Page 63 of Big Bad Wolf

“I don’t know. I don’t know what it is about you. I haven’t given a shit about any human in years. I’ve avoided them at all costs.” He leaned forward just a breath, just enough, and Ruby leaned too. Her other hand came to his other cheek, so she was cupping his face as he spoke. “I don’t know why I can’t stay away from you, why you haunted me even before I knew you. I don’t know why I’m here and why I can’t leave. But I know I can’t. I know that, even if I went home now, I’d be tormented by thoughts of you, of your scent and the taste of your lips and the feel of your skin, but mostly by the sheer terror of thinking you weren’t safe, and I know I would run right back to you.”

Ruby sucked in a deep breath.

“I don’t know anything except that I would kill for you.”

Her eyes widened but she didn’t pull away. She searched his face and saw that he meant it, that he would.

“Do you think,” she whispered, “that will be … necessary?”

He swallowed hard. Her thumbs swept across his cheek bones.

“There was another woman,” he managed to choke out. Ruby held him steady. “A human. Scarlet.”

She waited while he gathered his thoughts, while he tried to form the right words to explain his fear to her.

“I should have stayed away from her.” Rafe squeezed his eyes shut until he felt the press of Ruby’s forehead against his.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You can tell me.”

“But I didn’t stay away. I was weak and she was killed because of me.”

“Oh, Rafe.”

Her hands slipped into his hair and her gaze was so soft, so gentle.

He didn’t deserve it.

He pulled away. Ruby’s hands dropped to her lap.

“If those wolves come back, I will personally tear their throats out to keep them away from you and Lena.”

She watched him as he stood, pacing the small office.

“And why do you think they want my sister?” she asked, sensing he had a theory. She saw too much about him.

He stopped. She deserved the truth.

“I think your sister is a seer.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Tell me more.” They were at the kitchen table, each with a cup of chamomile tea. Callie and Sawyer had insisted on coming back to Ruby’s house too, claiming they had important things to discuss. Lena was tucked up in her bed, fully aware that they were all liars when they said they were going to play poker. She was angry but too tired to fight them on it.

Rafe let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. It groaned under his weight, and he stilled, but the little chair held.

“I think Lena’s a seer, someone who has visions about the future.” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “I’ve never met one, but I’ve heard they exist.”

Ruby glanced at Callie and Sawyer to see their reaction to this bit of news and to Ruby’s surprise, neither seemed surprised at all.

“So, what does this mean?” Goosebumps covered Ruby’s arms despite the mugginess of the kitchen.

Why did that word “seer” echo deep inside her? The dream about her parents’ accident floated to the surface of her thoughts. Had she really had it the night before the accident? Maybe she’d just had it so many times since she couldn’t tell anymore.

But her own dream wasn’t the issue right now. “Why was she talking about wolves? She’s never said that before.”

Rafe grimaced but didn’t hold back, just like he’d promised. “It must be related to the wolves that have been stalking you. Maybe that’s what she’s seeing. Maybe she knows…”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Ruby knew from the anguish on his face what he was going to say. Maybe Lena knew what was going to happen to her. Maybe she’d seen Ruby’s fate, and it wasn’t good.