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Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 27
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 28
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 29
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 30
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 31
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 32
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 33
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
Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate 34
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
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