Page 86 of Big Bad Wolf

“Not in so many words. He made it sound like it was all his fault, that he hurt you and your brother. That he shamed your pack.”

“Typical.” Theo rolled his eyes. “He did save my life. My father wanted only one man standing and Rafe refused to do it. Of course he would see it as a failure though.”

“A lot of daddy issues, huh.”

Theo’s laugh echoed through the kitchen. He shook his head, his eyes sparking in amusement. “You have no idea.”

“He thinks he’s dangerous, that he’s not good for me. It’s like he doesn’t trust me to decide that for myself.” Ruby rested her chin on her forearms; the table was cool beneath them.

“Asshole.” Theo glanced out the window to where Rafe was still glowering in the yard. Why he hadn’t left yet, Ruby had no idea. “Look, Ruby. That bullshit is not about you at all.” His eyes cut to the window again and then back to her. “I probably shouldn’t even tell you this and I don’t really know the entire story, but there was another human woman.”

“Oh.” Scarlet. So, Theo knew about her too. “He told me.”

Theo looked surprised that Rafe had told her. She was sure it wasn’t something Rafe talked about very often, if ever.

“The guy was wrecked afterward,” Theo said. “He didn’t eat for days. I had to practically force-feed him.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah, those were dark days.” Theo leaned back in his chair again, stretching his arms overhead. “It was over a decade ago, Ruby. But that’s some hard shit to get over. He blames himself. He blames himself for everything.”

Ruby rested her head on the table, trying to absorb everything Theo had just told her and everything she’d yelled at Rafe this morning. She groaned.

“Let me go talk to him.” Theo stood and Ruby peered up at him from the corner of her eye.

“I said some really shitty stuff to him.”

“And he said some really shitty stuff to you. That’s what fights are, right?” Theo grinned again, his perfect white teeth flashing. “I’m sure you two crazy kids can work it out.”

Ruby groaned again and Theo strode toward the door. “Don’t worry, Ruby, love. I’ll talk some sense into that asshole.”

Theo sauntered out the back door. Rafe stood on the edge of the forest at the back of Ruby’s yard. He should have left already. He should have left as soon as Theo showed up, but he wanted to make sure Ruby was okay before he did. Which was idiotic because he was the one making her feel like shit.

Theo crossed the yard looking like the smug bastard that he was. Rafe should shift and run. He was positive he didn’t want to hear what his brother had to say anyway, but he was rooted to the spot.

Maybe Ruby kicked him out. Maybe she didn’t want Theo in her house. In that case, Rafe couldn’t leave. For safety reasons. Not for feeling like his heart was being torn out every time he tried to leave reasons.

“You really are an asshole, aren’t you?” Theo asked, his smile growing wider.

Rafe growled in response.

“You have that pretty little thing waiting inside for you and you’re going to ditch her just like that?”

“I’m not ditching her.” Rafe’s jaw tightened. He was going to need extensive dental work after all this interacting with his brother.

“Oh, really? She seemed to think so.”

Rafe ran a hand through his hair. Theo was trying to get a rise out of him and it was working. “I need to go.”

“Then go,” Theo said with a lazy smile. “I’ll keep the lovely Miss Ruby entertained while you’re gone.” The bastard winked. And Rafe saw red.

He changed before he knew what he was doing, tearing right out of his clothes, like there was only one way to quell the blazing rage racing through his blood at the thought of Theo’s hands on Ruby. Theo rolled his eyes but tugged off his own clothes and shifted into his wolf form.

They growled and circled each other. Good. This he could do. This he could handle. He lunged for Theo, fangs glinting in the sun. They rolled, slashing and clawing at each other. Rafe bit down hard on Theo’s leg and the metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. Theo growled low in warning and then he flipped them so he was on top, a wolfish grin on his face.

They fought until half the lawn was torn up, and they were both bloodied and panting. Theo caved first, turning over on his back, belly up in submission.

“You win again, Rafe,” he panted as soon as he was back in human form. He lay sprawled out naked in the sun, and blood trickled from a wound in his arm. How many days had ended like this back when they were younger and full of wolfish energy?