#Chapter 12: Back In Your Arms

Claire's POV

One of the guards calls to me shortly after, reminding me that as a warrior, I’m to eat in the auxiliary hall with the rest of the Night Mountain entourage.

The auxiliary hall is tucked behind the main wing, far from the grand dining chamber where the high-ranking alphas and their heirs are gathered. It smells faintly of boiled grain and sweat—familiar, grounding, and quietly humiliating.

No music filters into this space. No laughter. Just the clatter of cutlery and the low murmur of warriors too tired or too wary to speak freely. Inside, the servants move around with quiet efficiency.

I find a spot at the edge of the room, mostly unnoticed—until I start recognizing the faces.

They were familiar once. Women who’d brought me tea during my pregnancy, who had whispered congratulations when they thought it was safe, who helped me sneak fruit from the kitchens when I couldn’t stomach anything else. They had been kind. Gentle. Protective, even in their small ways.

And now, they