Chapter 5 MAKING A CHOICE

CLAIRE'S POV:

"Still job hunting?" Jennifer perched on the arm of my sofa, peering over my shoulder at the laptop screen. Her nose wrinkled at the endless listings. "Any luck?"

I snapped the computer shut harder than intended. Theo's "gift" had bought my father one chemotherapy session - a drop in the ocean of his mounting medical debt.

The memory of that check still burned my palm, but I'd be damned before returning to that club. I had professional skills, I was educated, and I could find a legitimate job. I couldn’t let all those years of university go to waste.

My phone vibrated across the coffee table. Adrian's name flashed like a warning light. I considered letting it go to voicemail, but I snatched it up.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice cold.

He laughed on the other end of the line, and it sounded like mockery. “Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you on your new job, sweetheart." The pause was deliberate. "My friend saw you at The Howling Moon last night. Selling yourself like some back-alley bitch."

The insult should have stung. Instead, fire flooded my veins.

“That’s none of your business, asshole,” I purred, baring my teeth though he couldn't see. "And I would rather serve as a prostitute than be with someone like you.”

Dead silence. I could practically hear his Alpha temper fraying through the line. Good. Let him choke on it.

He finally spoke, "You think whoring yourself out will save your father?" A cruel chuckle. "You've gone from mate material to used goods, Claire. Keep this up, and not even I'll want you back."

I gritted my teeth as his words hurt me deeply. I rose to my feet and paced.

"Save your threats," I snarled. "I'd rather chew off my own paw than let a backstabbing coward like you touch me again."

"You'll crawl back," he growled, Alpha command thickening his voice. "When you're desperate enough, you'll beg for my help."

I dropped the phone on the couch and rubbed my temple. I couldn't believe I ever loved a man like Adrian.

How has he turned into such a monster?

He wasn't the only one who had a powerful father who backed him up so why was he acting like he controlled the universe?

I didn’t even know his father, but I hated him already. I hated the two of them.

I held my chest as I tried to calm my racing heart. My phone vibrated with Mom's caller ID. I took three steadying breaths before answering.

"Claire?" Her voice trembled. "The hospital... they're threatening to stop your father's treatments if we don't pay by Friday."

The unspoken question hung between us: Had I gotten the money?

I swallowed the bitter taste of failure. "It's handled, Mom." The lie burned my tongue worse than silver. "I've got a new position at—"

"Maybe we should ask Adrian." Her interruption sent ice through my veins. "He always cared for you, and his family has—"

"Never." The growl erupted from deep in my chest. "I'd rather sell my organs than take a cent from that bastard."

A choked sob traveled through the line. "Your father's skin... It's turning gray, Claire. Like his wolf is fading." Her whisper shattered me. "I'd beg on my knees if it helped. I can't—" Her voice broke. "I can't lose my mate."

The mating bond's agony radiated through her words. My own broken bond ached in sympathy.

"Listen to me," I forced steadiness into my voice. "I'm wiring money tonight. New job. Great pay." Each fiction tasted more poisonous than the last.

"Oh, thank the Moon!" Her relieved exhale carried decades of exhaustion. "I'm so sorry, baby. A mother should protect her pup, not—"

"Stop." I blinked back hot tears. "You've carried this family since Dad got sick. Just... keep him alive a little longer."

The moment I hung up, my knees gave out. The couch caught me as my carefully constructed facade crumbled. Friday. Forty-eight hours to manifest a miracle.

Jennifer's honeysuckle scent enveloped me before her arms did.

"You look like you've been through a war," Jennifer murmured, her honey-brown eyes scanning my face.

"Dad's condition isn't improving. Without proper treatment," My voice cracked like dry kindling.

“He won't be fine without money,” I sighed. “And I don't know how to get the money. Adrian threatened me. He said he could crush me if I didn’t submit to him. He’s an Alpha's heir, Jennifer. His father controls one of the biggest packs in North America.”

Jennifer stared at me for a moment. “So, what if he's an heir? Are you going to let him push you around?”

"Then tell me how!" I snapped. "Because right now, all I see are dead ends."

A slow, calculating smile spread across Jennifer's face. It was the same look she'd gotten before setting up our senior prom prank. "There is one person you may ask for help."

My pulse stuttered. "Theo."

"Exactly." Jennifer leaned in, her voice dropping. "That man at the club? He's not just some wealthy playboy. There's a reason no one messes with his businesses. Rumors say even the Council Alphas tread carefully around him."

I swallowed hard, remembering how Theo's presence had made the air itself feel heavier. How his silver eyes seemed to see straight through my carefully constructed lies. "Even if that's true, why would he help me?"

Jennifer's expression softened. She pressed our foreheads together, "Don't doubt yourself, Claire. A man like Theo doesn't waste his time on just anyone. He must recognize something in yours... even if you can't see it yet."

"You hold more power than you realize, Claire. Don't let Adrian steal your fangs along with your pride."

A shuddering breath escaped me. She might be right. Even if it was wrong, I had to try for my father.

My fingers trembled as I reached for my phone. I swallowed hard as I scrolled to Theo's contact. For my father.

Three rings. Each one louder than my pounding heart.

“Hello?” His deep voice sent a strange shiver down my spine.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. “Theo, it’s Claire.”