Chapter 204

Claire's POV The next two weeks flew by in a whirlwind of meetings and project planning. My role as Special Projects Manager kept me busy coordinating between departments. To my relief, most of my colleagues had warmed up to me despite my "dropped from nowhere" status. The initial suspicion about why Alpha Cyrus had personally hired me was fading as they saw my work ethic. Joey had left to handle her pack transfer, leaving me alone in my apartment again. I was scrolling through emails on a Friday afternoon in my office when my phone buzzed with a text from my mother. "Claire, honey. Betty and Hank have invited us to spend Christmas at their house this year. Betty's so excited to host her first holiday as a married couple. Let me know if you can join us. Love, Mom" I stared at the message, my stomach knotting uncomfortably. Betty and Hank. My little sister and the man who once had feelings for me. "That's definitely going to be awkward," I muttered to myself. "It would be more than awkw