’s amazing!”

She gave me a proud look. “So now you don’t have to worry about being alone there.”

I threw my arms around her, hugging her tightly..“This is the best news ever!” I said, my voice full of excitement. “Texas is going to be so much better with you there!”

She chuckled, patting my back. “I thought you’d like that.”

I pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. Now, all I could think about was going to Texas and the fact that Grandma would be right there with me. 

Claire’s POV. 

Morning training had just started. 

The sound of staff hitting filled the air and warriors chanting a war song as they practised. 

I was very tired as sweat dripped from my forehead to my cheek, causing me to pant.

I tried to focus but my mind kept going back to the secret plan and what still needed to be done.

Then my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket.

I stopped for a second, took it out, and saw Betty’s name on the screen.

She must have sent a message after our call last night. I unlocked the phone and was about to read it when suddenly a strong hand grabbed it from me.

I gasped and looked up quickly to see Alpha Xavier standing in front of me, locked in his cold gaze.

“What are you hiding, Claire?” he asked in a low voice.

My heart began to beat fast. The others around us stopped training and pretended not to look.

“It’s nothing, Alpha,” I said quietly. “Just a message.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Then you won’t mind if I see it.”

Panic rushed through me. “Please,” I said quickly, taking a small step toward him. “It’s private.”

His face stayed hard. “Private?” he repeated. “You seem to have many secrets these days, Claire.”

He froze as he looked down at the phone, his thumb sliding over the screen.