The Skin Walker

22 | Soulmate

"I'm overcome in this war of hearts,"

War of Hearts Ruelle

R U E B E N

A faint noise woke me in the morning. The sunlight streamed through the gap in my curtains, highlighting the invisible barrier I'd set between Ruth and I during the night. I had forced myself to stay in my spot the entire six hours she slept. And she did, soundly, until this moment.

Her eyebrows were drawn together, a little crease digging into her skin as a soft grunt rumbled through her throat. Theodoros stirred in my mind at the sound of her torment. Whatever she was dreaming about was making her frown, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Wake her," Theo urged me, wanting out to do it himself.

I remained still, hoping she'd wake herself up from her nightmare. She was in my room, in my bed, masking my belongings with her scent, and I was seconds away from losing it and letting Theo hold her. But I wouldn't risk it. I wouldn't risk her life.

"Wake her, Rueben, or I will," My wolf taunted me, growing closer to my mental barrier. He was building enough strength to break out and control my body, and it made me sick. The thought of hurting Ruth- I couldn't even think about it.

Sitting up in bed, I removed the blankets from my body and made a move to get out. I suddenly couldn't. Theodoros was using his pent up strength to gain control of my human body, and I felt my panic grip my throat.

"Don't," I pleaded in my head. "I'll never forgive you if you touch her."

"Let me show you that she is meant to be ours, and that we are hers," He argued. "One touch, and you'll know. It has never been this clear, Rueben. She is our Luna."

My head turned to face her, and my heart rang through my ears at the sight of anguish taking over her features. Ruth. I couldn't hurt her. She had already been through so much. She didn't need this either. Ruth didn't need my internal conflict to confuse her.

"She's dreaming of him," Theo's reminder sent me back into bed. "How he hurt her. Or maybe she's dreaming of her best friend, dead."

"What if she's dreaming of me, and how I yelled at her, how I killed those women, how I might kill her-"

"That will not happen," Theo's voice became a defensive growl.

"You can't blame me for being vigilant about something like this. It haunts me for every second that I breathe, Theodoros, how we don't have control over the killings," I rebutted.

"It won't happen anymore, and deep down, you know it," His nudge, his urge to break out softened something in my mind. He was trying to wear down my defences. "Wake her, Rueben. She's hurting."

Holding a breath, I rested my head on the pillow beside the one she slept on. Ruth inhaled a sharp breath, murmuring something incoherent. With a shaky hand, I ghosted my fingers along the frame of Ruth's face.

My mate. This beautiful woman was my mate. Soulmate. Mine. I, hers.

"Let me show you," Theo's softened tone broke down the barriers I'd held up for years, and I twisted my face in pain as he rushed to the surface. I'd die before hurting her. I couldn't fathom the thought of living with myself if it happened.

Finally, the back of my hand touched her skin, and the touch awakened a white-hot flame in my chest. It burned so intensely that I tried to move away, but Theodoros was in control of my body now, pleading to prove me wrong.

"Mate," He told me. "Not like anyone else, Rueben. She's the one."

My eyes burned as I watched Ruth stir beneath my touch, and I wanted to scream. I was hurting her. Using much of my strength, I attempted to let go of my light touch on her face. It was no use.

"We're not hurting her," Theodoros observed. "She's waking up."

"Leave me alone," Ruth's whispers became coherent. "Scaring me."

Confusion masked my pain.

"Ruth," I whispered, pushing Theo aside, and he willed himself to me. "You're only dreaming."

"Scaring me," She whimpered, and I snapped my hand away from her face.

"Not you, Rueben. She's dreaming," Theo reminded me.

Wanting her to stop hurting, I carefully cupped her shoulder and tried to move her arm enough to wake her.

"Come back to me," I whispered, watching Ruth tuck her face in the pillow. "Come back."

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and a gasp shot through her lips as she flinched away from me. The fear in her eyes sent an arrow of pain right through my chest. Walls ricocheted back up, and Theo whimpered as I shut him out. He was wrong. I hurt her. I scared her. She was most likely having a nightmare about me for all I knew.

I sat up, watching her in alarm.

"Rueben," Ruth rubbed her eyes and sat up, too. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Not aware of her surroundings, she removed her hands from her face and landed her gaze on the sun filtering in through the curtains. Ruth's face flushed, and if I wasn't so aware of how fast her heart was racing, I would've thought she looked gorgeous. But she was embarrassed and scared of me. She couldn't possibly want to be anywhere near me.

"I slept through the night?" Ruth murmured, more to herself, and when she placed a hand on her heart, she shifted her gaze to me. "Did you get some sleep?"

I nodded. Liar.

Her throat worked as she gulped and ran a hand through her hair. It took her a minute to catch her breath before looking at me again. Ruth softened her expression and smiled at me as if she wasn't scared of the sight of me from the moment she woke from her nightmare.

"Well, goodmorning," She chuckled, lowering her gaze to the bottom of my t-shirt. It had wrinkled and rolled up my torso. Quickly, she averted her eyes to the suitcase filled with her belongings. "I guess I should prepare myself to interrogate that Hobart guy, huh?"

Without waiting for an answer, Ruth removed the covers and got out of bed. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Now, it was my turn to gawk as the material of her shirt lifted, revealing the tan skin of her waist. Heat blazed through my body, and I took it as a sign to get away from her as soon as possible.

Minutes later, when I gathered a fresh change of clothing and told her she was free to use my bathroom, I found myself in the guest bathroom across the hall. I couldn't deal with her scent everywhere. It was overwhelming. Suffocating. It made me think of her as mine when I didn't want her to be, not when the curse was still bound to me.

"Hobart's ready, Benny," Ander mind-linked me, and I almost jumped out of my skin.

"I'll be there in ten. With Ruth, by the way, so make sure you prepare whatever weapons you have. If she wants to use them, she's more than welcome to, yes?"

"She won't be able to. I don't think she'll have the guts. She seems too nice - gentle."

"I said if she wants to, Ander. Ruth's stronger than she looks, and she'll get to choose on her own. Besides, if she doesn't use them, I will."

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a/n: writer's block is my biggest enemy >:(