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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Northstar Heir's Scarred Mate: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

35 Kabanata

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

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

3

3Claire was too keyed up from the kiss to even think about falling asleep or using the guestroom. Instead, she occupied herself with her phone until she figured enough time had passed that Bodie would be asleep in his own room. She didn’t want to be rude, but there was no reason for her to spend the night here.Before leaving, she used the Uber app to order a ride. Even in their backwater, there were a few drivers available, and she was relieved for it though she didn’t really want to get into a car again. It wasn’t like she could walk twenty miles on foot, and since she couldn’t shift into a wolf to run them either, she was stuck with that option.She waited until the app alerted her that the driver was almost there before tiptoeing out of his house. She thought about leaving a thank-you note or something, but she decided it was better to cut and run. The less time he had to think about her, the better. She still cringed at the idea of him recognizing her as Gracie’s little sister o

4

4She was in the back the next afternoon, grilling one of the first food orders of the day, since the bar/grill had only opened an hour or so ago, when the bell on the door tinkled. She looked up through the window that offered her a view of the front of house from the kitchen, groaning softly when she saw Bodie standing there. He eyed the room, perhaps looking for her, though maybe just deciding which seat to take.He had his pick of them, and he chose a round booth in the corner that allowed him a view of the whole bar, both the front door and the kitchen. She was certain he was there to check on her, and she wished she’d left a note to thank him and somehow make it clear she didn’t require any more assistance from him.She was startled as she placed the bratwurst on the plate less than a minute later, about to add the cabbage salad to the side, when Saul stuck his head through the swinging kitchen door and said, “Yo, get your butt out to the front, Dalton.”“Why?” He could hardly n

5

5“I could be wrong, but I think she might have a thing for you, Bodie,” said Jalen with a little smirk. “Didn’t she used to have a crush on you that she tried so hard to hide?”“Huh?” asked Liam.Bodie quickly reminded him of the past connection to Claire before answering Jalen. “She was just a kid.” He was feeling his hackles rise, but he didn’t want to argue with his cousins.“Her scars, man.” Liam winced and shook his head.Before Bodie could stop himself, he was halfway out of his seat. “If you say anything like that to her—”Liam leaned back, putting up his hands. If he’d been shifted, he probably would’ve taken on a submissive pose, but that was good enough. “Relax, Bodie. I was just commenting on how awful they are. She’s still beautiful.”“Stay the hell away from her,” said Bodie with a thick growl he couldn’t stop. For a moment, he was perilously close to letting out his wolf.Liam and Jalen exchanged glances, and they both sat quietly until Bodie had regained control and sa

6

6The back door opened then, making a slight screeching sound as Claire emerged. She wore a light jacket and carried a backpack, and in her other hand, she had a bag of trash. Bodie hurried over and lifted the lid on the dumpster for her, and she smiled, but she seemed a little bewildered. “So why are you here?”“We’re here to babysit you,” said Liam with a grin. Apparently, he realized Bodie’s wolf didn’t like that, because he quickly added, “Bodie was concerned about you, and we were just keeping him company.”Claire stiffened slightly, and Bodie couldn’t help noticing the way she had shifted her hair to cover most of her face. She looked at him, and only one of her eyes was fully exposed, but he could see a mixture of yearning and annoyance there. “I don’t need you to take care of me, Bodie. I’m not someone’s charity project.”He stiffened at the accusation. “It’s not like that. I want to make sure those scumbags don’t come back.”Claire shrugged a shoulder. “If they do, what’s the

7

7Claire couldn’t help but be nervous as she rode beside him in his truck. Her nerve endings were strung taut, and she was certain that if he said anything, she would jump in surprise and let out a startled squeal. So far, he seemed content to let her maintain silence, and she was trying to avoid saying anything that would make her seem gauche, moronic, or eager to be with him. He didn’t need to know that part was particularly true.She had little reason to be nervous, except if her parents saw him dropping her off at the house. It wasn’t like Bodie was suddenly going to jump on her. A strong surge of regret went through her as she had that realization, and then she acknowledged she’d been hoping for some indication that he cared about her as more than someone he pitied and was worried about after her near attack last night.In her mind, she couldn’t help imagining how it would be if he pulled over to the side of the road and suddenly jumped on her, pulling her into his arms. No doubt

8

8Bodie woke anticipating his date with Claire that night. He couldn’t help feeling like a teenager about to embark on his first date with a girl, though it had been quite a few years since he had experienced that sensation. He couldn’t even recall the name or really the face of the first girl he’d dated, but it’d only been the one date, so that was hardly surprising.It seemed like it would be forever before the day would end so he could pick up Claire at the appointed hour. By midmorning, he was scowling at the clock, annoyed by how slowly it seemed to be ticking past. His phone rang, diverting his attention from the offending timepiece, and he answered with the speakerphone on, so he didn’t have to pick it up. Ostensibly, he was working on pack business, but in truth, he was far too distracted to give it much consideration. “Hello?”“Bodie, can you stop by?”He nodded before answering his dad. “Sure. What time would you like me?”“The sooner the better,” said Duke with a hint of gr

9

9He entered the sheriff’s station, and it was a calm and quiet environment, similar to usual. It appeared that their front desk person wasn’t working that day, but that was hardly surprising. Claudia was usually part-time at best, since it was a quiet town that rarely required any major intercession. Sheriff Dillon Starr and Deputy Juno Lane, along with a third deputy, though that position was currently unfilled, managed to handle everything that arose in their town—everything except this unsettling matter, which was new to all of them.Juno looked up from her desk, which was positioned where she could greet people in case Claudia wasn’t available. She nodded to him and said, “The sheriff said you might stop by after he spoke with your father.”“It seemed like the thing to do. Were you the one who found the fliers, Juno?”The tall brunette stretched as she pushed back from her desk and came over to stand near him. “It wasn’t me. Gus was coming in to do cleaning at City Hall, and he’s

10

10It told him to get off on the third floor, and he stepped out several seconds later, following his senses until he saw Gus mopping the floor of Courtroom B. He opened the door, having glimpsed him through the window in the door, and said, “Gus, do you have a minute?” To his surprise, the old shifter didn’t answer. He supposed he could be getting hard of hearing, but his senses should at least alert him that he wasn’t alone in the room.He stepped inside, waving the door a little to allow his pheromones to better disperse. A second later, Gus stiffened and turned to him, and he was smiling. He was also wearing wireless headphones, which explained why he hadn’t heard Bodie’s greeting even with his refined wolf senses. They must be getting dull with age, but the man was still competent and moving around.He came closer to Bodie, still moving the mop as he walked. “What can I do for you, young fella?”Bodie was amused at that, considering himself far from a young fella as he neared thi

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