Owe her? It was she who had slandered my son, Kylo. The injustice of it all was overwhelming. I could feel the resentment and hurt bubbling up inside me. Caspian had always taken her side, no matter what. I scoffed, the anger in my voice unmistakable. “In your dreams! I hate you!”
As I faced Caspian, my eyes were devoid of the affection that once lingered there, replaced now with a cold, unrelenting hatred.
“Claire,” Caspian’s voice carried an air of frustration mixed with an unexpected softness. “Just do as you’re told, and you can have whatever you want. I can accompany your son or even grant you the title of my Luna.”
The words he spoke were like a mockery of the dreams I once held. I had yearned to be his Luna, to share a life with him, but in reality, his public life was always entwined with Ophelia. To the world, she was his Luna, his mate, his constant companion at gatherings with other Alphas and neighboring packs. I had been a shadow, a secret never acknowledged. And now, when I no longer desired what he offered, he wielded it like a weapon to coerce me into submission.
The pain in my face was sharp, but I masked it with a steely resolve. Meeting his gaze squarely, I said, “No need, Alpha. We’re done.”
The disbelief in his eyes was palpable, as though my rejection was something impossible to happen.
Caspian’s lips curled into a sneer. “What’s this? Not coming to me, pretending to need me to play with your son anymore?”
His words dripped with a scornful edge. Before I could retort, Ophelia interjected, her voice dripping with feigned concern. “Claire, stop deceiving Alpha Caspian. If Kylo were really dying, why would you be here alone?”
My patience snapped. “Shut up! You have no right to mention Kylo.”
Ophelia’s face fell into a mask of hurt, but I saw the satisfaction in her eyes. “Okay, I won’t mention it then. Don’t be mad at me, Claire.”
Her crocodile tears did little to mask her true intentions. Caspian, now thoroughly provoked by my reaction, chuckled coldly. He pulled out his phone with deliberate slowness as if he wanted to do something that would hurt me to the core.
With a sinister grin, he dialed Beta Clayton and put the call on speaker, ensuring I heard every word. “Beta Clayton, find out everything about Claire’s son, especially his whereabouts. If he’s in the pack’s infirmary, stop his treatment immediately.”