Chapter 52

Claire winced as she stirred awake, her entire body aching with soreness. As she slowly opened her eyes, she caught sight of Alpha Nathan, seated at a small table and engrossed in his laptop. The smell of breakfast wafted over to her, making her stomach growl, but she hesitated to move. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, realizing that she must have looked pretty pathetic after the ordeal of the previous day.

Suddenly, Alpha Nathan spoke up, his voice breaking through the silence of the room. "You do know you suck at pretending to be asleep, Claire," he said, amusement evident in his tone.

Claire felt a jolt of surprise and embarrassment, realizing that he had seen right through her ruse. She sat up gingerly, wincing at the soreness that radiated throughout her body. Alpha Nathan turned to her with a small smile, as if sensing her discomfort.

"Come to me," Alpha Nathan's voice was gentle, but firm, and Claire knew she couldn't ignore him. She tried to push herself up from th