Chapter 20

Sabrina felt the weight of the stares from everyone around here, and burned with embarrassment. Her father had never spoken to her like this before. Now he was doing it in public, where dozens of people could see!

“Dad, I was just trying to look out for the pack, and for Nathan and his campaign! Having an unregistered doctor, especially an Omega, working at the clinic is dangerous for patients. And it would damage Nathan’s reputation among the other packs.”

“Nonsense,” her father said, waving a dismissive hand. “News of our miraculous new healer has already begun to spread to other packs. Just earlier I spoke with an Alpha who mentioned wanting to reach out to Alpha Nathan about being able to send their most ill or injured wolves here for treatment.”

He turned to Claire. “Young lady, you are a boon to this community. And, no doubt, your presence here will help your Alph win the presidency. Now,” he turned back to Sabrina. “Apologize to this young woman.”

Sabrina’s face was hot with humiliation. But she had no choice. She had to apologize.

Taking a breath, she addressed Claire, speaking loud enough for everyone in the room to hear her. “I apologize, Claire. It was wrong to try to have you arrested.”

Even if you are nothing but a filthy Omega, Sabrina added silently. What was wrong with dealing with an Omega? Compared to Sabrina, Claire was nothing.

But right now it felt like she had everything. The love and attention of the pack, her own father’s favor. Even Nathan had sided with her over Sabrina.

Her hatred for Claire was only intensifying at this moment.

And it spilled over now to include not only her father, but Nathan as well. She hadn’t missed the way he’d been staring at Claire ever since she healed that young man.

He was looking at her like he’d never seen her before. And he was watching her every small move with a hungry kind of attention, exactly the way a wolf watched his fated mate.

“There,” said Royal Alpha William. “Well done, Sabrina. Now, let’s put this whole thing behind us.”

Sabrina bowed her head, mostly to hide her expression. “Of course,” she said. But in her heart, a rage began to burn.

She wasn’t without options to deal with this situation, now that it became clear Claire needed to be taken out of the picture permanently.

She thought of the offer from Bloodclaw, a rival pack whose Alpha had approached her just a few weeks ago. She’d said she’d just think about his offer to help kill her father, placing her in power as Royal Alpha.

Now she wanted to do more than just think about it…

Unaware of the hatred blooming in his daughter’s heart, Royal Alpha William turned away to speak to Claire, congratulating her on handling this strange situation so well.

Around them the crowd began to disperse, with many people discussing Claire’s status.

“Even the Princess, so distant and above it all, has apologized to her! If the Alpha’s fiance acknowledges her,” she added, since most people had by now accepted the rumor of Sabrina and Nathan being engaged as the truth, “Claire must truly be high status.”

Another person agreed. “Maybe she was an Omega once, but as a healer she definitely deserves to be higher status now.”

At that moment, and in front of everyone still gathered in the waiting room, Nathan closed the distance between himself and Claire. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist.

“I need to speak with you,” he said, pulling her away.

Behind them, everyone started talking even louder. The way the Alpha had grabbed Claire was shocking, making them wonder.

What was the relationship between the Alpha and the healer?

Nathan pulled Claire down the hallway, ducking into the first open exam room he could find and shutting the door behind them.

Claire tried to pull her arm away from Nathan, confused by his behavior. He let go, but only to grab her by the arms instead, pulling her into a hug.

“Claire, that was incredible. I’ve never seen something so miraculous as what you just did out there.”

Claire ducked out from under his arms and took a few steps back. “Nathan, stop this. I don’t want to speak with you.”

He stared at her. “Why not? We’re fated mates, Claire. We need to find some way to fix our relationship. Come here.”

Nathan reached for her again, but Claire took another step back.

Seeing her step away from him, with a mixture of confusion and a bit of fear in her eyes, gave him pause. He lowered his hand, and softened his voice.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough. It’s just…Claire, I want you to come home. Our son wants you to come home. Can you really bear not being with him like this?”

At the mention of their son Claire’s shoulders sagged. “It’s hard, Nathan. It’s so hard not to be with him.”

“And me? Is it hard not to be with me?”

She shook her head. “It’s not that easy.”

“It could be. Come home, Claire. Be with us again. Be with me. And I promise, we’ll get married just as soon as I become Alpha President.”

Claire gave a small, humorous laugh. I promise… He’d said those exact words so many times before.

And it had never once been true.

She felt a chill settle into her heart. Seeing that look on his face, feeling his arms around her, had softened her resolve. For a moment she’d questioned herself and all of her decisions.

How could she turn her back on her mate?

But hearing those words again made her wonder. What would going back really change? And could she even go back to who she’d been before her wolf woke up and her healing abilities emerged?

In his eyes she was still an Omega. Their relationship could never be one of equals. The fact that he’d just said the same words he’d promised her before repeatedly over the years told Claire that Nathan wasn’t sincere.

And yet…

Something between them had indeed changed. Being alone with him in this small room, Claire couldn’t deny how strong the bond was between them.

Nathan felt it too, the pull of their bond, the warmth of the love Claire still felt for him pouring through the line that held them together even after everything.

He knew Claire still loved him. He felt her love constantly. She was still upset, but he could fix that, he could fix what was wrong between them.

But in this moment, all he wanted was his mate.

Driven by that pull of their bond, Nathan pulled Claire close to him again, and kissed her, sinking into the feel and taste and smell of her.

It had been so long - too long - without her. His wolf stirred, waking to the scent of his mate, grumbling for more, more.

When she didn’t pull away Nathan deepened the kiss, letting himself get lost in the moment. Letting both of them get lost in something they hadn’t felt in entirely too long.

Or so he thought.

But Claire, moving with a swiftness that surprised him, pushed him away with a strength that caught him off guard.

And then she slapped him across the face.