22As soon as Bodie disappeared down the hallway with his dad, her stomach clenched with nerves. She was left to entertain Val, though it wasn’t her house, and it certainly wasn’t her place to entertain Bodie’s mother like she was a mother-in-law or something. She fiddled with her fork, though she was done eating, and realized the plates were still on the table.She sprang up and started moving them to the kitchen sink, eager to have something to do. She managed to delay conversation for a few minutes by scraping off the plates and loading the dishwasher, but then it was inevitable to return, since she had no other choice. She sat down again and realized Val had been quietly observing her the whole time. She looked at the woman’s cup and noticed it was empty. “Would you like more coffee?”“No, thank you. We have a long drive ahead of us, and Duke gets impatient if I ask to stop along the way for any reason.” She gave a small laugh, obviously unbothered by his impatience.“I see.” She
23Claire was sleeping in when Bodie left early Monday morning, since she had to work that evening. Dillon had asked him to come in, and he decided to take half the cake they’d baked into the station to keep himself and Claire from eating all of it. Considering neither one of them knew much about baking, it had turned out reasonably well, and he placed it down on Juno’s desk as he entered the station a short time later.She looked at it with interest. “What’s that?”“It’s a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Claire and I made it this weekend.”Juno arched a brow. “I didn’t know you could bake. I guess she does?”Bodie laughed. “Truthfully, neither one of us are very good, but we muddled through. It’s just a matter of following instructions.” He removed the cover, revealing the frosting was a little uneven, and the cake was sloped. “Don’t let the appearance fool you.”After a brief hesitation, she reached out and plucked off a piece, taking a bite. “That’s surprisingly good.”
24It hovered on the tip of his tongue to tell her what he was thinking, but he realized it was too quick. She’d probably freak out and maybe even run away. She was sure to be frightened by his sudden conviction that she was the one for him. It was better to let her ease into the idea and get more acclimated to dating him before he started talking about forever.Their food arrived, piled high, and Claire ate with gusto initially. Suddenly, she stopped eating and dropped her fork. Then she looked down. He thought for a minute she was just getting more room to continue eating, but when she didn’t resume, he asked, “What’s wrong?”She shook her head. “I guess I’m not very hungry.”Considering she’d been practically inhaling the food a moment before, he was suspicious to say the least. He turned in his seat, his gaze locking with Wanda Starr. Dillon’s sister was glaring openly with an air of intimidation, though she started to quell when she met Bodie’s gaze instead of Claire’s. He glared
25 Claire’s stomach was twisting in knots as she entered the kitchen. She smothered a groan at Saul standing there. He sent her a curious look. “What are you doing here, kid? You aren’t scheduled for two hours yet.” She’d hoped to be able to go right through without seeing anyone, so she feigned a glance at the clock. “Gosh, I guess I must’ve misread the time. I’ll be back when my shift starts then.” She rushed through the kitchen, breezing past him without giving him a chance to ask her anything else. She waited at the front of house for a few minutes, giving Bodie’s truck time to put distance between himself and the restaurant. He should be halfway back to Northstar by now, and that would give her enough time without him being aware of what was happening. Everything settled heavily in her stomach like a lead balloon as she broke into a jog to get to her parents’ house faster than usual. She was used to doing a lot of walking, since she couldn’t bring herself to drive anywhere, bu
26Her mother served herself and Thomas a few minutes later, apparently having accepted Claire’s statement that she wasn’t hungry. Claire was glad, because the last thing she could have done was manage to eat now, even if she hadn’t been concerned about what her mother might’ve put in the food. She fiddled with her glass of juice, but she didn’t lift it to her mouth.“How is your new place?” asked her father. He sounded almost normal.She shrugged a shoulder. “I haven’t found one yet. I’m staying with a friend for now.” She bit down on her lip, wondering if she should’ve admitted that. Surely, they’d make an intuitive leap and realize she was staying with Bodie.Martina stiffened slightly. “You’re not staying in Northstar, are you? You did promise to stay away from there.”“Someone I know from work.” That wasn’t technically a lie, since she and Bodie had reconnected at The Honey Trap.“This omelet is outstanding, Martina.” Thomas took a big bite, and his appetite seemed as normal as e
27The forum was practically dead, though Bodie continued to try to make connections or get people to say something. It appeared that the most active ones, the forum founders, weren’t online. Without them there, everyone else checked in and left quickly. He dared hope that without those three, the whole movement might fall apart if they could find out who was behind it.That wasn’t entirely true though, because there were locations sprouting up all over the world, according to the forum. Each country had its own subforum, and there was enough activity in each one that suggested the Human Purity Movement was gaining momentum, even though it was currently bound by secrecy since shifters weren’t yet known to the whole world.His blood ran cold when he read a post about how they might force shifters into the public eye, making humans acknowledge them. It was a terrible idea, and he knew humans weren’t ready for it. It would lead to war and suffering for both sides, but likely his own peop
28Claire’s window was painted shut. That wasn’t something new and nefarious that her parents had done since she’d last used the room. It had happened accidentally five years ago, when her father had repainted the room for her when she was deep in depression. It had been Martina’s idea to brighten the room and change her perspective.It hadn’t completely helped pull her out of depression, but she’d appreciated the gesture, and the warm yellow color had been cheerful then. It was still cheerful now, and it brought a surge of nostalgia for the parents she’d had. That was followed by a crushing wave of grief, since they clearly weren’t the same people, and she didn’t know if they could be reclaimed.She let out a sniffle as she sat on the bed, feeling sorry for herself. For a moment, she wanted to wallow in despair. It was eerily parallel to how she’d felt for the first few weeks after being released from the hospital, when she’d had no reason to go on and had been completely without hop
29Dillon answered on the second ring, and Bodie quickly filled him in on what had happened, along with the suspicion there was a bomb somewhere in Northstar. Dillon sounded as alarmed as Bodie felt, and he promised he and Juno would immediately begin searching. “Be sure to check in frequently,” said Dillon before hanging up.The misery was practically pouring off Claire in waves, and he could feel it as if it were his own. If he allowed it to overcome him, he would probably burst into tears alongside her as she continued to silently cry. He did his best to erect a block between them just so he could stop receiving the full brunt of her emotions at the moment. He did reach across the bench seat and take her hand though, squeezing gently. He wanted to tell her it would it be okay, but he didn’t want to make a promise he couldn’t keep.As he drove toward Northstar, he tried to think about where they might have planted a bomb. It couldn’t be anywhere too visible for the components, or ev
35His mouth moved lower, changing from nuzzling her neck to nipping downward until he reached one of her breasts. He drew it to him and sucked on the plump, unscarred nipple, making her moan and writhe. His other hand lifted to cup her left breast, tugging very lightly at the overly sensitive nipple and in opposition to the rhythm his mouth set. It was maddening but exciting, and she shifted restlessly under him as he worshiped her breasts. When his mouth went lower, she held her breath, feeling just a hint of anxiety at allowing him in such an intimate place when he was more shifter than human tonight, but she quelled any tension at the thought when he started licking her.He wasn’t at all gentle. He was rough and frantic, swiping her with his tongue so quickly it almost seemed like he couldn’t get enough and was afraid someone would take away his treat before he finished. She almost laughed at the idea, but she was incapable of sustaining amusement for long, so consumed by emotions
34The moon was full and bright overhead, which was required for a mating ceremony. They’d had a much smaller wedding at the Caliper Courthouse earlier in the day. A few of their friends had joined them, though they were mostly Bodie’s friends. No one in his inner circle had repudiated Claire, except for perhaps his parents, who were still stiff with her. They’d remained true to their word though, and they hadn’t said anything against the match when it was announced to their people and word filtered through the pack in the weeks following the bombing.She shivered as she recalled the first moment when she’d realized everyone knew. She’d been working at Saul’s place when a couple of citizens she recognized from Northstar, though she didn’t know their names, had sat down. Saul had been shorthanded that day, and he’d asked her to step in to do some serving, so she’d been taking care of tables. The couple had been cold to her from the start, and when the female half deliberately spilled h
33She seemed shocked for an instant, but she didn’t try to persuade him he was being ridiculous or over-the-top with his emotions. Instead, she put her hand to his cheek and caressed lightly. “I was sure I’d never see you again either, so I did my best to tell you how I felt about you in the last few seconds.”“I didn’t sense that, but I knew you were reaching out to me. I started running to you even before the building had finished collapsing.” He tightened his grip on her hands, bringing them against his chest. “There’s nothing in the world more important to me than you. I’ll happily walk away from being Alpha and even leave the Northstar pack entirely if need be. I’d rather be alone or a rogue wolf with you by my side than give you up just to appease other people.”A tear sparkled on her lashes for just a moment, but she blinked, and it slid down her cheek. That appeared to be the last tear, because then she smiled. A moment later, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly. He was
32When Bodie stepped outside, the nurse he recognized from before from speaking with Mr. Yates was waiting in the hallway. She gave him an understanding smile. “You’ve been quite busy today visiting us.”“Not voluntarily,” he said with a hint of sourness. “Where is Mr. Yates?”She chuckled. “He’s a stubborn old coot, and when he heard about the bombing and the likelihood we might have several casualties, he insisted on checking himself out and going home.”Bodie frowned. “Are there that many casualties?”“So far, only two, but there are quite a number of injuries, and Dr. Lin thought Mr. Yates was probably safe enough to go home. We were only keeping him as a precaution and a way to force him to rest.”“I’m glad he’s okay.”“Yes.” She nodded to the waiting room. “Your parents are here.”He smothered a groan as he thanked her and headed that direction, though he didn’t want to be too far from Claire. He’d planned to linger outside her room and listen in case she called for him, but th
31She found herself cradled in Bodie’s arms a moment later, and he held her gently, though he hugged her with fervor. She clung to him, ignoring the pain in her side and her leg as he lifted her to her feet. “Did you get the school emptied in time?”He didn’t answer. He spent a second kissing her and staring at her as though reassuring himself she was still alive. Finally, he nodded. “I pressed the fire alarm, and the kids are used to fire drills. They left in an orderly fashion, and we were able to get them safely out of the blast zone. Most of them are currently in the baseball diamond with the teachers, and they’re all trying to figure out what’s going on.”“You didn’t tell them?”“I told a couple of people, but then I sensed you were in trouble. I took off running, and I guess I attracted enough attention to build up a slight entourage, because as I started digging frantically through the rubble after discovering where you were, I soon had plenty of help.”She looked over his sho
30Claire raced to the City Hall building, ignoring her mother calling after her. As she ran up the stairs, she glanced back in time to see Martina turn and hurry the other way. Likely, her mother was about to flee the scene with her father. The idea of them getting away with it galled her, but she had more important things to think about now, like saving all the people they could.There was no time for subtlety, so she burst into the lobby and shouted, “There’s a bomb. Everyone has to evacuate.” She ran past the startled young woman at the administration desk, turning to glare at her. “Did you hear me? Alert people and get the heck out.”After a brief hesitation, the girl, with shaking hands, pressed a button, and an alarm sounded.Claire didn’t wait to see what happened next. She just raced up the stairs and started shouting down the second-floor corridor. “There’s a bomb. Everyone, get out.” She continued to say that as she reached the third floor and repeated the warning. People w
29Dillon answered on the second ring, and Bodie quickly filled him in on what had happened, along with the suspicion there was a bomb somewhere in Northstar. Dillon sounded as alarmed as Bodie felt, and he promised he and Juno would immediately begin searching. “Be sure to check in frequently,” said Dillon before hanging up.The misery was practically pouring off Claire in waves, and he could feel it as if it were his own. If he allowed it to overcome him, he would probably burst into tears alongside her as she continued to silently cry. He did his best to erect a block between them just so he could stop receiving the full brunt of her emotions at the moment. He did reach across the bench seat and take her hand though, squeezing gently. He wanted to tell her it would it be okay, but he didn’t want to make a promise he couldn’t keep.As he drove toward Northstar, he tried to think about where they might have planted a bomb. It couldn’t be anywhere too visible for the components, or ev
28Claire’s window was painted shut. That wasn’t something new and nefarious that her parents had done since she’d last used the room. It had happened accidentally five years ago, when her father had repainted the room for her when she was deep in depression. It had been Martina’s idea to brighten the room and change her perspective.It hadn’t completely helped pull her out of depression, but she’d appreciated the gesture, and the warm yellow color had been cheerful then. It was still cheerful now, and it brought a surge of nostalgia for the parents she’d had. That was followed by a crushing wave of grief, since they clearly weren’t the same people, and she didn’t know if they could be reclaimed.She let out a sniffle as she sat on the bed, feeling sorry for herself. For a moment, she wanted to wallow in despair. It was eerily parallel to how she’d felt for the first few weeks after being released from the hospital, when she’d had no reason to go on and had been completely without hop
27The forum was practically dead, though Bodie continued to try to make connections or get people to say something. It appeared that the most active ones, the forum founders, weren’t online. Without them there, everyone else checked in and left quickly. He dared hope that without those three, the whole movement might fall apart if they could find out who was behind it.That wasn’t entirely true though, because there were locations sprouting up all over the world, according to the forum. Each country had its own subforum, and there was enough activity in each one that suggested the Human Purity Movement was gaining momentum, even though it was currently bound by secrecy since shifters weren’t yet known to the whole world.His blood ran cold when he read a post about how they might force shifters into the public eye, making humans acknowledge them. It was a terrible idea, and he knew humans weren’t ready for it. It would lead to war and suffering for both sides, but likely his own peop