Third-person POV
As Rayna stood there, caught in the middle of the tension between Ryan and the woman beside him, she could feel the unease and discomfort creeping up on her. Quickly identifying the woman as Ryan's girlfriend, she understood that her attitude could only mean one thing: trouble.
Rayna decided to take the initiative and break the awkward silence. "Hello, I'm Rayna Storm, the daughter of the Alpha of the Storm Pack," she said, extending her hand in a gesture to diffuse some of the tension in the air.
The woman looked at her, unimpressed. "Clarissa," she responded, before turning back to Ryan. Rayna stepped back, realizing that Clarissa was not in the mood for pleasantries.
She knew Clarissa wouldn't like that she was alone with her boyfriend in such a secluded area, but since it seemed to her like Ryan wasn't interested in having Clarissa find out they were mates, Rayna knew better than to mention her real reason for being there.
When Clarissa turned to her again, her tone was sharp and somewhat accusatory. "What brings you here, Rayna?" she asked, her eyes focused intensely on her.
"I'm here on Pack-related affairs, and I would have told you more about it, but it is strictly confidential," Rayna said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the growing tension. She didn't want to disrespect Clarissa, and she most certainly had no intention of getting into any sort of altercation with her.
Clarissa looked skeptical, her eyes narrowing. "Why couldn't you have met Ryan in the official meeting room? Why meet in such a private location since what you had to say involved the pack?" she questioned, obviously not buying Rayna's explanation.
Rayna felt herself growing increasingly uncomfortable with Clarissa's line of questioning. She couldn't remember the last time she was questioned by anyone, including her own parents, and she didn't like that Clarissa was using such a tone with her.
"Well, Miss, I prefer to hold our meetings in a safe and secluded location. It's for the benefit of everyone involved, which is why I proposed we speak away from listening ears," she explained, hoping that would be enough to convince Clarissa.
But Clarissa didn't seem convinced. "No offense, but that sounds suspicious to me. You could have talked anywhere, and yet you chose to speak in a place where no one could easily find you. It's weird, and I can't help but be suspicious," she said, her tone accusatory.
Rayna could feel herself growing frustrated with Clarissa's interrogation, but before she could say anything else, Ryan spoke up. "Clarissa, please stop with the questioning. Rayna is a guest and deserves our respect. You do realize whose daughter she said she was, right?" he chimed in, and even though Rayna didn't like that he was only just speaking up, she appreciated his timing.
"I don't care who your father is, Ryan. What I care about is that I found my boyfriend with another woman in a secluded area. Does it actually make sense that of all places to talk, you two had to meet here? A place that even I didn't know until now?" Clarissa spat, her eyes fiercely locked on Rayna's.
If looks could kill, Rayna would probably be dead and buried by now, but Clarissa's glare wasn't what got to her; it was her words.
Rayna felt her blood boil at Clarissa's words, and if she weren't where she was right now, she'd have most certainly hit Clarissa across the face. The strong urge to yell in her face and tell her that Ryan was her mate was overwhelming, but Rayna knew that would only complicate matters more.
Seeing how Clarissa reacted just because Ryan and she met outdoors, away from prying eyes, Rayna couldn't imagine how she would react if she found out they were mates.
She wouldn't even be surprised if Clarissa tried to fight her, and as entertaining as it would be to have her try to duel with her, she knew it would be wrong for things to take that turn. So instead, Rayna swallowed her words, opting to keep the peace and not let Clarissa get the better of her.
"Listen, Clarissa, I understand why you might be upset, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. Nothing suspicious happened here. I assure you," Rayna said, her voice steady and measured.
"There is even no reason to suspect anything between Ryan and me. You already saw me leaving, and I haven't been here that long. No offense, but you should learn to trust him more. He is your partner," she continued.
Clarissa scoffed at Rayna's words, dismissing her reassurances. "Lady, did I ever mention anything about him cheating on me or that I don't trust him? He is my boyfriend, so I definitely don't think he's cheating on me, lady. The person I don't trust here is you, and what I think is that you're the one trying to seduce him," she said smugly.
Her words made Rayna even more irritated, and she opened her mouth to call Clarissa childish, but before she could say anything, Ryan's voice boomed out, startling them both.
"Clarissa, that's enough! You've said more than enough, and I don't want to hear one more word from you!" he said his tone firm and commanding.
Clarissa looked hurt that he had yelled at her in front of Rayna, and she opened her mouth to say something, but before she could say a word, Ryan cut her off, instructing her to head to her room—a reaction Rayna was not expecting from him.
"I'll speak to you when I'm back from escorting her to the border, Clarissa. Now go," he said, his eyes narrowing in anger.
Clarissa hung back for a moment, her eyes boring into Rayna's. "If you go with this woman, I swear on everything I hold dear, Ryan, I will never speak to you ever again," she said, and Rayna was taken aback.
Rayna was surprised that Clarissa threatened Ryan, going as far as saying she wouldn't speak to him again if he left with her. Rayna was about to tell them both that she was perfectly fine with leaving on her own since she expected Ryan to try to calm Clarissa down, but to her surprise, he chose to ignore her.
He suddenly grabbed Rayna's wrist firmly, pulling her with him as he strode away from the scene, and she could only watch herself getting pulled away while Clarissa stood still behind them, obviously just as shocked as Rayna was.