Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Her face is streaked with tears. She’s sobbing quietly, looking almost like a little kid. And in some twisted way, part of me thanks her. I have to be here now, for her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug.
“Just the dreams,” she whispers, a burst of humorless laughter caught in a sob. “It’s always the same ones. The cult, him, you know....”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“It’s not your fault.”
She wraps her arms tighter around me. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. What a mother is supposed to be like. I do know that.”
I hug her even closer, burying my face in her shoulder so she can’t see my tears. But then I can’t take it anymore. My body begins to shake, sobs wracking me.
“Oh, Ruby,” Mom says.
“I’m sorry.”
She runs her hands through my hair. “You don’t have to apologize.”
I’m thinking of the wolf, of how unfair it is that Mom has to wake up at night, scared out of her mind. I’m thinking of the cult and the terror of running away.
I’m thinking of his eyes, the way he stared at me, into me like he was going to keep me safe, always. That man would’ve done evil things otherwise.
He wanted my scent. The wolf was following me, then?
The wolf wants me for some reason.
My heart beats a little quicker, bright and silly images clashing in my mind.
I only want Ramsey, with his strong jaw, his sharp eyes. I want his arms and his manhood and his babies and a life together. The wolf could watch over us, a loyal companion.
His cock was rock-hard.
I distance myself from Mom, walking into the kitchen.
“Do you want a glass of water?”
How can this be, this torn feeling between an impossible wolf and the man of my dreams? I don’t like it.
I only want to belong to one man, Ramsey, and I want the same from him. Total devotion, only each other, always.
So why these confusing thoughts about a wolf?
It doesn’t make any freaking sense, and I don’t like it.
“Sure,” Mom says after a pause. “I’m sorry for everything. I want to be better, Ruby. I want to help.”
I carry our glasses into the living room. “It’s fine, Mom.”
She walks into the bathroom, and I place the glasses down, sitting and gripping onto my knees.
My thoughts won’t stop clashing together, bringing Ramsey into the wolf, imagining what could’ve happened if the wolf hadn’t come.
The alleyway was dark, and the cops didn’t notice, but I did – the gouges in the side of the building, the giant tears in the brickwork. My body does strange things when I remember how he scaled it, his powerful back muscles twitching with each leap upward.
I imagined clinging onto his back for a second, riding up to the stars and the moon with him.
I leap to my feet when somebody knocks on the door, the interior door to the apartment. It’s late, almost midnight. One of our neighbors?
The cops said they’d call if they had any more questions. And even if they came here, they wouldn’t knock on the interior door, would they? They’d press the buzzer.
Mom walks out of the bathroom, wide-eyed. “Who’s that?”
“I don’t know.”
I creep toward it, ignoring Mom’s hiss from behind me. “Be careful.”
My heart picks up again, but I warn myself to chill the heck out. I can’t start leaping at every noise and shadow just because…
Well, just because I saw a freaking massive wolf and was almost kidnapped.
Okay, maybe I should cut myself some slack.
“Hello?” I say quietly.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late,” the man says. “Ramsey sent me.”
A shudder moves through me as I remember his eyes, the redness in the park, and the silver of his hair, the same silver as the wolf’s fur.
My skin tingles, and I wonder if it could be true.
But there’s so much I don’t know, making my head feel like it’s actually cramping, like my skull might decide, hey, I’m going to crush this girl’s brain.
My body wants to sleep, but my curiosity won’t let me.
Am I crazy? A wolf saves me, then Ramsey sends somebody here...a few hours after the wolf runs away.
“Is it about...” I lower my voice, conscience of Mom. “Um, the wolf problem at work?”
“Wolf problem?” Mom whispers.
I glance at her, lowering my voice. “It’s a term for people who hang together in the gym and upset all the other customers. They call themselves a wolfpack. It’s so pathetic. We had some bad ones earlier.”
I turn away quickly, not waiting to see if she bought that. It sounded silly even to me.
“Yes,” the man says. “It is, in fact. Can I come in?”
“Ruby,” Mom hisses from behind me.
“It’s fine, Mom.”
“He could’ve sent this man.”
“It’s not that,” I say. “I know for a fact it’s not them. I promise. I swear I wouldn’t let any of them near you.”