Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
“W hat the hell is going on with the human?”
Rafe ran a hand through his hair, loosening it from its tie. “It doesn’t matter.” He needed to get out of here. He needed to get back to Ruby.
“It clearly does matter if helping her brought you all the way back here,” Knox pointed out, still leaning against the counter. So still. So calm. But Rafe knew his brother. Once provoked, Knox was vicious and could shift in seconds.
But Rafe didn’t come here for a fight.
Even though his fists were curled at his side and his blood was screaming through his veins, begging him to let the beast out.
“She was in danger, so I wanted to help. That’s it.”
“Oh Rafe, always the hero.”
“Fuck you.”
“Well, fuck you too, little brother.” Knox threw back the rest of his beer and pushed away from the counter. The space was too small for two oversized men. The smell of sweat and beer filled Rafe’s nose. “You left me here to pick up the pieces.”
His brother’s words were more shocking than a punch to the face would have been. “And what should I have done?”
Knox shrugged, but his tone was anything but casual. “You could have stayed. You could have?… helped.” Was that a flicker of uncertainty in his brother’s eyes? What the hell was that about?
“Devon would have never allowed it.”
Knox scoffed. “The old bastard had one foot in the grave. We never should have let him manipulate us for as long as he did. I’ll always be ashamed of that.”
Knox’s words hung between them. The truth of it. The shame of what they did to each other. Of what they’d allowed their father to do.
“I’m sure you’re doing a better job than he ever did.” Rafe cleared his throat. “Or than I could have done.”
Knox held his gaze a moment longer, his silver eyes seeing more than Rafe wanted him to. Rafe had the same eyes, the eyes they’d inherited from their father. But maybe those eyes could be where their father’s legacy ended. Maybe they could finally put the man to rest.
Knox glanced toward the door. “Tell me honestly, what’s the deal with the girl?”
“I think she’s my Mate.” The word stuck in his throat, the confession too heavy for the thick air of the trailer.
“Please tell me you don’t believe in that bullshit.”
How did his brother have the ability to ruin every damn moment between them? After so many years of it, Rafe supposed he should be used to it.
“I didn’t. Until I met her. And now I do.”
“It’s fairy tale nonsense, Rafe. Fated Mates are a lie. And with a human, no less? Christ.”
Rafe shook his head. “It’s more real than anything else.”
“Look, I believe that you’re attracted to this girl. That you want to fuck her. Maybe even that some ancient wolf part of your brain, or your dick, wants to claim her, but there’s no way you have a?… cosmic connection.”
“Fuck you, Knox. I’m out of here. Thanks for the lovely visit.”
“Wait.” Rafe turned to go, but Knox grabbed his shoulder. “Just be careful.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I know what happened with your other little girlfriend and I wouldn’t want Ruby to end up the same way.”
Rafe spun to face him, every nerve in his body begging him to attack this arrogant bastard. “Is that a threat?”
“Of course not.” Knox dropped his hand. “But if there’s one thing I agree with Dad about, it’s that humans and werewolves shouldn’t mix.”
“He was wrong.”
“Really? And have you told Ruby yet?”
Rafe stiffened.
Knox smirked. “You haven’t. Because deep down you already know. You know this thing between you won’t work. It can’t.”
“You don’t know a fucking thing about it.”
“I know that humans are weak. They live precarious lives and then they die. Even if this one seems different.”
Rafe was silent, thoughts of Lena and the magic blood that must run through both sisters racing through his mind. Ruby wasn’t just a human.
“Fate wouldn’t make a mistake. She’s meant for me,” he said, more to reassure himself than to convince Knox.
“And she wants you? For the rest of her life? You’re certain of that?”
Rafe’s stomach pitched and rolled as his brother laid his every fear out in front of him. Of course he wasn’t certain, and Knox knew it. His brother didn’t bother to say it, just patted him on the arm like he was offering his pity. Rafe shook him off and strode toward the door.
“She’d be safer without you.”
Knox’s words stopped him in his tracks. He froze with his hand on the doorknob.
“I’ll send out some wider patrols to keep an eye on things. To protect my territory. You should stay away from your human friend. For her own good.”
“You don’t know what she needs,” Rafe growled.
Knox let out a low laugh, but Rafe didn’t stick around to hear any more even as his brother’s words burrowed deep under his skin and began to fester.