CHAPTER 11

Audrey’s POV

His arms were strong around me, grounding me, protecting me  but I still felt exposed.

I had barely stepped into the grandeur of the Ironclaw Pack Manor before the sharp voice of a woman I didn’t recognize sliced through the air like a blade.

“Who is this trash?”

The words hit harder than I expected, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice, unsure what I’d see.

She was tall, poised, and dressed like she’d just stepped off the runway. Not a single strand of her chestnut brown hair was out of place, and her deep blue dress clung to her body in a way that screamed power and attention. Her expression, however, was anything but elegant.

She was glaring at me like I had spit in her drink.

Michael didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. But I felt the tension roll through his chest like a silent growl waiting to break free.

Without saying a word, he gently set me down, careful of my injured foot. The sudden loss of his warmth sent a chill across my skin, and I nearly swayed.

He stepped forward, blocking me from the woman’s view. “Watch your mouth, Lana.”

So that’s her name…

Lana didn’t even blink. Her eyes burned holes into me as if I were a virus infecting her air. “Who. Is. She?”

Michael didn’t falter. “She’s a guest. One that will be staying in the guest wing for as long as I’m Alpha.”

Guest.

The word echoed in my mind.

Not mate.

Not friend.

Not even ally.

Just… guest.

Lana’s lips curled in disgust. “A guest? Dressed like that?” Her voice was rising, drawing attention from a few nearby guards and staff.

“Be careful, Lana,” Michael warned. “You’re already speaking out of line.”

 “And you’re bringing strays into the manor like it’s a hotel now?” She stepped closer, practically vibrating.

Before Michael could respond, another voice joined the chaos deeper, colder, laced with authority.

“What is going on here?”

I turned instinctively, and my breath caught.

The man who walked in looked like an older, sharper version of Michael. Silver streaked his hair at the temples, but his posture was straight, his stride firm. He had presence, the kind that made people stand up straighter when he entered the room.

“Daddy Daniel,” Lana said quickly, her voice shifting from venom to vulnerability in a blink. “Thank the goddess you’re here. Michael brought some some girl into the manor. He didn’t tell anyone. And now he’s parading her around like like I don’t exist.”

Daniel’s sharp gaze moved from her to Michael and then landed on me.

His eyes narrowed.

“And who is this stray?” he asked, each word deliberate.

Stray.

The insult landed harder than Lana’s had.

I swallowed hard, my wolf whimpering inside me.

Michael’s jaw clenched. “She’s not a stray.”

“She looks like one,” Daniel replied coldly. “You expect me to believe you brought a… guest into the manor without informing anyone?”

“She was injured,” Michael said through gritted teeth. “I wasn’t going to leave her alone.”

“Injured?” Daniel echoed, as if the idea offended him.

Michael didn’t answer.

The tension in the room thickened.

“She’s just a guest,” Michael finally added. “That’s all.”

I looked at him then.

Just a guest.

Something cracked inside me, and I wasn’t sure if it was my heart or my pride. My wolf Lyla let out a low, sorrowful sound inside me, the same kind of sound she’d made the day we were rejected by Kevin. The kind of sound that meant hurt.

I didn’t know what I expected him to say. I didn’t expect a grand declaration, or for him to claim me in front of everyone… but to be called “just a guest” especially after everything cut deeper than I wanted to admit.

Daniel walked closer, eyeing me like I was something under his boot. “What’s your name, girl?”

I hesitated, then straightened my spine.

“Audrey,” I said, willing my voice not to shake.

“And what are you doing here, Audrey?”

I looked at Michael. He didn’t stop me from speaking, but his face was unreadable.

“I… I was injured. Michael found me and brought me to safety. That’s all.”

That wasn’t all.

But it was the safest version of the truth.

Daniel looked between us, then back to Lana, who was watching the entire exchange with glee masked as concern.

“This doesn’t look good,” he said flatly to Michael. “You have responsibilities. An image to maintain. And this ” he motioned to me, “ does not help.”

Michael stepped closer to me, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. “I don’t care about the image.”

“You should,” Daniel snapped. “The council is already questioning your decisions. This could tip them further.”

“Let them question,” Michael said calmly. “They don’t get to dictate who I help.”

“And who you help suddenly ends up in your arms?” Lana added, her voice trembling with false emotion. “Are you cheating on me, Michael?”

My eyes widened.

Cheating?

I looked between them. “Wait… you two are ?”

Michael didn’t even glance at her. “We’re not anything.”

Lana gasped like he’d stabbed her. “You arrogant bastard. After everything I’ve done ”

“Enough,” he said, voice like steel. “This conversation is over.”

Daniel stepped forward again. “Take her to the guest wing. But Michael, we’ll be discussing this. Tonight.”

He turned and walked out without waiting for an answer.

Lana glared at me one last time, eyes filled with unspoken threats, then followed after him.

I stood there, trembling.

Not from fear.

From shame.

From heartbreak.

Michael finally looked at me. “Audrey ”

“You don’t have to explain,” I said, cutting him off. “I get it.”

“No, you don’t..”

“I do,” I said, more forcefully this time. “I’m just a guest. I get it.”

He opened his mouth, but I didn’t want to hear it.

I didn’t want to hear more careful words, more strategic lies to protect my feelings or shield his own. I just wanted to disappear.

He reached for me again, but I stepped back.