Claire POV
The crowd backed away from me as I pushed further into the room, leaving me in a bubble of empty space.
Everyone stared at me.
I could feel the heat and press of bodies surrounding me, closing me in, cutting off the air.
And for a moment all I wanted to back away, to escape from this room and those stares.
To run, and just keep running.
I’d spent my whole life learning to hide from people’s gazes, to avoid drawing attention to myself.
Or else face the consequences.
And as a wolfless Omega, there had been plenty of consequences to face.
But that was before.
Before my wolf and my healing abilities emerged.
Before the truth of my heritage was finally discovered.
Before I truly knew who I was.
Now, faced with the staring crowd, I felt those old urges to run and hide
