Chapter 10

Claire's POV "To your new job!" Jennifer clinked her glass against mine, her smile wide and genuine. "And to telling Adrian to go screw himself—indirectly, at least." I laughed despite myself, taking a sip of the rich red wine. We'd chosen a quiet bistro downtown for our celebration, far enough from both VM Group and the usual werewolf hotspots to minimize the chance of running into anyone I knew. After the week I'd had, anonymity felt like luxury. "I still can't believe you got the job," Jennifer continued, cutting into her salmon. "And at VM Group, no less. That place is practically werewolf royalty." My emotions were more mixed than Jennifer's enthusiastic toast suggested. Yes, I had a job—a very well-paying one that would cover my father's medical expenses with some left over. But the circumstances... I couldn't stop replaying that scene in Theo's office. "You should have seen Adrian's face," I said, swirling the wine in my glass. "It was the first time I've ever seen him not get h