Ruby stared out of the window of the office, watching as the sky darkened with night fall. She could see the moon rise and felt the heat from the wolf coursing through her body. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.
Tonight would be a true test of what she was capable of. She promised to stay home, not to run in the woods like the wolf was trying to get her to do. It was their anniversary, and there was no way she was leaving Belle home alone.
"Hey..." Belle greeted softly. She slowly moved Ruby's hair away from her neck and placed a gentle kiss on the side. She pulled back quickly at the feel of the heat coming off of her girlfriend's neck. "Oh, honey, you're burning up."
Ruby could see her from her peripheral vision, but her eyes remained locked on the outside. "I'm fine."
"No, no, you're not." Belle turned her so she was fully looking at her. She smiled warmly, resting her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Go." She motioned her head toward the outside world. "We can celebrate when you get back."
Ruby smiled at the gesture. She touched Belle's chin. "I'm fine." She kissed her lips softly then pulled back to look into her eyes. "I'm not leaving you on our anniversary."
"Bu – "
"No but's." Ruby interrupted, placing her finger over her love's lips to stop her next protest. "I'm staying. I just need to keep my mind focused on other things." She smiled widely as she wrapped her arms around Belle's waist. "Like you, for instance."
Belle smiled brightly. "I have an idea." She slowly wrapped her arms around her neck. "How about I make some tea and I'll read to you for a little bit until the wolf relaxes?"
"That sounds nice."
Belle leaned up and kissed her lips. She pulled back slowly and smiled. "I'll be back shortly." She touched her face and exited the office.
Ruby stepped away from the window and walked over to the couch. She sat down, hoping that no longer being on her feet would keep the inner wolf from clawing at her. She sat still, calmly taking in breaths. She closed her eyes as she clenched her fists. The heat was starting to become unbearable.
It had been a long time since she hadn't gone running. It helped with the extra adrenaline the wolf seemed to pump through her veins. She decided sitting was no longer the best option and leapt to her feet.
Ruby started to pace. Maybe walking would help. Give the illusion of running. But the wolf pushed harder. It wasn't being fooled by human form Ruby pacing the wooden floor. If the wolf was going to release this excess energy, it was going to need something more powerful than that.
She brought her hands to the back of her neck, feeling the sweat as it beaded up. As she continued to pace, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She walked closer to examine her eyes. Yellow was forming around the hazel. The natural color fighting to stay visible.
She muttered a curse. She had to do something to rid herself of this feeling. Her eyes flashed with an idea of what to do. Her lip curled in a smirk and she shrugged inwardly.
It was their anniversary, after all.…
Belle entered the room carrying a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Her focus was solely on the open book in her hand. She didn't even notice Ruby stomping toward her, the passion in her eyes, the evil smirk on her lips.
"Honey, I found this book in the fiction section ab – " Her sentence was abruptly cut short by the fact that she had been lifted off the ground. She suddenly found herself resting on Ruby's shoulder, her own jaw slacked in shock. "Ruby! What are you doing?! Put me down!"
"I will," Ruby assured her, holding her tightly on her shoulder. She carried her toward the stairs effortlessly. Her smirk spread wickedly across her face. "Once we get upstairs…."