Page 45 of Big Bad Wolf

“But what about Lena?” she asked, still snuggled against him. He would give up his own soul to keep holding her forever.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said, not letting go even though he should, even though holding Ruby was only going to make everything worse in the end. But he couldn’t seem to stop. “I’m going to take you home⁠—”

“I have to finish my shift. I can’t leave Macy shorthanded.”

He sighed. “Okay, I’m going to take you back to the bar. You’ll finish your shift. You are not going to leave until I come back. I’ll go check on Lena and then come pick you up, okay?”

She sniffled again. “Okay. She’s at Callie’s. I’ll tell them you’re coming.”

“Don’t bother. They won’t see me.”

“They won’t?”

“I won’t be … me.”

Instead of pulling away at the mention of his other form, Ruby snuggled closer.

“And I’m not leaving you tonight.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I can’t. But I’ll sleep outside. You won’t even know I’m there,” he said, even as he already hated the idea of being separated from her again. Even if it was just by a wall.

She pulled back, an amused expression on her face. “You’ll sleep outside? Like a guard dog?”

“Guard dog?” he growled. He tugged Ruby closer and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. A small smile crossed her face. He wanted to kiss it off her lips.

“Sorry. That was rude.” She sighed and that glimmer of a smile disappeared. “You can sleep inside. I assume you’re housebroken.” She bit her bottom lip, but the giggles burbled up out of her anyway.

Rafe couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his mouth. He was just so damn relieved that Ruby wasn’t upset anymore.

“We can figure it out later,” he said, swiping his thumb along Ruby’s cheek bone. Her mascara had smudged with her tears.

“Okay, and thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

She scoffed. “You barely know me and now you’re driving me around and looking out for me and checking on my sister… It’s … a lot.”

“Would you rather I didn’t? We could get the police involved instead.” Not that he thought they’d be much help. And the thought of staying away from Ruby made him want to tear out his own hair, but if that was what she wanted⁠—

“No. I mean, yes? I mean, keep doing what you’re doing,” she said with a smile, and she was looking at him like … like he could be good.

He cleared his throat, putting his hands back on her arms and gently pushing her away.

“Right. Okay, I’ll go check on Lena. I’ll see you at the end of your shift.”

Ruby frowned, confused at his abrupt withdrawal, but protecting Ruby was one thing. Holding her, having her, was something else entirely. Something he didn’t deserve.

Chapter Nineteen

The enormity of how bad an idea this was didn’t hit Rafe until he was standing alone in Ruby’s living room. She’d crept upstairs to talk to Lena and to find him some blankets and a pillow. He should have slept outside in the dirt. He should keep his distance from this woman who looked at him like he could be human, like he could be redeemed. But Lord knew he was beyond redemption. His father had made sure of that long ago. The old bastard had never failed to remind his sons of their true selves. They were animals and he made sure they acted like it.

Even now, with his pack life behind him and his father cold in his grave, Rafe couldn’t shed that truth. What happened to Scarlet couldn’t be undone. But Ruby’s eyes on him in the dark made him long to start over.

Her footsteps on the stairs interrupted that dangerous line of thought.

She stopped in front of him, the exhaustion clear on her face. She worked so damn hard. He’d seen it for weeks, her bone-tired steps through the woods, her weary trek toward home, but now he knew she had been heading home to more work. More caretaking.