Chapter 11

Claire's POV "Move, you bitch! This is my seat." I looked up from my wine glass, the harsh command cutting through the restaurant's gentle murmur. Nicole Montgomery stood a few feet away, her perfect features twisted into a sneer. Behind her, three equally polished women hovered like well-dressed satellites, their expressions mirroring her disdain. Nicole's blood-red lips curved into a cruel smile when she spotted me. "Well, if it isn't Adrian's little castoff." Her gaze flickered dismissively over Jennifer. "And her pet guard dog." Jennifer tensed beside me, her fingers tightening around her knife. "This isn't your table," she replied evenly. "There are plenty of other seats available." Nicole's laugh was like shattered glass. "I wasn't speaking to you." She gestured imperiously. "Get out of our way. This is our regular spot, and I'm not in the mood to look at Adrian's leftovers while I eat." My chest tightened. We'd chosen this restaurant specifically because it was far from the usual werewolf haunts. What were the chances Nicole would appear here tonight of all nights? Jennifer stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "We were here first, and we're not finished. Find another table." The air between them crackled with tension. Nicole was the daughter of the Moonlight Pack's Alpha—her dominance display subtle but unmistakable. The power of her bloodline radiated from her like heat from a flame. Jennifer, though fiercely protective, was no match for someone of Nicole's status. This confrontation could end badly for her. I gently touched her arm, shaking my head. "It's fine, Jen. We can go." "Smart girl," Nicole smirked. "At least you know your place." Jennifer looked at me in confusion but began gathering her things. I reached for my purse, eager to escape before this situation escalated further. We'd nearly made it past their group when Nicole's perfectly manicured hand shot out, blocking our path. "Not so fast," she said, her voice honey-sweet with malice. "I think I deserve an apology first." I stared at her, bewildered. "For what?" "For chasing after my fiancé," she replied, as if it were obvious. "Adrian told me everything—how you keep trying to win him back, how you can't accept that he's chosen me." The accusation was so absurd I nearly laughed. "I haven't spoken to Adrian since graduation except when he cornered me." "Liar," one of Nicole's friends hissed. "Everyone knows you're obsessed with him." "And now you're working for his father," Nicole continued, her eyes glittering with malice. "How pathetic can you get? Do you think getting close to Theo will somehow bring Adrian back to you?" Goddess, I was sick of these arrogant wolves. Just because they were from Alpha bloodlines, did they think they could define everyone else's feelings? Define reality itself? "You don't know anything about me," I said, my voice low but steady. "And if you're so secure in your engagement, why are you so threatened by my existence?" Nicole's face hardened. "Watch your mouth, Omega. You're forgetting your place." "And you're forgetting that we're in a public restaurant," I countered, anger eclipsing my better judgment. "Back off, Nicole. You've made your point." For a moment, she seemed taken aback by my defiance. Then her eyes narrowed. "Make me." Before I could react, one of Nicole's lackeys—a tall redhead with a permanent sneer—shoved me hard. I stumbled backward, losing my balance and colliding with a neighboring table. Glasses toppled, sending water and wine cascading across the linen tablecloth. Jennifer lunged forward with a growl, but two of Nicole's friends stepped between us, effectively blocking her path. Other diners turned to stare, but no one intervened—the subtle but unmistakable aura of powerful werewolves keeping humans at bay. Nicole approached slowly, savoring the moment. With deliberate grace, she picked up a glass of red wine from the table I'd crashed into. Our eyes locked, her smile widening a split second before she tipped the glass. Cold liquid cascaded over my head, soaking my hair and dress. The wine ran in rivulets down my face, staining Jennifer's borrowed outfit beyond salvage. Gasps and titters erupted around us, the humiliation burning hotter than any physical pain could. I wiped my eyes, ruby droplets falling from my fingers as I tried to regain some dignity. When I attempted to stand, Nicole's redheaded friend shoved me back into a chair. "Poor little Omega," Nicole cooed, leaning down until her face was inches from mine. "Did you really think you could compete with me? Adrian was just slumming it with you—a dirty little secret he kept hidden because he was embarrassed by you. You're nothing." Each word was precisely calculated to cut deepest. I clenched my jaw, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry, though tears burned behind my eyes. "And now you're doing the same with his father," she continued, her voice dropping to a vicious whisper. "But trust me, Claire, Theo Valmont would never seriously consider someone like you. You're nothing but a charity case to him—a way to annoy his son. Once he's made his point, you'll be discarded just like before." I sat rigid, wine dripping from my hair, her words finding purchase in my deepest insecurities. Nicole straightened, apparently satisfied with the damage inflicted. But then her expression darkened again, as if my continued silence was an intolerable defiance. "I think you need another lesson in respect," she snarled, raising her hand high. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing for the slap— But it never came. Instead, a powerful wave of Alpha energy washed over me, so intense it made the air around us vibrate. The restaurant fell silent, even the human patrons instinctively responding to the dominant presence. I opened my eyes, blinking through wine-soaked lashes to see a large male hand wrapped firmly around Nicole's raised wrist. Following the arm upward, I found myself staring at Theo's granite-hard expression. Nicole's face drained of color.