AIDEN
Walking Claire home last night should have been enough to settle things. I told myself that the distance she demanded would help, that the rules would keep us both safe, and that I could manage my instincts if I stayed disciplined.
The problem was that discipline stopped being the point the moment I realized what her presence did to me.
It was not Madison anymore. It was not social media or teammates whispering in hallways. It was not even the club's internal review, although that sat in the back of my mind like a blade waiting to drop.
It was Claire.
My wolf calmed when she was close, and that calm did not make restraint easier. It made it harder.
When I was alone, my wolf paced and snarled, restless and sharp. When she was near, everything inside me settled into
