Chapter 32

She waited for him to argue with her. She expected him to. But the long list of reasons why she shouldn’t be with him never left Rafe’s mouth. Instead he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Ruby melted into him but he pulled away before things could escalate again.

“We really do have to go,” he said, pushing the hair from her face. This new Rafe, the Rafe that touched her and kissed her and looked at her like that, was enough to make her want to stay in the bed of this truck for the rest of her life. What if they walked away from here and everything disappeared? What if this tenuous, fragile thing between them broke as soon as they left?

But then Rafe smiled at her and she knew whatever was between them wasn’t fragile at all. And she was damn well going to fight for it. This wasn’t about sex anymore. One week with this man and she knew this was it. He was it. The certainty of the thought struck her hard in the chest, squeezing her heart. Rafe was it for her.

She finished her pie and got dressed as Rafe rolled up their bedding and threw it in the cab of the truck, letting this new realization settle into her bones. She was in love with a werewolf. She was in love with Rafe.

He paused to watch her apply the lipstick she never left home without. Hopefully he didn’t notice her hand tremble as she smoothed it on.

He smirked. “Really?”

“It’s my signature look, Rafe. I can’t just go traipsing through the woods with pale lips.” She grinned at him, feigning bravery. He huffed a laugh, shaking his head as he moved around the truck. He extended a hand and helped her down from the bed.

Her boots hit the dirt, and the bubble from last night was broken. Reality flooded in.

“Ready?” he asked.

Nerves flared in Ruby’s belly and not the good kind. She was about to walk into a werewolf pack with a man the current Alpha tried to kill and all because her sister was slowly dying. The pie she’d been so excited about sat heavy in her gut.

Rafe laced his fingers with hers and gave a squeeze. “It’s going to be fine,” he said, but the relaxed lines of his face had tensed again as though the truth of the situation had settled on him too.

“Yep. Super fine.”

Rafe tugged her along and Ruby tried to focus on the trail in front of her, and the birds in the trees, and the sunshine, and the breeze blowing across the back of her neck. But all she could really think about was Rafe’s calloused hand in hers and what it felt like to be wrapped up with him last night and what the hell “werewolf reasons” were. And how she loved him. When her brain got tired of that it looped back around to what horrors they might find amongst this pack and how she would ever help her sister.

She would be lucky if the pie stayed down.

“You’re quiet.” Rafe’s rough voice broke the silence, derailing Ruby’s cycle of super-unhelpful thoughts.

Ruby glanced up at him. His hair was pulled back today, revealing the full force of his face. The strong lines and coarse stubble. The soft lips.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

She smiled despite the chaos in her brain. “You really want to know? I thought you didn’t like my chattering.”

He flinched. “Why would you think that?”

Ruby shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems to fluster you.”

“Your questions fluster me. I’m not great at conversation.” He cleared his throat. “But I like listening to you.”

She moved closer, letting her shoulder rub against his arm as they walked. Their hands were still linked and Ruby thought about all the times they’d walked through the woods separately but together. She liked it better like this.

“Well, in that case, I was thinking about last night and how amazing it was.”

A low growl of agreement from Rafe sent a shiver through her. He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back, causing her thoughts to stutter again. She wanted to bring up his hesitancy to do more, but she also didn’t want to push him. She could respect his boundaries.

“But I’m also really worried about today and about meeting your pack and about Lena.” She blew out a long sigh.

Rafe was quiet and when Ruby stole another glance his brow was furrowed.

“I’ll handle the pack,” he said, gruffly. “My father’s dead. Whatever else I may think about Knox, I know my brother is a better Alpha than my father was.”

“I’m sorry to make you have to face him again.”

“Don’t be.”

Somehow Ruby found the return of his harsh two-word answers comforting.

“It’s time I face my people again. I’ve stayed away too long.”

Ruby hadn’t really considered that there were others he’d left behind, others he might miss. He’d mentioned Theo’s mother yesterday and a few wolves from his childhood, but it wasn’t until right now that Ruby realized how much he’d lost. How much his father had stolen from him.

“Do you miss them?”

“Some of them. Sometimes.”

“Do you miss her?”

Rafe stopped dead and she turned to see him frowning down at her. “Scarlet died over a century ago.”

“I didn’t know there was a time limit on missing people.”

“I hardly knew her.” He swallowed hard.

“You hardly know me.”

Rafe’s silver eyes studied her, the sun streaking through the trees and lingering in his hair, bringing out the warm brown in the strands. He looked at her like he did know her. Like he had known her forever. Ruby’s breath caught in her throat and for a second she thought maybe she knew what “werewolf reasons” were. Maybe she knew exactly what she was to Rafe. And he to her.

She nearly asked. The word she had only ever heard in biology class and old werewolf movies caught in her throat.

Rafe brushed a wisp of hair away from her face. “Everything’s different with you.”

Her body ached like every inch of it longed to be with his. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t just a crush on a sexy man. This wasn’t just love. The pieces began to slide into place. “Are we…? I mean, am I your…?”

His eyes widened, a look of alarm on his face, the look of a cornered animal. Ruby lost the nerve to finish her question.

She cleared her throat, glancing away from Rafe’s startled stare. “We should probably keep going, right?” she asked.

Rafe blinked. “Uh … right. Yes.” He grabbed her hand again and strode ahead on the path, pulling her along behind him. At least he hadn’t run from her this time. His fingers were still wrapped tight around hers.

Was she right? Bits and pieces of everything Rafe had told her over the past few days raced through her mind. He couldn’t stay away from her. She was different. His overwhelming desire to protect her. This insane physical attraction to each other. If everything she’d ever read about werewolves had even an ounce of fact in them, then maybe it was true. Maybe she and Rafe were—

“Not much farther.” Rafe’s gruff voice broke through her racing thoughts.

Ruby tugged on his hand and he slowed his pace a bit. “Can we slow down?” she huffed. “My legs can’t keep up with yours.”

Rafe peeked over his shoulder and gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”

Her heart stuttered at the sight of his smile. “So, what should I expect when we get there?” she asked, needing to change the subject, needing a distraction from everything swirling through her mind.

Rafe shrugged, slowing even further and walking beside her again. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.

“Back when my father was Alpha, things were pretty rough. The pack didn’t have a lot. He hated any mingling with humans, but it’s become more and more necessary. He hated change.”

Ruby nodded, taking it all in. “Are all werewolves artisans like you? How do they survive out here?”

“Artisans?” Rafe huffed. “I make tables, Ruby.”

“Beautiful tables.” She nudged his arm.

He paused to lean down and kiss the top of her head. Ruby felt it all the way to her toes.

“We mostly live off the land, but a lot of wolves do jobs in town. Day laborer type stuff. Jobs no one asks for papers for.”

He helped her over a fallen tree blocking their way. The trail was barely a trail anymore and the white pines towered over them.

“It’s so peaceful here,” she said, breathing in the damp air of the woods. She tipped her head up to the sky. It was another clear blue day. After a week of humidity and storms, it was a welcome change.

“It is.” Rafe came up behind her and nuzzled her neck. God, if they could just stay here like this all day and forget everything else…

“How long has the pack lived here?” she asked, trying to focus on her question and ignore the heat pooling in her core.

Rafe released her, his hand sliding around her waist, his fingers coasting over the skin beneath her shirt. Ruby shivered.

They started walking again, Rafe in front, Ruby behind, the path too narrow now to walk side by side.

“A while now. We moved around a lot when I was younger. But we’ve stuck around this general area lately. Nobody bothers us too much out here, as long as we don’t cause any trouble.”

“That’s good, right?”

Rafe scanned the trees ahead, his body becoming more rigid as they went. Using those wolf senses apparently.

“It’s good. It’d be better if the land wasn’t always in threat of being developed. We need space to run.”

Run, right. He was a freaking wolf. Could they even have a future together? Was it even possible? Werewolves lived for hundreds of years and humans … didn’t. Panic raced through her at the thought of being separated from this man she’d only known a few days. What was happening to her?

“Rafe, look. I know this isn’t the best time, but after last night and everything, I just think we need to talk about what we are—”

The words died on Ruby’s tongue as the first few tents appeared in front of them. Glowing eyes watched them from the trees. A few people emerged from their homes and tracked their approach like they knew they were coming. Like they’d sensed it. Ruby swallowed hard, her heart thrashing in her chest.

One glance at Rafe as she came to stand beside him and she knew the smiling, laughing man from this morning was long gone. His jaw was set, his eyes flashing in the sunlight, every muscle was tense and ready to pounce. He was still human but his entire demeanor had shifted.

“We’re here,” he growled and Ruby braced herself for whatever happened next.