Page 43 of Big Bad Wolf

“You okay, big guy? You look queasy.” She started digging around in her giant quilted bag until she pulled out a peppermint and held it up triumphantly. It looked slightly crushed, and the wrapper was coated in crumbs. Rafe wondered how long it had been at the bottom of that bag. He probably was better off not knowing.

“Here you go,” she said, holding it out to him. “Peppermint is great for a sour stomach.”

Rafe took the candy because he felt bad rejecting Dolores’s offer of help. She was one of his few friends, after all. And he had to admit as he sucked on the mint, his stomach did feel a bit better. Not that any of his problems were solved or that he had any idea what to do about Ruby, but at least he felt slightly less nauseous.

He still didn’t understand his reaction to her.

It was like his body couldn’t function unless he was next to her. If Scarlet had felt like a ray of sunshine, Ruby was like a riptide, pulling him under, and the more he struggled against it, the more he was swept away.

His wolf side had never come with more than the instinct to run and hunt, increased senses, and an occasional anger that he struggled to keep tamped down. But it was different with her. His need to throw himself around her and not let anything harm her was stronger than anything he’d ever felt.

It was terrifying and he didn’t have a damn soul to ask about it. He was alone in a world that wasn’t his.

Maybe if he was still with his pack, things would make more sense. Or at least he’d have someone to ask, but Rafe hadn’t seen his older brother in a year, and he barely tolerated the younger one, not that he would admit any of his intensely confusing feelings for Ruby to them.

His father was dead, a fact he liked to remind himself of whenever he felt anxious. And he’d never known his mother. She’d died giving birth to him. His father had refused to get medical attention for her. If she’s strong enough, she’ll survive. That was the old bastard’s way of thinking.

He’d been raised by his stepmother, and the thought of Nell left Rafe with an ache in his chest. She would have something to say about Ruby, some bit of advice for him. But he hadn’t been brave enough to see her over the past year either.

Rafe had been alone for so long, without his pack, without his family. It was what he wanted. It was necessary. But maybe he was forgetting what it was to be a werewolf. Maybe he was losing more than just his people.

Maybe he’d lost his identity.

Maybe he was losing his mind.

“Whatever it is,” Dolores said, patting his knee with her gnarled fingers. “It can’t be that bad. I’ve been through some tough times in my life, but I survived them all.”

Rafe gave her a weak smile. He believed that Dolores had been through plenty.

“It’s a girl, isn’t it?” she went on, nodding like she could see right through him. And for a brief, insane moment, he almost considered spilling his guts to Dolores right here in the laundromat.

“Oh … uh … no. It’s not that.”

Dolores waggled a finger at him. “I know a lovesick pup when I see one. But don’t worry, here’s your girl now.” Dolores gestured toward the door right as Ruby came storming through it.

He stood up so fast his head swam.

Ruby skidded to a stop right in front of him.

The air between them crackled; electricity zipped along his skin. He could feel every atom in his body, and they were all reaching out to Ruby.

“Ruby,” he breathed, holding her gaze. She stared back at him, her ruby lips slightly parted, and a flush working its way up her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell quickly, like she’d hurried to get here.

Fuck, she was so beautiful.

And they might have stood there all night, staring at each other, if Dolores’s throaty laugh hadn’t broken the spell.

“You’ve got it bad, kid,” she said, patting his arm.

Ruby blinked. “Hey, Dolores.”

“Ruby.” The old woman nodded, gathering her unmentionables, as she called them, and heading for the door. “Have a good night, you two,” she said, giving Rafe one more wink on her way out.

Ruby raised her brows. “What was that all about?”

“I think I accidentally made a friend.”

“Well, you should feel honored. Dolores doesn’t like most people.”