Chapter 132

Claire POV

I arrived at the event hall, the transport driver circling around to the back entrance.

The backstage area was crowded with candidates and their support staff, as well as a few key members of the media wearing passes around their necks.

It was hot and noisy, and I was immediately overwhelmed. But I squared my shoulders and walked in, determined to do my Royal duty and speak to as many candidates as possible before the event began.

Within moments I was drawn deep into the crowd, surrounded by members of packs from throughout the entire realm.

And then, a hand grabbed mine, and a warm familiar voice spoke in my ear.

“There you are, darling. I’ve been looking for you.”

I smiled and turned to face Alpha Gavin, who smiled in return as he raised my hand to his lips.

“Hello, Gavin,” I said. “Are you feeling nervous about your speech?”

“Now that you’re here? Absolutely not.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his obvious flirting. And I let him tuck my hand in the crook of his elbow, walking with me as I continued my rounds around the room.

As we chatted and shook hands with the other candidates, I couldn’t help but see the looks on people’s faces when they saw Gavin and me together like that.

Looks of interest, of curiosity.

Looks of acceptance as well.

Some people might have been surprised, but no one sneered or said anything. No one whispered in the corner or stared.

We were being linked in their minds as a couple, and no one had any objections.

It made me think about how very different this was from the early days with Nathan.

Back then I’d been so over the moon about him, buzzing with love after a lifetime of loneliness.

He’d told me we were mates, fated mates, and meant to be together.

To a wolfless Omega who’d been looked down on and abused by the entire pack for my whole life, these words were like magic.

They lit me up inside, so that everywhere that had once been cold and dark and lonely was now flooded with sunlight.

And I was so, so happy.

Until the first time someone spotted us together.

And he treated me like his assistant, handing me his briefcase while he turned his back to me, excluding me from the conversation with the people who saw us.

We’d been holding hands, cuddling close to each other as we walked.

And then suddenly I was staring at his back, holding his belongings and feeling invisible.

It was like a shutter came down between us.

That was just the first of many heartaches I had to carry during my relationship with Nathan.

I blinked and tried to focus on the here and now, but the contrast between my present and my past was sharp.

Nathan’s embarrassment at being seen with me then.

Gavin’s obvious pride in standing at my side now.

My life was so different now.

I could never go back to anything like the way things used to be.

And yet…

I still couldn’t help but look for Nathan.

Because I felt it the very moment he stepped into the room.

The pulse of our bond, a warm awareness of him in my belly.

And my eyes searched the crowd, trying to find his face.

When I did I couldn’t help but begin to move in his direction, even knowing Gavin would follow.

Even knowing that might cause a scene.

It was like my feet moved before my mind even knew what was going on.

Then I spotted him.

And I stopped.

He was talking to someone, a woman. They were standing close. Too close.

And then my heart sank as I watched Nathan bend down toward the woman.

And kiss her.

Catherine POV

I knew Claire was in the room.

Of course I did.

How could I miss the murmurs of the gathered press, the surge of motion toward the back door when she made her entrance?

The beloved “People’s Princess” was here, and everyone wanted the chance to see her.

Their devotion to her made me sick.

But the fact that she was here just meant tonight’s events, and what happened as a result, would be all the sweeter.

By the end of the night the whole world would know who truly loved and deserved the Alpha of Silverfang.

And who did not.

Peering through the curtain that separated this area from the stage, I looked out into the event space beyond.

The stage lights were already one as the tech crew set up microphones and chairs, shining bright and hot into my eyes.

The area beyond, where the audience was still gathering and taking their seats, was nothing but a sea of crowded darkness.

But I knew that somewhere inside that darkness the rogue assassin I had hired would already be getting into position.

Up above the balconies reserved for the VIP’s, in the dark and isolated scaffolding, the person who would hold my life in her hands would be ready and waiting.

And she’d have a perfect view of the stage.

I lowered the curtain, realizing I was nearly shaking with excitement.

When Nathan appeared from his dressing room, I knew he could probably sense Claire was in the room.

Their fated mate bond meant they still had that connection to each other.

Gritting my teeth, I decided making him reject Claire, destroying that bond between them, would be one of the first things I asked for.

And I knew, after tonight’s events, that he would give it to me.

I was willing to be he would give me just about anything I asked for.

But until then, I made sure I was right in front of him, drawing him away from his study of the crowd.

Standing close to him, I began to speak with my voice pitched low, knowing he’d have a hard time hearing me over the crowd.

“What?” he said, leaning down. The warm puff of his breath against my skin was thrilling.

It gave me the chance to move in closer, letting him catch another whiff of my perfume.

A perfume I knew would confuse his senses.

Getting him to lean down toward me also let me stand close enough to feel the warmth of his body heat begin to soak in through my clothes.

“I said, I have your speaking notes,” I said again, handing them to him.

I let our fingers brush as I handed over the note cards, then reached up to adjust his tie, a wifely gesture that pleased me.

He smiled down at me.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

“I don’t know what I would have done these past weeks without you.

“You’ve been a life saver, Catherine.”

I smiled at him, thrilled at the feel of his lips on my cheeks.

And hoped Claire saw us.

I inhaled his scent deeply, a dark delight running through me.

My wolf shivered with desire, and growled.

MINE…

A life saver, was I? I thought as he walked on stage to the applause of everyone gathered.

He had no idea.