just learned. Werewolves were real. One of them was claiming her as his bond-mate, whatever that meant. She’d almost just died. And apparently the woods were teeming with wolfmen who could leap out and attack at any moment.
The trek back to the cabin seemed to take forever. She hadn’t realized she’d walked so far, and wondered whether she would have been able to find her way on her own. When a baleful howl echoed through the trees just as the cabin came into sight, she stumbled and caught herself on hands planted in the deep snow, then straightened and used one last burst of energy to run to the front door. Rafe made it there before she did, shifting back into human form and ushering her inside. He locked the door and stalked after her, anger evident in his every step.
Katie stopped just inside the door, not wanting to track water through the house. She was so cold. The pain in her legs worried her just as much as the imminent possibility of her murder by werewolves. She didn’t know whether she would make it through the night alive, and the one person who had shown her any kindness was furious with her.
She met Rafe’s steely gaze, breath quickening at the fire in his eyes. For better or worse, she was going to have to trust this man.
He really was the only chance she had.
CHAPTER NINE
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Katie shrank away as Rafe’s shout rattled the walls. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her chest. All she wanted was to get out of her soaking wet clothes. She wasn’t sure she had the strength for a dressing down when she was this cold. “I said I was sorry.”
“Sorry?” His hands shook as he ran them through his wet hair. He engaged the heavy deadbolt on the door, then stomped past her to the kitchen sink, where he washed the rest of the blond man’s blood off his face. “You could have been killed!”
“I didn’t know—“
Rafe spun around and glared at her. “You didn’t know that you could freeze to death out there? You didn’t know that you had no idea where the hell you were even going?” Rage contorted his handsome features. “Forget the fact that it’s the night before a full moon and we’re right in the middle of major werewolf territory. I get that you didn’t know that part, but surely you realized that running off into the night, in sub-zero temperatures, was colossally, dangerously stupid.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.” It sounded weak, even to her.
“So suicide seemed like the best option?” He advanced on her, his erection bobbling menacingly with each step. She flashed back to the feeling of rough hands pawing her body and cowered, closing her eyes. Her whole body tensed in anticipation—of what, she didn’t know.
His footfalls stopped abruptly. For a moment she heard only his labored breathing, then he exhaled and walked past her. She opened her eyes in time to watch him tug on a pair of sweatpants that had been left pooled on the floor in the foyer. Relieved that he’d given her a little space, she turned to meet his gaze. “Suicide wasn’t my intention.”
“But it was nearly the result.” His expression was hard, almost cold, yet she sensed volatile emotion beneath the surface. “Just tell me what possessed you to do something like that. What did I do that was so horrible that you decided it was better to take your chances out there alone?”
Katie straightened. “I was worried you were going to hurt me.”
“Were you?” He studied her face. “Really?”
She lowered her head. “It wasn’t anything you did. I overheard you talking to your friend. He said I was going to end up getting raped and murdered—maybe even by you—and your side of the conversation didn’t exactly make me feel any better. I heard him call me a human, so full of disdain. I thought he was crazy—that both of you were crazy, maybe.” Katie exhaled. “He told you that you should’ve let me die. And meanwhile you were making me feel things that I had no reason to feel. Emotions.” She paused, embarrassed. “Other stuff, too. I didn’t know what you’d done to me to make me feel that way. I didn’t know why you and your friend said the things you did. So I was frightened. That’s all.”
Rafe’s expression softened. He folded his arms over his muscular chest, as though he was