Page 7 of Knox's Fate

The place was coming together slowly, but watching Ruby throw herself into the work made it feel faster, lighter. She’d laugh as they pried open a stuck window or crack a joke when a shelf nearly toppled over her. He admired her tenacity, her willingness to get her hands dirty, her laughter that filled the empty spaces.

As the days blurred together, Knox felt the strange pull of her lodge—a place that somehow wrapped them up in its old wood and stone, drawing them closer with every nail and every brushstroke. It was more than just renovation; it was as though they were stitching their lives into its walls, binding themselves to this space and, maybe, to each other.

But the secret of Silver Falls loomed between them. It was a chasm that stretched wider with each passing day. As he glanced through his window toward the home Ruby had christened Bristlecone Bed & Breakfast, he thought of her. In the early evening, just as twilight was taking hold, her home seemed to take on a soft, almost ethereal, glow. Knox knew the dangers of their burgeoning attraction, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder if some risks weren’t worth taking.

Knox had always been a man of routine, but since Ruby's arrival in Silver Falls, the contours of his days had softened, bending toward her like trees to the sunlight. Morning jogs had been replaced by a leisurely amble to her place—sometimes as a man and sometimes as a bear. Afternoons once spent pouring overcouncil matters were now punctuated by the staccato sounds of renovating the bed and breakfast. He spent long hours there under the guise of working, but truth to tell, it was a convenient excuse to bask in her presence.

The signs were there, as clear as the stars scattered across the night sky above the Rockies. The subtle buzzing in his skull whenever she laughed, the way his stomach churned when he saw her chatting with anyone else—these were the primal signals of a shifter recognizing his fated mate. But Knox tried to ignore them, even attributing his increased irritability with the rest of his clan to the stress of having to maintain the secret of who he was. Deep down, though, he knew.

Ruby was unlike any woman he'd ever known. Her sunny, resilient nature challenged him, her wit kept him on his toes, and her candidness was both disarming and endearing. He found himself craving her company, seeking her out under the pretense of sampling her latest culinary creations—a convenient remedy for the nausea that seemed to vanish with every bite of her delicious food.

One particular evening, after a grueling day of negotiations with the neighboring wolf pack, Knox found himself at Ruby’s doorstep yet again. She opened the door, wiping flour-dusted hands on her apron, her hair cascading in soft waves around her shoulders.

"Hey, you!” she said as if she was happy to see him, but then sobered. “Rough day?" She looked up at him with knowing eyes.

"Something like that," Knox admitted, allowing the warmth of her smile to wash over him.

He stepped inside, the familiar comfort of her kitchen enveloping him. He caught site of something carved into the top of the doorjamb and ran his fingers over it. Scanning the room, he realized similar etchings were carved over others as well.

As Ruby turned back to the stew simmering on the stove, Knox watched the graceful sway of her hips, the curve of her back. The buzzing in his brain intensified, a symphony of warning and desire that he could no longer ignore. Yet he said nothing of his true nature, nothing of the fierce protectiveness that surged within him.

"Here, try this," Ruby said, offering him a spoonful of the rich broth. His fingers brushed hers as he took the spoon, sending a jolt of electricity through him. Their eyes locked, and the world seemed to pause. The look they exchanged seemed to convey more than words ever could.

In that prolonged touch, the connection between them crackled with unspoken passion, a yearning so potent it threatened to consume him. Knox felt the beast within stir, restless, ready to claim what was his. The secret of Silver Falls weighed heavily on his mind, though, a looming reminder of the truth he was not yet able to reveal.

"Perfect, as always," Knox managed to say, though the taste lingering on his tongue wasn't just from the stew.

"Thanks," Ruby replied, dropping her eyes, her voice becoming softer, a hint of something deeper beneath the casual gratitude.

The moment stretched, taut with the weight of unvoiced questions and possibilities. Knox knew he should back away, maintain the distance necessary to protect them both from a truth that could shatter the fragile peace of Silver Falls. Yet as he stood there, lost in the depths of Ruby's gaze, he understood that some distances were impossible to keep—and some truths, no matter how dangerous, were inevitable.

Knox closed Ruby’s door gently behind him, the warmth of her lodge still clinging to his skin as he stepped into the cool evening air. His jaw clenched, his mind replaying every stolen glance, every soft smile she’d given him. She had a way of looking at him that left a simmering heat in his veins, and walking away felt like an uphill battle against his own instincts.

As he strode down the trail, the trees thickened around him, their shadows stretching as dusk settled over the forest. By the time he was a safe distance from her lodge, the air hummed with energy, his bear itching to be set free.

With a low, frustrated growl, he let the shift begin. Mist swirled around his feet, curling up his legs and over his torso. Charged with that familiar, crackling power, thunder rolled and lightning flashed. His muscles expanded, his skin prickling with the transformation, until the mist dissipated, and he dropped onto all fours, his form fully merged with the hulking power of the bear.

Knox didn’t linger. He plunged forward into the woods, each massive stride pounding against the forest floor, his breath coming heavy and steady. Every branch that snapped beneath his paws, every tree trunk he brushed past, helped him work off the restless energy coiling inside him. He pushed himself harder, muscles straining, as though he could leave behind the lingering scent of her that clung to him, the softness of her touch that still lingered like a memory burned into his skin.

The distance between Ruby’s lodge and the clan’s compound melted under his relentless pace, the cool wind rushing through his fur, grounding him. The forest felt alive around him, a perfect counterpoint to the intensity churning within. Finally,he slowed, his breath coming in deep, steady pulls, his arousal gradually cooling into a manageable ache.

He paused by a stream, dipping his muzzle to the water, letting the chill soothe him further. The beast within him settled, but his thoughts still flickered back to Ruby, and a quiet, possessive rumble escaped his chest. Shaking himself, he continued toward the compound, his powerful strides now steady and calm, knowing he’d be back to her soon enough.

CHAPTER 5

RUBY

Ruby's consciousness stirred as the lingering threads of her intensely erotic dream clung to her mind. The dream had become reoccurring, visiting her nightly. Dreams like that were unusual for her, and she’d never had one where she had oral sex with a man, but didn’t get an orgasm of her own.

In an almost drugged haze of sleep and desire, she recalled the vivid imagery that had painted her slumber: Knox, his muscular form above her, and the undeniable heat between them. Her lips curved into a smile, eyes still closed, as she hugged herself, savoring the delicious remnants of the dream. No man, real or imagined, had ever captivated her imagination quite like Knox—his quiet strength, the rugged charm that resonated even in her subconscious.

The cool of the morning nipped at her bare arms as she reluctantly slid out of bed, the wooden floor creaking softly under her feet. The lodge was silent, the gentle hum of nature outside her only companion. She padded toward the kitchen, her thoughts still tangled with images of Knox—the way his eyes seemed to pierce through her, the rough timbre of his voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

As Ruby placed her favorite coffee pod in her coffee maker, she couldn't shake the sense of longing that the dream had stirred within her. She yearned for something undefined yet deeply primal, a connection that went beyond the physical—a yearning she hadn't realized was there until Knox stepped into her life. With every thought of him, a spark of arousal kindled within her, warming her from the inside out. But it wasn’t just lust. There was something about Knox that called to something deep inside her. It was a call she had never heard before, but that some part of her was eager to answer.

With her coffee made, Ruby stirred in a drizzle of the local honey she’d purchased from the grocery store in town. Wrapping her hands around the mug, Ruby inhaled the steamy aroma with its comforting promise of caffeine. As she leaned against the counter and peered out the kitchen window, her gaze was drawn to the serene beauty of Silver Falls.

It was then that she caught sight of an enormous grizzly bear ambling past. Its massive form moved with a confident grace that belied its size, and for a moment, Ruby forgot how to breathe.

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