As far as I can tell, the rest of your kind would’ve. Either that or made me into a meal.”
Rafe lifted his shoulder in a vague shrug. “I couldn’t.” He met her eyes, sending another shiver through her. Even if her brain wasn’t sure about the idea of souls bonding, her body obviously recognized him. More than that, wanted him. She was pretty sure she should be furious about this bonding thing, if only she could focus on the repercussions and not the strange-yet-familiar touch of his strong hands. “I…value life.”
“Even human life?” It was either laugh or cry, and luckily she still felt capable of the former. “I’m nothing more than a piece of meat out here.” Her levity quickly dissolved into tears. “Am I?”
“The full moon is tomorrow night. That’s why it’s so dangerous for you right now. More than it might normally be.”
Katie wiped away a tear, not wanting to look weak. She refused to fall apart over this, no matter how dire the situation seemed. “What’s so special about the full moon? It seems like you guys turn into wolves whenever you want.”
Rafe nodded. “We can, but the moon forces us to shift. And for a day or two before and after, its energy gets us hyper-aroused. Puts us into hunting mode. For some of us that means going on longer runs than normal. For others, it’s an excuse to engage in a little unchecked brutality.”
“Terrific.”
“As far as I know, I’ve never killed anyone on one of those nights.” His jaw tightened. “But the reality is, I’m not in my head when the moon is full. None of us are. That’s why Cooper was concerned that I could harm you.” He flexed his fingers on her ankle, a gentle squeeze. “But I won’t. I don’t honestly believe I could.”
“You don’t believe you could,” Katie echoed, stomach rolling. “And yet before you met me, you had no idea that this bonding thing could even happen the way it did. So what the hell do you know?”
“I know that I will die before I let anyone hurt you.” Rafe couldn’t even look at her, despite his heartfelt words. “And I know that tomorrow night, I’m locking you in this cabin with Shilah, a gun, and strict orders to shoot anything that comes inside.” He paused. “Including me.”
Great. She hadn’t held a gun in years, let alone shot at a living creature with the intention of killing it. While she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself against the mouthy gray wolf who’d bitten her tonight and others like him, she was pretty sure there was no way she could ever knowingly hurt Rafe. The thought—errant, instinctive, true—pissed her off. “You said that if I hurt, you feel pain. If we’re apart, we’ll both feel the loss.” She pinned him with a hard look. “So how, exactly, am I supposed to shoot you?”
He gently dabbed the last of the ointment on her calf. “It won’t come to that.”
“No, of course not. Because I’m your goddamn bond-mate.”
His shoulders stiffened and he actively avoided making eye contact. “Yes.”
The enormity of that concept flooded her with fresh panic. What did this mean? She couldn’t exactly leave her life in San Francisco to be with a werewolf who lived in a cabin in the middle of scary, werewolf-infested woods. It wasn’t like she loved him—no matter what her heart and body kept telling her. “Okay, I can see the advantage of our connection if you think it’ll protect me from you tomorrow night. But after that, how do we undo it? How do we break the bond?”
“We don’t.” The words sounded hollow. “It’s done.”
Though she’d expected him to say as much, Katie’s anger swelled. “So, what, I’m supposed to want to be with you now? You take off my clothes, cuddle with me in bed while I’m unconscious, and suddenly you’re my soulmate? Without my consent?”
“I said I’m sorry.” Rafe’s voice turned gruff, as though he was holding back his own torrent of emotion. “I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t expect you to stay with me—in fact, I don’t expect anything from you. What I said before still stands. Once the road clears, I’ll take you to town. What you do after that is your choice. I’m not going to force you into something you don’t want.”
His kindness only stoked the fire of her fury. “Well, great. Except according to you, if I leave, it’ll devastate both of us.”