Page 35 of Big Bad Wolf

Leaving Ruby alone with her wolf.

“What’s wrong with your sister?” Despite his best efforts, every word out of Rafe’s mouth was a growled demand.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. He’d pissed her off again. But he would be damned if he was going to leave her alone in this house before he figured out what that wolf wanted with her and who else was involved.

“Nothing’s wrong with her,” she snapped. She moved to the counter and poured herself another cup of coffee. “She just… She…” Ruby sighed and sank into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Rafe lowered himself into the one across from her. It groaned beneath his weight.

Ruby rested her forehead on the table, exposing the nape of her neck and a few dark curls nestled there.

“She has these episodes sometimes and no one can really explain them.” She spoke down at her lap, and it was the first time since he’d met her that she sounded defeated. He fucking hated it. If there was something he could kill to make this go away for her, he would.

“What kind of episodes?”

Ruby sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” he insisted.

“Why? You’re here to protect me from some other wolf, right? Not my sister.”

Rafe let out an impatient growl. “It might matter. I don’t know what we are dealing with. And she’s your twin. Anything that affects her affects you.”

Her eyes flickered with concern, her teeth digging into her bottom lip, reminding him of all the shit she’d been through in the past day. About how this whole world was foreign to her. About how damn brave she was to still be sitting across from him.

Ruby sighed heavily. “When it happens, it’s like she can’t see me anymore. She goes somewhere else and I can’t get to her.” She slumped in her chair. “And she never says anything coherent. It’s gibberish.”

Well, that was ominous.

“When did it start?”

“A few months ago.”

“Does she see anything? Like a vision or something?” He leaned forward, his arms on the table. Even now his body was drawn to hers, like he couldn’t get close enough.

“A vision?” Ruby scrunched up her face. “She’s not some kind of fortune teller.”

“Then what is she?” He tried to keep his voice gentle, but it came out gruff anyway.

The glare Ruby sent his way may as well have been a punch to the throat. “She’s my sister. That’s what she is. And you need to leave.” She pushed back from the table and stood as though she were ready to escort him out, but there was no way he was leaving.

“Something’s not right, Ruby. About any of this. That wolf. Your sister’s … episodes.” He stood too, and even towering over her he felt like she could knock him over with a touch. “I can’t just leave you alone.”

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes narrowed. If she had had her boots on, she’d have probably kicked him in the shins.

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“You are reckless and naive.”

Her eyes widened and her red lips popped open. “How dare you? You don’t even know me.” She tried to storm past him into the living room, but he grabbed her and held her arms. A slight tremor ran through them both.

“I know that, if I hadn’t been there last night, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

She wanted to argue with that. He felt it in the tension of her body and in the fury of her stare. But she couldn’t argue with the facts. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed him right now. She deflated a little in his arms, and it took all his strength not to pull her to him, to press her body against his. He was a sick man.

“At the very least, let me drive you to and from work.”

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting? We still don’t even know what he wanted. Maybe he was after you.”

Rafe sighed. “It was the guy from the bar. The guy that … grabbed you.”