Claire’s Pov
The night air was cool and crisp on my skin as I stepped outside the pack house. My thoughts were still very much tangled from the dinner. Audrey’s barbs had cut deeper than I care to admit, and the silence that followed her numerous questions was wild.
The highlight of the evening for me was the fact that Darien, with all his strength and presence, had failed to truly defend me when I needed him the most.
I couldn’t help shake the humiliation, the suffocating feeling that followed her words about me being out of place, even though I tried to prove otherwise and didn't just stay mute.
I walked towards the woods, wanting to seek the comfort of the trees. It was the only place that usually felt like an escape from the constant scrutiny. I used to do that so often when I wa
