Soul Bonded

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 suddenly aware of how threatening he actually seemed. “Look, we need to get you warmed up. Again.”

Katie nodded, too exhausted and frozen to argue. She followed Rafe into the guest room, greeting Shilah with a sheepish pat on the head. “Hi, boy.”

Rafe pinned him with a hard look. “You’re in the dog house for real, boy. You were supposed to be watching her.”

Shilah wagged his tail, clearly pleased to be addressed by his master, whatever the context. Katie couldn’t help but laugh. “He doesn’t seem terribly concerned.”

“He knows I’m all bark and no bite.” Rafe gestured at her body. “You need to take those clothes off. Especially if I’m going to clean your wounds.”

Shy but chilled to the bone, Katie shrugged off Rafe’s coat before hesitating. “Could I have some privacy?”

Rafe nodded. “Meet me in the bathroom down the hall once you’re undressed. Go ahead and use one of my T-shirts from the dresser. I think you still have some…” His gaze darted to the pile of her laundry he’d left stacked on the floor. “Just leave your legs bare so I can treat the bites.”

“All right.”

He stood at the door, hands laced in front of his crotch. “I’m not going to hurt you. Honestly, Katie. Never.”

She believed him. “I know.”

Rafe left the room with Shilah at his heels. As soon as he shut the door she began to strip off her wet clothes. Her fingers were so numb they barely worked and her shivering increased exponentially as soon as the air hit her bare skin. As a result the whole process took her longer than she wanted, and drained her completely. She probably needed Rafe’s help, but believing that he wasn’t going to kill her didn’t mean that she was ready to let him undress her again.

Once her upper body was bare, she braced herself for the hard part. She took a deep breath and stripped off her pants, sickened by the sight of a deep bite wound on her right calf. It was still bleeding lightly, but didn’t hurt nearly as much as it looked like it should. No doubt it would be really painful once the feeling returned to her body. The bite on the back of her other calf was shallower and not nearly as bad, but seeing so much of her flesh torn open and raw turned her stomach.

Naked, she limped to the dresser by the closet and got a worn T-shirt out of the top drawer. Rafe’s scent wafted up to greet her, instantly comforting. She inhaled deeply as she tugged the shirt over her head, then cursed under her breath. He’d called her his bond-mate, and the wolf who’d bitten her had clearly sensed some connection between them. Was that why simply smelling Rafe made her feel like this? Like… She shivered again. Like she was home.

“Katie, are you okay?” Rafe’s voice came from just outside the bedroom door.

She walked stiffly to the pile of laundry and pulled a pair of her panties off the top. She had to struggle to make her limbs move so she could put them on. “I’m just so cold.” She shuffled to the door and threw it open, beyond caring about her lack of clothing. All she wanted was for Rafe to dress her wounds so she could crawl under the blankets. She never should have left in the first place. “I feel like I’ll never be warm again.”

Rafe’s gaze slid down the length of her body. His throat jumped when he saw her mangled legs. “He really got you.”

“Yeah.” She glanced down at her calves and shrugged, teeth chattering. “I can barely feel it. I can’t really feel anything right now.”

Rafe glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom door, then at her. “Why don’t you let me warm you a little before we look at the bites?”

Something about his tone told her that there was a reason he was asking permission. “What does that involve, exactly?”

He smiled, almost shyly. “A hug. Basically.”

“A hug.” She wasn’t sure she liked the idea. It almost felt like a trick. It was certainly too much for him to ask after what those beasts outside had put her through. But if there was any chance it might really help her fight off the ice that had settled into her bones, she was willing to take a leap of faith. “Okay.”

He seemed surprised by her easy acquiescence. “Okay.” He hesitated. “It would probably work better if we were skin-to-skin…”

Katie frowned. “No.”

“All right.” He held out his arms and looked into her eyes. “Come here.”

She surprised herself by stepping into his embrace without hesitation. He curled his powerful arms around her back and pulled her close enough to feel his heartbeat thumping in rhythm with her own. Within seconds, exquisite heat spread throughout her body, starting at her chest and flowing into the tips of her extremities. Katie gasped and nearly pulled away, but Rafe kept her close.

“It’s okay,” he murmured. “It’s normal. Let it happen.” He rubbed a hand up and down her spine, as though comforting a child. “I’ve got you. Just hold on to me.”

Katie clung to Rafe tightly, overwhelmed when the warmth that flowed from his body to hers bloomed into an intense rush of emotion. There was so much to process that she couldn’t separate everything she was feeling—love, safety, devotion, protectiveness, peace. The rhythm of his breathing shifted to match hers, making her feel as though his body was merely an extension of her own. She buried her face in his neck, overwhelmed by the all-consuming joy of being in his arms. His scent surrounded her, drawing out a low, needy moan that made her blush. Despite her embarrassment—despite everything that had happened tonight—she had to fight the urge to raise up on her tiptoes and kiss Rafe on the mouth.

Instead, she cried out in shock when sensation returned to her calves in the form of burning, throbbing pain. Rafe released her, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “Your wounds?”

Katie nodded dumbly. Now that their embrace was over, the surreality of the entire situation hit her hard. Not only the existence of werewolves, but Rafe calling her his bond-mate and her body’s incredible reaction to his touch. Hell, her soul’s reaction to his mere presence. Trembling, she placed her hand on Rafe’s warm cheek and looked deep into his tender green eyes. “Rafe—“

He shook his head and took her hand. “Let’s go to the bathroom so I can clean your wounds. We’ll talk about it there.” His shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly as he led her down the hallway. “I’ll explain everything.”