Page 75 of Big Bad Wolf

“Sure. Of course.”

Ruby looked her over. She looked okay today. Less tired than she had the night at the bar, less disheveled. Ruby should probably take the opportunity to tell her the truth about their current situation.

“So, here’s the thing…” She cleared her throat. “It’s just that… It’s kinda hard to explain but…”

Lena laughed. “Ruby, just spit it out!”

“Okay, here goes. Rafe is a werewolf and so is his brother Theo. And there’s a third brother who I’m assuming is equally hot and he is the new Alpha of their pack, except Theo and Rafe haven’t lived with the pack for a year, because their father wanted them to fight it out in some sort of ultimate death match and so now Rafe thinks he’s a horrible person, but I swear Lena, he’s really not despite his overall glowering vibe⁠—”

“Ruby, take a breath.”

“Right. Sorry.” She gave Lena a weak smile. “A lot has happened and I hate lying to you, but I couldn’t figure out how to tell you and not sound crazy.”

Lena pinched the bridge of her nose. “Well, I can’t say you don’t sound crazy.”

Ruby snorted.

“Are you sure this isn’t like the time you were certain Casper the Friendly Ghost was living in the attic?” Lena asked with a sigh, the exhaustion returning to her face.

Ruby shook her head. “Ha. Ha. No, it’s not like that at all. Remember the night in the garage? Well, he was in there because the night before he’d gotten injured as a wolf and I dragged him in there to heal.”

Lena nodded slowly, considering. “What is he still doing here then?”

“Well, that’s kind of the part I didn’t want to worry you about.” Ruby fiddled with the ends of her hair. Her bun had tumbled down a while ago.

“Tell me.” The force in Lena’s voice was almost comforting. Her cut-the-shit voice. Ruby had missed that voice.

“I was sort of attacked. By a wolf.”

Lena’s mouth gaped open. She dropped the ball of yarn and Lucifer smacked it triumphantly across the kitchen floor.

“But I’m fine, obviously.” Ruby gestured to herself showing off how perfectly fine she was even though her insides were a confused soup of anger, hurt, and lust. “Rafe was there and he saved me and then sort of took it upon himself to protect us, I guess.”

“Mmhmm. So, you’re not dating?”

“Well … it’s complicated.”

“What were you fighting about?”

Ruby slouched back in her chair, allowing herself the pouting she’d wanted to do all day. “How did you know we were fighting?”

“It was kind of obvious when you walked in.”

“He keeps trying to convince me he’s dangerous or whatever and that I should forget about anything between us, but it’s bullshit.”

“I mean, he is a werewolf. Sounds kinda dangerous.” She said it, werewolf, like she didn’t really believe it, like she was just humoring Ruby.

“There’s something else.”

Lena sighed. “How could there possibly be more?”

“Rafe thinks you’re some kind of seer, like with psychic, future-telling powers.”

Lena’s eyes widened like two full moons. “What are you talking about?” She shook her head, her dark hair slipping over her shoulders. It used to fall in thick black waves but now it was thin and washed out. “Don’t start this crap again, Ruby,” she warned. “I have enough to deal with right now. I don’t need you adding to it.”

“We need to get you help, Lena. You need to control the visions instead of letting them control you. It might be the only way⁠—”

Lena stood abruptly, her chair legs scraping loudly across the wood floor. “Ruby, stop.” Her face looked exactly the same as when they were little girls, and Ruby would tell ghost stories before bed. Lena hated that. She hated that Ruby surrounded herself with the macabre after their parents’ death. It made no sense to her. Just like everything Ruby had just said made no sense now.