1

Claire Dalton bit back a moan of disgust as the three men who’d spent the last two hours harassing her off and on in The Honey Trap, the bar where she mostly worked in the kitchen but occasionally couldn’t get out of cleaning or serving table when they were busy, appeared behind the business. She was throwing out the trash and heading home for the night and steeled herself for another moment of torment.

She didn’t feel truly afraid. They just seemed cruelly fascinated with the scars down one side of her face and neck.

“Hey, cutie,” said the biggest one with a snicker. He must’ve thought he was clever and witty.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them. “I’m off shift, so leave me alone.”

“You don’t have to be so touchy,” said the second one. He looked similar to the first, though a slightly smaller copy. She suspected the dark-haired men were related in some way.

“I do, because you’ve done nothing but harass me for the last two hours when I was forced to wait on your table. I just want to go home and be left alone.”

“I think you have some potential,” said the first one again. “What do you think, George?”

The third one, who hadn’t said anything before then, looked at her. “Ehh, she might be worth a pity fuck. She’s got a nice body. I guess it depends on how far down the scars go.”

Claire stiffened as a hint of fear started to permeate her. She was used to bullies and callously thoughtless people, but this was a different turn, one she hadn’t encountered before. “I have no need for any kind of pity from anyone.” She tried to keep her tone strong and angry. “Now get out of my way.”

Unfortunately, they were blocking the exit around the building. Her only other option was to turn and walk down the alleyway, and though it was only a short distance until it merged with a side street, she wasn’t about to do that with them harassing her. “I’ll scream if I have to.”

“We just want to make you feel good,” said the middle one. He sounded sincere, but there was a leer in his gaze and a strong hint of morbid curiosity. It was obvious he was interested in her, but not because he wanted to get to know her personally. Perhaps he just wanted to cross screwing the scarred chick off his bucket list.

“I just want you to leave me alone.”

The biggest one took a step forward. “Don’t be like that. Come have a drink with us. We’ll go back to my place.”

“I’d rather be dead,” said Claire more emphatically than she’d intended. She didn’t actually mean it, but the idea of voluntarily going anywhere with the three of them to meet whatever definition they considered partying left her ill.

The middle one scowled at her. “What right do you have to be like that? We’re extending kindness your way, and you’re treating us like crap for it? Maybe someone should teach you a lesson.”

“Or maybe someone should teach you a lesson,” said a cold voice behind the three men. They stiffened slightly and turned. As they did so, she caught a glimpse of Bodie Walsh. She’d seen him come into the bar earlier that evening, but she hadn’t had to wait on him, and she preferred it that way. To her knowledge, he had no idea who she was or that they had met a few times in the past, and she would like to keep it that way.

She was still relieved to see him, especially when the posture of the one who didn’t look like the other two changed. George was his name, she reminded herself. He immediately became more submissive, making her wonder if he was a wolf-shifter. If not, he must have good instincts and was picking up the shifter pheromones Bodie exuded. Or maybe he was just a coward in general.

“Mind your own business,” said the big one.

“Maybe we should get out here, Ted,” said the one who looked like his brother. He sounded a little anxious.

Ted shot his companion a glance full of surprise. “Can’t you count? It’s one against three.”

The other one still shuddered. “He seems like trouble. We don’t really want trouble just for something like her, do we?”

“No, you don’t want my kind of trouble,” said Bodie in a frigid tone.

Claire wasn’t certain if the others noticed it, being human and unaccustomed to the ways of shifters, but she saw the way his eyes darkened and flashed with a hint of anger for an instant. It was enough to send a chill down her spine even though he was defending her.

“I figured tonight would either be the kind of night where I’d fuck or fight, and maybe it’ll be both,” said Ted as he cracked his knuckles and shrugged his shoulders in a menacing fashion.

Claire caught her lower lip between her teeth, feeling a surge of anxiety. Bodie was a shifter, but was he strong enough to go up against all three of them? She was on the verge of indecision, her mouth poised to scream for help. She had no doubt Saul would immediately come running, but it would bring others too, and she had no desire to have people witnessing the drama unfolding.

“Have it your way.” Bodie moved with grace and faster than a human should. George seemed to realize there was something off about it, and the middle brother trembled as well, but the oldest one was either too drunk or stupid to be aware of the shift in Bodie. Before he even had a chance to react, Bodie was standing in front of him. He picked up the big man by his throat, holding him a few inches off the ground even though Ted was bigger and looked stronger than he was. He started tightening his hand. “Is that enough fight for you, or should I keep going?”

Ted said something, but it was impossible to make out because of the way his throat was being constricted.

“Please let him go,” said the one who seemed like his brother. “We’ll just go. We won’t cause any more trouble.”

“First, you need to apologize to the lady.” Bodie continued to hold Ted seemingly without effort as he glared at the other two.

George immediately turned and looked at her, though he didn’t quite meet her gaze. “I’m sorry. We were just having fun.”

“It was a true blast for me as well,” she said in a tight, angry tone. “I love how my scars can bring you amusement.”

Rather than just fear, there appeared genuine shame in his expression as he looked down at his feet. “I really am sorry. I was drinking and let stupidity get the best of me.”

She nodded at him, not really accepting his apology, but not wishing to prolong the situation either. After a glance at Bodie, who nodded his head sharply, George took off.

The middle one was still standing, but he looked indecisive. He was clearly aware his brother’s face was turning redder by the moment, and he issued a hasty, “I’m sorry,” to her, though he didn’t really look at her.

Again, she just wanted it to be over now, so she shrugged.

He seemed unwilling to leave without his brother, so after a moment, Bodie lowered Ted to his feet and took a step back, but he looked ready to spring into action again if need be. “I believe you owe her an apology.” His tone brooked no argument.

“Sorry,” said Ted thickly, probably through a swollen trachea. With the help of his brother, the two of them quickly rushed from the back of the bar.

“Thank you,” said Claire with sincerity after a pause, when it seemed like they wouldn’t be returning. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle them all without calling Saul.” He was an older man, quite large, and intimidating to boot. He kept a rifle over the bar and another in the back room for such situations, and he had a stash of silver bullets if the need arose. She knew he would’ve come to her rescue, but it would’ve cost her the expense of any remaining privacy.

“I’m glad I could help.”

He hadn’t even had to shift to his wolf form to truly intimidate the men. She was impressed, but she tried not to reveal that. She didn’t want to come across as gauche or resurrecting the old crush she’d had on him once almost seven years ago. If he remembered her or Gracie, it was far more likely to be Gracie, who had been the beauty of the family, and that was even before Claire ended up scarred from the car accident.

“Let me give you a ride home to make sure you’re safe.” It was somewhere between a question and a command.

That’s okay.” With a deep breath, she stepped closer to the light, steeling herself for the moment he saw the full details of her scars from the lamppost nearby. It was usually enough to make anyone flinch.

She couldn’t help examining him closely as she waited for his response. His expression spasmed into one of shock for a second, but he regained control more quickly than most people. There seemed to be a hint of pity in his expression, which she hated. She hated when people felt sorry for her for the scars she bore. She certainly hated her scars, but perhaps she was the lucky one, because Gracie had died, so her sister was the one who truly deserved pity. Plus, it made her feel like less of a person when someone felt sorry for her for perceived inadequacies or shortcomings.

“What’s your name?”

She hesitated for a moment before giving it, not wanting to remind him of the previous connection between them. Not that it had been very much. Her sister had dated his older brother, and they’d interacted a few times before Claire became scarred. She decided her first name was common enough that it was unlikely to prompt any memory of her in his mind. “Claire.”

“I’m Bodie Walsh. Let me take you home,” he said again.

Her eyes widened at the idea, and she quickly shook her head. She could imagine her parents’ reaction to Bodie dropping her off if they saw it. She was an adult, but she needed to live with them for as long as she could to save money, wanting to fund the stem cell transplant that might be her only chance of regenerating enough tissue on her face to hide much of the damage from the fire when she’d been trapped in the car. She didn’t need the arguments or drama with her parents, so she shook her head again. “That’s not necessary.”

“I think it is. Those three could be lurking out there somewhere. Maybe they’d want to go after me, since I humiliated the big one, or maybe they’d still go after you. You’d be foolish to just walk off into the unknown like that. Now let me drive you home.” He spoke with quiet authority that was enough to send a shiver down her spine. He hadn’t been born expecting to be Alpha of the Northstar pack, but in that moment, she had no trouble believing he would be able to accept the responsibility even if he hadn’t been prepared until after Owen’s death.

“I don’t have a home.” She blurted out the explanation before she could think better of it, and then she nearly groaned. What kind of excuse was that to avoid having him drive her home? It sounded false to her ears, but he seemed to believe it, because his pity visibly deepened. It was grating on her nerves.

“I’m sorry to hear that. In that case, you should stay with me tonight.”

She took a step back. “I didn’t trade one unpleasant situation for another.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help remembering how it had felt to be in Bodie’s arms even briefly, which still sent a shiver down her spine, and this one was not from fear. “I’m fine, really.”

“I’m not leaving you here without knowing you’re safe. So, you can either stay with me, or you can stand here in the parking lot all night while I watch you.” He seemed to assume she was going to accept his offer, which felt like a command.

Claire was still desperate to hide the secret of who she was and their connection, not eager to remind him she’d once been the gauche younger sister who had a crush on him that she’d been unable to hide. She also didn’t want to explain to him why she didn’t want him anywhere near her parents, who had become more and more extreme in their views against shifters in the years following Gracie’s death. Besides, she wasn’t certain how shifters felt about her either. Maybe they blamed Gracie and her for having been along with Owen when he had hit the jackknifing semi-trailer that night six years ago.

It didn’t make sense that they would blame her even indirectly, but it also didn’t make sense that her parents blamed shifters, yet they did. Grief had twisted them into having strange views, and she really didn’t want to face a group of shifters who might have the same awful views of her. On the other hand, going home with him seemed like a bad idea as well, but at least it would remove the need for conflict now.

With a grudging, “Thanks, I guess,” She followed him from the back of the bar a moment later. He directed her toward a large truck in gleaming black. She shouldn’t be surprised that the heir to the Northstar Alpha position drove such a vehicle, but it still made her queasy to get in. It wasn’t the automobile itself, but a lingering reaction she always had when having to ride in a car. Whenever possible, she preferred to walk or ride her bike. Even riding on the back of a motorcycle wasn’t quite as bad as being confined into a car after the horrific accident.

She hovered for a moment as he unlocked the door, and she slid in slowly. She took several deep breaths, trying to quell the urge to throw up and hide her distress from him at the same time. She hovered against the door, almost hugging it, as he got in to join her. He gave her a curious look for a moment and said, “Use your seatbelt.”

She nodded, hands fumbling. If she hadn’t been so overwhelmed with anxiety, it would’ve been the first thing for which she reached. Gracie had been foolish enough to remove her seatbelt so she could press closer to Owen during the drive, and she flew right through the windshield with the collision. Claire had woken up just in time to see that, followed seconds later by the sensation of the front of the car crushing into the back of the car, pinning her in place.

She blinked, struggling to forget that moment. It was never far from her mind, but she didn’t want to risk having an anxiety attack, and she certainly didn’t want to have to explain to him why she was so tense and worried about riding in his vehicle. It had to be the man himself who was triggering all the memories and emotions of that night, since he resembled Owen.

Thinking of her sister’s boyfriend made her wince again when she recalled the sharp cracking sound of his spine and the awkward angle of his neck as the car had crushed him against the tangled metal of the truck he’d been unable to avoid hitting.

“Are you all right?” He seemed truly concerned.

She blinked, shaking her head slightly, and looked at him. She was struggling to appear as normal as possible. “Yes. I guess I was just overwhelmed for a moment.” Let him think she was talking about the three jerks who’d harassed her and might’ve had other intentions. That was terrifying, but it couldn’t compete with the memory of the night she’d lost her older sister and been scarred for life.