2

The little human woman seemed to prefer silence, so he left her to it. From the corner of his gaze, he appraised her. She was curvy in the right places, and she had a long fall of dark hair that obscured the scarred side of her face, which would be facing him otherwise. He winced again, recalling the first sight of it. It must’ve hurt her greatly, whatever injury had inflicted it. It made him feel protective, and he had the urge to demand to know how it happened so he could rectify it. It was an irrational response, as was his strong reaction to her, but he couldn’t deny she stirred something in him.

That had to be why he’d made the insane offer to a complete stranger to allow her to stay in his home for the night. That, and there was an air of vulnerability about her. She was so lost and seemed broken, and it had to go far deeper than the scars that marred her skin. There was a fragility about her spirit that made him want to help her, to support her as she put herself back together and reached her full potential again.

He couldn’t explain the inexplicable connection. For a moment, he thought it might be old vestiges of the mating flare his lycan ancestors had revered and mentioned in their literature. Either it had always been something in their imaginations, or else the instinct had faded as shifters interbred with humans and became more civilized and less in touch with their wild side, but it was generally disregarded as a myth these days. He regarded it that way as well, though he couldn’t deny he was strongly drawn to her.

She posed no risk to him anyway. Unless she had a stash of silver bullets on her person, or perhaps a silver knife, there wasn’t much she could do to him. She probably didn’t even know he was a shifter. Living in Caliper, the human town that was so close to Northstar, she might have some indication that shifters existed. It was impossible to keep it completely hidden when the two towns were so entwined, but he wouldn’t confirm it for her. Being a human, she had no extra senses to help her detect shifter pheromones, so there was no reason to think she’d identified him as a shifter.

He could hear his wolf rumbling inside his mind when he pulled into the garage a short time later and closed it behind him. His wolf was satisfied she was there, so he was satisfied as well.

She seemed nervous, as though afraid he was going to expect something from her. He wanted to make it clear this was a no-strings-attached situation, so he said, “I’ll show you to a guestroom in a minute, but I think maybe I should look you over.” The way her eyes widened with alarm made him realize he hadn’t done anything to assuage her fears. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I just want to make sure you weren’t hurt by any of the three of them.

She looked vaguely relieved, and her hands fumbled with the door as she got out. “I’m fine.”

He followed a moment later. She was trying to keep distance between them as he unlocked the door that would take them through the laundry room. He said, “Are you sure?”

She nodded tightly. “They didn’t touch me.”

“Okay.” Without speaking another word for the moment, since she seemed to prefer that, he led her down the hallway to the guestroom on the first floor. He pushed open the door and stepped back so she could step inside. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

As she turned to him, she pushed back the hair on her face behind her ear, which seemed to be a conscious decision on her part, as though she wanted to remind him of the scars. She was almost glaring at him in a challenging way. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Instead of replying, he stared at her for a moment. He did it openly, making no attempt to hide what he was doing, and he assessed each of the ragged patches of red and white gnarled skin that marred her face and her neck. “They aren’t pretty,” he said flatly.

She flinched, but then she looked oddly relieved. “No, they aren’t. Most people tiptoe around that.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I can see you’re a pretty woman underneath them though, and your scars are something to admire.”

She let out a rough laugh full of skepticism. “Sure, they are.”

He nodded. “I mean it. It shows you survived something devastating, so it’s a testament to your strength. Whatever scars it left on the exterior, I suspect you’re still the same beautiful person you always were inside and out.”

She seemed startled for a moment, almost on the edge of fear, but then her expression softened slightly. Her eyes sparkled, and he couldn’t help noticing the darker flecks of blue in the lighter blue orbs. Staring at her like that, it prickled something in the back of his mind. A memory tried to stir, and for a moment, he was certain he knew her.

As she started to step back, a sudden surge of possessiveness overwhelmed him, and he stepped forward. He took her into his arms, and though he knew he was being a brute, he couldn’t seem to reel in the need to kiss her. She stiffened in his arms, but as soon as his lips were on hers, she leaned against him, her mouth molding to his.

He didn’t have to doubt she was consenting to this, and he kissed her with an unfamiliar, wild passion he’d never known before. It stirred sparks of something else in him, once again prompting him to try to grasp a memory, but it slipped away before he could fully do so, since his concentration was split.

Soon enough, it was centered solely on her, and he deepened the kiss. She seemed a little shy, but she didn’t pull away. Even when he ran his tongue across the side of her mouth, which was furrowed with scar tissue, she only flinched a little, but she didn’t try to stop him.

He was trying to make a point, so he turned his mouth away from hers, gently brushing his lips against the scars on her cheek and down her neck. She shivered, and he doubted it was purely from pleasure or dismay.

Perhaps the skin was more sensitive, and maybe it didn’t feel one hundred percent good, but he didn’t think it felt bad either. She moaned and clung to him, and it wasn’t until his lips dipped farther, under the neckline of her T-shirt, that she stiffened. He was certain it was because he started going under her clothes, and he realized then how wildly he was behaving. He didn’t even know the girl’s last name.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head, trying to throw off whatever stupor had possessed him, he took a step back. “I…” He wasn’t even certain what to say to her.

She cleared her throat and discreetly wiped her mouth. “I should get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

He quickly stepped back from her, covering the distance between himself and the doorway. He hovered there for a moment, hand on the knob, as he said, “Good night.” He sounded abrupt, and she nodded, but she didn’t reply. She seemed a little scattered, and he could understand that. He was still shocked at the turn of events, and hastily closed the door behind him. He’d never kissed a woman like that before, particularly of such short acquaintance. He might have entreated her to lock it to keep him out, but he wasn’t that far out of control.

His wolf growled in the back of his mind, like it was pacing restlessly inside him. The wolf was calling out for him to go back, but the man had to regain control. Bodie focused on that, and soon enough, he was ready to return to the living room and at least attempt to block out how his unexpected houseguest left him reeling. His mind was still spinning from it all, and he couldn’t explain if it was a sudden attraction to her, or if there was more to it.

Almost out of habit, he sat in his recliner and turned on the television. He wasn’t paying much attention to the sports recap show because his thoughts were mired in recalling how it felt to kiss and taste Claire. He moaned softly as he imagined even now, he could be stinking inside her, but it was far too soon to do such a thing.

He certainly wouldn’t push her into something she didn’t want, because he would be no better than those humans who’d tried to attack her earlier. Even if his wolf was clamoring for her with no real explanation as to why he wanted her so badly, Bodie refused to yield his control to that extent. He was a wolf-shifter, but he wasn’t an animal.

He finally managed to pay attention to some of the scores, but his phone chimed before he could really put much effort into it. He pulled it up, looking at the text message from Jalen. His cousin and future Beta was giving him a daily report. Everything was quiet, and there had been nothing that required leadership intercession in the pack that day. He was relieved for that.

He’d much rather have a peaceful existence living in Northstar than playing mediator and Alpha. It was a role he’d never prepared for until Owen’s unexpected death, and it sometimes still fit him like a shoe that was a size too small. He was trying to force himself into it to please everyone and meet their expectations, but a part of him still chafed at the restriction and the idea of being the next Alpha when his father stepped down.

That brought back thoughts of Owen, and he took a moment to text Jalen a thanks for the report before leaning back and closing his eyes. It was easier to picture his brother’s face when he did that, because after six years, it had started to fade no matter how he tried to cling to it. Owen had been his best friend and the man he’d looked up to all his life, and he wondered if Owen would’ve preferred the boring days as Bodie did.

Owen had been full of energy, always ready for the next challenge facing the future Alpha, and always wanting to be busy doing something. He probably would’ve found the homeostatic state of peace which they usually enjoyed dull. He would’ve been chafing at the bit to do something.

It was impossible to think of his brother without thinking about Owen’s death. His mind jumped to the moment when he’d gotten the call from his parents telling him to come to the hospital, though the grief in his father’s voice indicated there was no reason to rush. He hadn’t been all that surprised when he arrived to find Owen had died almost instantly, and so had one of the human girls riding along.

That sparked a memory of the human who’d spent so much time with Owen, along with her little sister.

What was her name? Gracie. Yeah, that was it. Owen had never completely admitted it, but Bodie had suspected his brother had a relationship going with the older girl. It would’ve been frowned on for him to have even a fling with a human, and if he allowed himself to have strong emotions for her, it would have caused a huge uproar and might’ve led to full dissension among the pack members.

Thinking of Gracie inevitably led to thinking of her younger sister. He’d met her a few times, and he wondered now why she was in his mind so prominently. He laughed as he recalled a moment when she’d been with them at the lake, and she leaned across ostensibly to get a soda from the cooler, but she managed to trip and land in his arms.

He'd held her there for a moment to steady her before quickly pushing her away. In that brief millisecond with his wolf straining in his mind, he’d had a strong temptation to kiss her, and she seemed to feel the way same way. Her lips had puckered, and that spurred him to quickly move her off his lap. He’d suspected her fall had been orchestrated to get his attention, and it certainly had for the moment, but he’d quickly shaken it off and jumped into the water.

At that time, she’d seemed too young at barely eighteen, and she had been human. He had gone through a phase where he was only dating women inside his species but now couldn’t help wondering what it would’ve been like if he’d kissed her. It was a strange thought, especially since it had happened almost seven years ago, and he couldn’t explain why Gracie and her little sister were suddenly in his memories after all this time.

He was starting to get tired, and he knew he should get up and go to bed, but it seemed like more effort than it was worth. He shifted slightly in his recliner, finding a more comfortable spot, and allowed his mind to drift. He fully intended to fall asleep there, at least for the moment, so he could keep watch over his little guest.

Thinking of her again might’ve been what bridged the final connection in his shaky memories, and Gracie’s sister’s name came to him. Claire.

His eyes snapped open with all vestiges of sleep disappearing as he tried to remember Claire’s features. Unfortunately, after six years, almost seven, it was far too sketchy considering how little time he’d known her, and how little they’d interacted. He could sometimes barely even recall Owen’s features, so it was impossible to remember a human girl from all that time ago, but he was convinced her name had been Claire.

Was she the same Claire in his guestroom? He couldn’t be sure with the scars. He vaguely remembered the Claire from years ago had her hair dyed a fake blonde color, but he couldn’t recall the roots or much of anything else. She’d worn sunglasses that day when she’d fallen into his lap, so he hadn’t noticed her eyes. It was bugging him, and for a moment, he considered waking her up.

He shook his head and dismissed the idea. She’d either think he was crazy or after sex if he went to her room right now. He’d frighten her for no reason, and it was something that could wait until the following morning.

With a sigh, he stood up and stretched, deciding to go to his room. He didn’t really need to stay there to keep watch on her, because he doubted the humans had any indication where he might have brought her. It wasn’t like they could track her scent or his. Even a shifter would have a difficult time tracking her from The Honey Trap all the way back to Northstar.

Trying to put it all out of his mind, he went upstairs to bed. He was lucky it didn’t take him long to fall asleep, though his mind was still picking at the mystery of if the younger Claire was the same Claire who was now in his guestroom.

He fell asleep trying to remember exactly how it had felt to hold her in his arms, somewhat convinced he’d felt that same strong yearning even back then, but he been too stubborn and shifter-centric at the time to even entertain the idea of having a relationship with a human who had to be at least five years younger than him.

He never did reach a clear consensus before he fell asleep, and when he woke the next morning, hoping to clarify the situation with the current Claire, he was disappointed, but not really surprised, to discover she’d left sometime in the middle of the night or early morning.