Chapter 40

Claire's POV Why had a man who showed such indifference two days ago suddenly transformed into this protective figure? My heart raced wildly. Could he actually be seeing me as his wife? No! I immediately crushed that foolish thought. Lucius was simply protecting his unborn child,our child.The baby must have been in danger too when Emma and the others attacked me.His wolf instincts would naturally drive him to defend his offspring, even if the mother was merely human. I chided myself for being so naive. How could I possibly believe he would truly regard me as his wife beyond our arrangement? Still, since he was playing the devoted husband, I needed to perform my part convincingly. I grasped his hand, feeling the unusual warmth of his skin against mine, and smiled. "So you took it. I thought I'd lost the ring and was worried sick." "It's all my fault. I should've told you in advance." Lucius's expression softened with a tenderness I'd never seen before. The usual cold, calculating Alpha