With Clara around, I had to focus on what was important. I was the Luna of this pack now, and I needed to keep up appearances. The pack respected me, they admired me, and they adored Clara. I couldn’t let my personal pain inflicted by Randolf destroy that.
Clara was still clinging to Randolf’s arm, her small face full of hope. “Please, Daddy? Just for a little while?”
Rachel’s smile slipped for a moment, and I saw the tension in his posture. He hated being put on the spot, especially in front of his pack members. I could feel the anger starting to grow inside of him, the annoyance. Clara had no idea what she was stirring up.
I had to fix things before he unleashed everything on her.
“Clara, come here,” I called softly, trying to distract her. "Here, let us start to open your birthday presents."
But my daughter was persistent, her attention fixed solely on her father.
"Daddy, please!" She urged. "Just this once."
Randolf finally looked down at her, his eyes cold, and I knew that he'd reached the peak. "Enough." He snapped at the child. "Find something else to do, will you?"
“But Daddy, it’s my birthday,” she insisted, her voice dropping into a whine. “Just once, please?”