Ruby’s POV
My wolf leans into that, a weight against my ribs that feels like agreement. My body relaxes a little more. I want to tell him everything: about the cliff, the dungeon, the betrayal that changed me. I want to explain how the word mate has been both a brand and a comfort, how saying yes tonight scared me because I didn’t know if yes meant being owned again. But the words are heavy.
“Okay,” I say. “Okay.”
The sheet whispers as he finally slides out from under it to get dressed.
He presses a last kiss to my forehead. “Rest,” he murmurs. The door opens with a soft sigh and closes with another.
I stare at the ceiling. My throat tightens, and for a moment I think I can swallow it down like always. But the tears come anyway. They slide warm into my hairline, and I let them fall b
