Claire's POV
The darkness around me felt peaceful, so different from the pain during labor. I was floating like in a dream. I knew my baby wasn't with me, but somehow I felt calm. Was this shock? Or was I dead?
A gentle voice broke through the darkness, feminine and powerful yet soothing. "Claire... can you hear me?"
"Yes," I answered, though I wasn't sure if I was speaking aloud or just thinking. "Who are you?"
"Someone who has waited a long time to speak with you," the voice replied. "There's something important you need to know about yourself."
I felt a strange warmth spread through my body. "What do you mean?"
"You are not what you believe yourself to be," the voice continued. "You're not a human, Claire. Not entirely. You are a wolf-human hybrid."
If I could hav
