Healing the alpha

chapter eight

The next few days blurred together in a haze of planning and tension. Marisol had disappeared into her contacts, her cold, efficient demeanor taking over as she scoured every possible lead on Lucas’s movements. Claire had been left to her own devices most of the time, which gave her ample opportunity to think—think about the world she’d stepped into, about Ethan’s words, and about her growing unease with everything around her.

Ethan had become distant, preoccupied with the mission. She couldn’t fault him for that; the stakes were high, and Lucas wasn’t the type of person to go down easily. But the more Ethan withdrew into his thoughts, the more isolated Claire felt.

That morning, after another sleepless night, Claire found herself pacing in the cabin’s dimly lit kitchen. She hadn’t eaten much, but the smell of brewing coffee was enough to make her stomach rumble.

Ethan was in the back room, talking to Marisol again. They were making plans—she could hear their muffled voices through the door. Claire had been given one simple task: keep an eye on things, stay out of trouble, and don’t get in the way.

She hated it.

When the door creaked open, Claire turned to see Ethan standing in the doorway, his face shadowed by the dim light. His eyes softened when they landed on her, and for a moment, she felt like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. But that thought was fleeting, as quickly as it had come.

“Hey,” Ethan said, his voice hoarse from the hours of talking. “Marisol found something. We’re heading out soon.”

“Where?” Claire asked, her curiosity piqued despite herself.

Ethan hesitated before answering. “It’s a small town up north. We think Lucas is hiding there, gathering resources. Marisol’s contacts confirmed it. We’ll need to move fast.”

“Are you going alone?” Claire asked, her chest tightening at the thought.

“No. I want you with me,” he replied. The seriousness in his tone was unmistakable.

Claire felt a flicker of something—relief, maybe, or hope?—but it was quickly overshadowed by the lingering doubt that she wasn’t ready for whatever was coming next.

“I can handle myself,” she muttered, almost to herself.

Ethan smiled, but there was something faintly pained in his expression. “I know you can. But I want you there because you’re part of this now. You’re not just a liability, Claire. You’re an asset.”

Claire bit her lip, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I don’t feel like one.”

Ethan’s gaze softened, and he stepped closer, just close enough for her to feel the warmth of his presence. “You’re stronger than you think. But you don’t have to carry the weight alone, okay?”

Before Claire could respond, the door slammed open with a force that made her jump. Marisol stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed in that same calculating way.

“We’re wasting time,” she said briskly. “Let’s go.”

Claire exchanged a look with Ethan, who gave her a reassuring nod. Then, without another word, they all gathered their things and made their way out of the cabin, the weight of the coming mission hanging over them.

The road north was long, winding through dense forests and rocky terrain. The air felt heavy, thick with anticipation, as if the land itself was holding its breath.

Claire sat in the backseat, staring out of the window, her thoughts swirling. She didn’t know what to expect when they reached the town. But one thing was certain: the closer they got, the more she realized there was no going back. Whatever Lucas had planned, whatever darkness he was trying to bring, they had no choice but to stop it.

As they drove on, Claire couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about Lucas anymore. There were other forces at play, things she wasn’t ready to understand yet. But if she was going to survive, she would have to.

And if she was going to survive, she would have to trust Ethan. Even when the doubt threatened to consume her.