Page 113 of Big Bad Wolf

Her words stopped Ruby in her tracks. Is that really how she felt? After everything Ruby had done for her to keep her safe? “I never meant to. Lena, I wanted to … to … protect you from all of this. I didn’t think you’d believe me anyway. You didn’t at first, remember?”

“It’s not just all this … werewolf stuff!” Lena sputtered. “It’s everything! Why don’t you go lie down, Lena. Why don’t you go rest, Lena. Why don’t you shut yourself up in your room forever, Lena!”

“I never said that!”

“You may as well have!”

They were both standing now, hands braced on the table in front of them. Lena’s chest rose and fell with every breath, hurt and anger radiating off of her. Had Ruby really been treating her like that? Like she was broken?

“I was trying to take care of you,” Ruby said. “I’m scared.”

Lena’s eyes fluttered closed at the confession. “Me too,” she said.

“I am doing the best I can.” Even if it wasn’t enough, Ruby had always tried to do her best for her sister.

“So am I,” Lena said with a sigh, lowering back into her chair. “Tell me the rest. Wyatt came back today?” And it wasn’t forgiveness or an apology, or a resolution even, but it was what they needed to focus on at the moment.

Ruby nodded, still feeling Wyatt’s grip on her arm, how he tried to get her to go with him. She sure as hell wasn’t going to go willingly. “He said he wanted my help. Or yours more likely. He thinks you have talents that could help his Alpha.”

“And he thought you would simply agree to go? Didn’t he know about Rafe?”

“He brought backup. I guess he was tired of waiting. Or his Alpha was.”

“Three against one,” Lena whispered.

“Yeah.” Ruby’s heart clenched.

“He’ll be okay.”

Ruby gave her a small smile. Despite their fight, it was nice, at least, to feel like they were in this together. She leaned back in her chair and pain shot through her shoulder. She winced, a soft hiss escaping her lips.

“You’re not going to turn into a werewolf, are you?” Lena asked, only half joking.

“Uh … probably not?” Ruby held her shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately not to think about the werewolf currently out there fighting for her. He should have listened to her. He should have stayed. He should be the one tending to her injuries. She blew out a frustrated breath.

“He’ll come back, Ruby.”

Ruby nodded. She met her sister’s gaze, feeling like there was more to say. About their parents, about Lena’s visions, about being literally tracked and hunted by werewolves, about how Ruby had been treating her. But Ruby didn’t know what to say or do about any of that.

Lena untangled her fingers from Ruby’s and got up to pour more tea.

“What do we do now?” Ruby asked, her hands curling around her mug, her mind racing.

“We wait for Rafe to come home, I guess.”

“Okay, but I’m terrible at waiting.”

“Lucky for you, it’s all I’ve been doing lately. I’ll help you pass the time.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

Ruby had managed to lose to Lena at chess five times before the frantic knock on the door disrupted their game. She was out of her seat so fast that she jostled the table, spilling the tea and knocking over the pieces, but still Rafe pounded on the door, the windows rattling in their panes.

She raced to open it, worried he would rip it from the hinges if she didn’t get there quickly enough. She yanked it open and found him standing on her back deck. Alive and covered in blood.

“Ruby.” Her name was torn from the depths of him, rough and ragged. His gaze went immediately to her shoulder. He lifted a hand to touch her but then dropped it to his side. “You’re hurt.”

“Not really. It’s nothing. What about you?” She couldn’t stop the horror she was sure covered her face. Couldn’t arrange her features into anything normal. Rafe looked like death himself standing amongst her wildflowers. Blood was splattered across his cheeks. His chest was covered in it. His arms. Jesus, how much of it was his? Was he about to bleed out on her doorstep? Should she call 911? Her head spun, her breath coming in short gasps.