Page 115 of Big Bad Wolf

The darkness, the hour, the danger—none of it mattered as long as she got to him. She was still hurt; hurt that he’d left her, hurt that he still didn’t believe in her, didn’t believe that she wanted both sides of him. But nothing compared to the fear and the ache she felt when thinking about living without him.

She had known from the beginning that she would fight to keep him. She knew it like she knew her parents still existed somewhere, like she knew the sun would follow the rain. Ruby had known Rafe before he’d appeared from the shadows, before he’d fought those other wolves, before he’d realized she was his Mate.

He belonged with her, to her. He always had.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince this man, who had been told his whole life he had to be violent and strong and stoic, that he could be soft and open and safe. But she was damn well going to keep trying.

Dry leaves crunched beneath her feet and the wind blew between the trees, beckoning her forward. Ruby’s feet kept moving down the trail. She knew the way like she’d seen it before.

When the little cabin appeared between the trees, the porch light glowing in welcome, she knew without a doubt it was his. It was time to be as brave as everyone seemed to think she was. It was time to lay her heart at the feet of her wolf.

The knock on the door scared the shit out of him. He didn’t get visitors. Had never wanted them. But now, the idea that Ruby could be out there sent his heart racing.

Rafe shuffled to the door. Everything hurt. Not from what those other wolves had done to him. His body ached with the loss of Ruby. It had only been a few hours and he was about to say uncle, to show up at her house and throw himself at her feet. He was a weak son of a bitch, and he was almost done caring. He couldn’t fight it. Living an eternity without Ruby would slowly and painfully kill him.

He yanked open the door and there she was.

He blinked, thinking he’d hallucinated her, but there she stood, hands on her wide hips, the dark of the woods all around her, a red hood framing her face. He gripped the door frame tight to keep from keeling over.

“You are an idiot.” The first words out of her mouth startled a laugh out of him.

“I know.”

She narrowed her dark eyes at him. “Are you hurt?” She glanced over his body, cataloging his new wounds. He’d showered off the blood and his injuries were already healing, but he had a patchwork of scratches and scrapes along his arms and torso, and a pretty big gash in his side. His hair hung damp around his bare shoulders, and he wished he was wearing more than just a pair of gym shorts.

“Not really.” His gaze fell on her arm where he knew she’d been injured. “Your shoulder, how is it?”

“It’s fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare at him. The trees creaked and groaned in the wind around them, and the moths fought for the best spot in front of the porch light.

“You shouldn’t have come here at night. How did you even find this cottage?”

Ruby gaped at him like it was obvious. “I could find you anywhere.”

Rafe’s heart flipped at her words. “Ruby⁠—”

“Don’t you dare.” She cut him off, poking him in the chest with a single finger. “Don’t you fucking dare say a word about me staying away from you or so help me God…”

“Why are you doing this?” His words were ragged, broken. Why was she making this harder? Why drag out his misery? “You’ve seen for yourself; I’m not hurt. Go back home, Ruby.”

“Fuck you, Rafe.” He flinched at her words, but she kept going, closing in on him until his back was against the door. “I didn’t come to check on your boo-boos. I came to ask you why you left me. Again.” Her voice broke on the last word and Rafe’s world shattered.

He grabbed her face in his hands and she gasped. “I had to,” he growled.

Ruby blinked, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Why would you think that?”

Rafe leaned his forehead against hers and breathed in her cinnamon-spiced scent, letting his fingers slip into her hair. “I killed them. I know how I looked when I showed up at your door. I saw your face, Ruby.”

She was shaking her head, rolling her forehead against his.

“You were terrified,” he insisted, remembering the look in her eyes and the monster he’d seen reflected in them.

You’re scaring me.

“Terrified that you were hurt! Terrified that some of that blood was yours!” She put her hands on his chest and pushed away from him again. “Just like I was terrified the whole time you were gone, out there fighting by yourself. Damn it, Rafe.” She turned and put her hands on the railing, looking out into the night. Her shoulders rose and fell with every breath. His whole body screamed at him to go to her, to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go, but his fear kept him rooted to the spot. Those old voices, the ones that said he was a monster, that he wasn’t good enough, were hard to silence.

“I can’t promise you’ll be safe around me. As much as I try to escape it, my life is violent and dangerous. I killed without thinking tonight, Ruby. I can’t promise I won’t again.”

She didn’t answer, continuing to stare out into the trees. He would never forgive himself if anything ever happened to her. His heart would stop with hers.