Chapter 187 The Truth About Claire

• ~ Elara ~
• I couldn’t shake Cassandra’s words from my mind, the echoes of her voice accusing Claire of betrayal. As Claire led me through the darkened forest, her presence beside me was like a thorn in my side. Everything that had gone wrong, all the devastation that was now spreading through the packlands—it all tied back to her. If she had told me the truth from the beginning, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Cassandra would still be trapped in the afterlife, and I wouldn’t be here now, scrambling to fix the mess that Claire had helped cause.
• The weight of it all pressed down on me like a heavy stone, each step forward a reminder of the betrayal I’d just barely escaped. My anger simmered beneath the surface, my hands clenched into fists as I struggled to keep it together. I couldn’t ignore it any longer.