Claire's POV My hands were still trembling as I walked away from Luna Roanna's estate, the afternoon sun doing nothing to warm the chill that had settled deep in my bones. The confrontation had left me shaken in ways I hadn't expected—not just from her threats, but from the realization of how far I'd pushed back. I'd stood up to one of the most powerful women in werewolf society and lived to tell about it. But the victory felt hollow. The look in her eyes when I'd walked away promised retribution, and I knew this was far from over. I needed time to process what had just happened before facing Theo. He would see the stress in my face immediately, would demand to know every detail of my conversation with his mother. And while I had no intention of hiding anything from him, I wante

