Read with BonusRead with Bonus

8. Claire: Cornered

CLAIRE

The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the now- deserted park as I finish cleaning up after the luncheon with the ladies of the Ember Claw Pack. The noise and chatter that filled the air earlier have long since dissipated, leaving behind a haunting silence in its wake. I stand alone with the caterers, surrounded by empty tables and the cluttered scattered remnants of the gathering.

“Thank you again for all of your hard work today,” I tell them, “Everything was amazing.”

“Of course, Luna Claire.” The older woman who runs the cafe says with a polite nod, “Give me a call if you need us in the future. We would love to be of help.”

“I will,” I tell her, meaning it. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the luncheon today without them.

I linger as they finish packing the tables into the back of their van, not sure if I’m ready to go back to the house and face my husband just yet. If he’s even there. Suddenly, I can’t decide what would be worse—James being there at the house when I get home or him being blatantly absent again after everything that happened last night. My stomach twists itself into an uncomfortable knot.

Making my way back to my car—a sleek red Audi provided by the pack—I can't help but feel a pang of bitterness. It had been a lavish wedding gift from James, but now it serves as a painful reminder of our tumultuous relationship and everything that led up to this point. It's now just another symbol of the mess we've made of our lives.

I reach the mouth of the alleyway where I parked the car, the shadows stretching out to greet me like spectral fingers. In the chaos of the afternoon, I’d had to park further away from the park than is comfortable, but the walk along the side streets bathed in fading afternoon light gives me time to consider what I’m going to do— time to wrap my mind around the situation looming in front of me like a waiting noose.

The alleyway where the Audi waits is empty now, save for the faint echo of my footsteps on the pavement. My handbag feels uncomfortably heavy on my shoulder as I fumble through its contents in search of my keys, the familiar jangle of metal lost amidst the silence.

Suddenly, a voice cuts through the stillness, sending a shiver down my spine. "Claire," the voice calls out, its tone sending alarm bells ringing in my mind.

I turn to see Felix, one of James's Betas, emerging from the shadows, and I cringe internally. His presence sends a surge of unease coursing through me. From the moment I met him on the day of the wedding, he's given me uncomfortable feelings— his gaze lingering a little too long, his touch a little too familiar. But now, with the eerie emptiness of the alleyway surrounding us, his presence feels suffocating.

“Claire,” he says again as he takes a step closer, his tone one of feigned shock, “I thought that was you.”

“What are you doing here, Felix?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I heard down the grapevine that you were holding a luncheon today,” he says, his voice low and gravelly, “Why wasn’t I invited?”

“It was a lunch held for the Pack’s women, Felix.” I try to remain casual, to brush off the unease that prickles at the back of my neck, but there's something different about Felix today. His eyes flicker with an intensity that borders on madness, his movements jerky and erratic.

When my fingers finally graze the edge of my car keys in my purse, I breathe out a shaky sigh of relief. I finally get the car unlocked, but it’s not quite quick enough because Felix has made his way even closer to where I stand at the driver’s side door.

"You know, Claire," he begins, his voice low, "I can see it in your eyes. You feel it too, don't you? The connection between us."

My heart pounds in my chest, a cold dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "Felix, I don't know what you're talking about," I manage to choke out, voice strained with my growing horror, “You know I’m married to James. Your Alpha.”

He scoffs low under his breath, “Everyone in the entire pack knows the truth about your sham of a marriage. You can’t even Shift, let alone Bind yourselves to each other. James isn’t adhering to your marriage vows. And you and I both know that you haven’t been either, with the way you’ve been looking at me.” He continues advancing towards me with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Claire. I know you feel it. The attraction, the desire... it's all there, just waiting to be unleashed."

Panic courses through my veins as I realize the danger I'm in. Felix is unhinged.

“You really don’t want to do this, Felix,” I say, pleading with him. But that sharp inhuman gleam in his eyes tells me that he’s beyond reason now.

With a sudden lunge, he attacks, his hands reaching out to grab me.

I dive for the car door, but he moves much too quickly for me to dodge out of the way. His hand wraps around my hair with a vice-like grip tugging me back. I struggle against his hold on me, with my heart pounding in my chest I kick blindly kick out behind me. As the sharp edge of my heel connects with his shin, he roars in pain and a rush of satisfaction flickers through me as his grip loosens. The relief is short lived, though. Before I can slip away, he grabs me again, roughly. His strength is overpowering as he shoves me to the unforgiving concrete.

The impact sends a shockwave of pain reverberating through my body, and I cry out as my head collides with the cold, hard surface. Stars dance behind my closed eyelids, the world spinning in a dizzying haze.

“You bitch,” he spits down at me. I cry out when he lands kick after relentless kick against my ribs. Each blow landing with bone-crushing force. I gasp for air, the breath knocked from my lungs as I feel my ribs protesting beneath the onslaught.

He grabs me once more, hauling me up with a brutal force that steals the air from my lungs. He presses me against the rough brick wall of the alley, my vision swimming as pain threatens to overwhelm me. Through the haze of agony, a desperate thought takes root in my mind. My fingers fumble for the small canister of pepper spray on my keychain, my last line of defense against the darkness closing in around me. But as I reach for it, Felix's hand tightens around my throat, cutting off my air supply.

Panic courses through me as I gasp for breath, the world fading to black around the edges. With every ounce of strength I can muster, I press the pepper spray into his face, unleashing a cloud of stinging agony that forces him to recoil in pain.

As Felix staggers back, swearing loudly. As he’s momentarily blinded by the spray, I seize the opportunity to flee. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I stumble away from him, every step a battle against the searing pain that threatens to consume me.With one final burst of strength, I stumble my way into the Audi, and click the lock into place with numb trembling fingers. In the car’s dim interior, I shove the key into the ignition. I can't stay here, not with Felix lurking in the shadows, his madness a darkness consuming the corners of my life.

The only thought that manages to break through my spiraling panic is that I need to get out of here.

I need to leave. I need to leave. I need to leave.

So I do.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter