Page 57 of Big Bad Wolf

There were two werewolf packs in Maine, with another one right over the border in Canada. Not that wolves cared about arbitrary human borders, but that just happened to be where they were located. But they certainly didn’t make a habit of wandering into other territories and they sure as hell didn’t fuck around with humans.

Her laughter petered out as she took him in, studying him again like she couldn’t quite believe he was real. He felt the same way about her.

“Okay, so they’re not from here and they’re not like your cousins or anything.”

He scoffed. “No.”

She rolled her eyes but moved on. “And we still don’t know what they want with me… Maybe we should just talk to them.”

“Fuck no.”

“Rafe—”

“I’m serious, Ruby. This is very wrong. This whole thing. Do not try to talk to these assholes.” His throat was closing up at the thought of Ruby approaching any of these wolves. Of what they would do if she did.

Her hand on his thigh snapped him back to attention.

“Okay, I won’t. But we have to figure out what is going on. You can’t escort me to work forever.”

But he would.

He cleared his throat. “You’re right. We will.”

They sat in silence, her hand on his leg like a hot brand. He wouldn’t be surprised if it left a mark.

She had a small hole in her tights, right at the knee, and that little peek of vulnerability felt like an attack. It made his soul hurt to look at.

His father was right about exactly one thing. Humans were weak. They were so easily broken. They didn’t heal like wolves.

What the hell was he going to do if Ruby got hurt?

His heart felt like it was being squeezed in a cruel fist.

“Is it hard being without your pack?” Ruby asked and he took a gulp of air. She wasn’t hurt. She was right here next to him, asking questions he’d rather not answer but he felt like he owed her.

“Sometimes.”

The modern world had made a lot of things difficult for wolves, except for one, leaving the pack. What used to be a death sentence was now possible thanks to convenience stores and short-term rentals. After the last fight with his brothers, he’d stalked off, packed his few meager possessions, and left. Just like that.

He’d had to sleep outside for the first few months, hunting for whatever food he could find, but eventually he’d found the cabin to rent using money he’d saved from odd jobs he’d done over the years in other County towns. It had taken nearly a year to build a new life for himself, but he’d done it. For whatever it was worth, he’d done it.

But just because it had been logistically easier to leave his pack than he ever imagined didn’t mean it was easy.

Ruby raised an eyebrow like she wasn’t convinced either.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he admitted. Other than rejecting Ruby’s advances. That was proving to be nearly impossible. “I’m not used to being … alone.”

“Then why did you leave?”

“Had to.” He swallowed the rest of it. He couldn’t bring himself to relay the whole messy story even though Ruby was looking at him like she wanted it all.

The truth was, if he hadn’t left, he would have been pushed out. Or, if their father had his way, killed. There wasn’t room for more than one Alpha, and his brother was more than happy to take the title.

“Can you go back?” she asked and he wished she would just let it go. These were things he’d spent a year very carefully not thinking about.

“No.”

He didn’t know if it was true.