Page 78 of Oklahoma Storms
While I don’t know what they are saying, body language can be read, and Nariko is furious.
My mate throws her hands in the air as she yells at her brother, dropping the blanket she had wrapped around her. The wind carries it a few feet away, swirling like a twister, spinning until it falls to the ground.
The bitterness of frustration and anger sinks into me from Ruka and Nariko. I stand, leaning against a pillar, crossing my arms as I watch the argument become more heated.
Ruka grabs at the sides of his head, laughing at his sister, his cackle dripping with disbelief. He spins around, kicking at the ground. He taps the side of his head, a gesture that makes me growl, and I walk down a step, wanting to make my presence known.
He stretches an arm out towards the house, my name clear on his lips.
Nariko’s voice becomes higher; her words catch in her throat from hurt. To my surprise, she shoves Ruka, pointing a finger in his face as tears run down her cheeks.
Absolutely not. No one makes my mate cry. No one makes her feel bad about herself. Fucking no one. Not even me, and if I ever do, I hope she puts me in my place.
I take another step, anger building in my chest that’s coming from Nariko. She is livid.
“You know what,” I yell, interrupting them mid-shouting match. “I’m going to go grab a shirt. I’ll be right back.” Their fighting is about to come to an end.
They don’t hear me through the ruckus of the noise they create. I use my speed to grab a Dead Man’s Ranch shirt and tug it over my head while I run outside again.
Just in time to see Nariko shove her brother again.
I might not like Ruka at the moment, but what I do know is he loves her. He’s worried about her. The warmth of his love for her blooms in my chest, and that’s the only reason I haven’t killed him for how he has spoken to her.
No one, fucking no one, raises their voice to Nariko.
I jump down the steps at the same time thunder clatters in the sky. Nariko wipes her cheeks free of tears, and Ruka stands there with his hands on his hips, his gaze tilted toward the morning sky.
Stepping between them, I press my hand against Ruka’s chest, and as gently as I can, shove him back. I might have added a little too much pressure, and he stumbles, arms flailing, and he smacks into the fence.
“That’s enough,” I warn him, blocking his ability to look at his sister. “I will deal with a lot for Nariko when it comes to you, but I won’t ever be okay with you yelling at her. You won’t speak to her like that again.” I’m nearly nose to nose with him, my true nature hovering at the surface. A pale red hue overcomes myvision, and Ruka scrubs his face, then narrows his eyes to see if he saw what he thought he did.
I love to keep him guessing.
“I’m going to take her on the tour of the ranch. You all need some space. With all that yelling, you’ll wake the damn neighbors.”
“You don’t have neighbors,” Ruka retorts, straightening his shirt, then peeks over my shoulder at Nariko.
I step in his way. “If I did, you would have pissed them off with your loud mouth.”
“Oh, fuck you, Oklahoma. You know my sister, what, a few days, and you think you know what is better for her than I do?”
I can’t stop the snarl that escapes me. His eyes widen, and the smallest amount of fear trickles from him.
Good.
He should be afraid of me.
“I’ll tell you this one time.” I lift a finger. “I do know what’s best for her. In ways you will never understand. My mind isn’t clouded by years of family history or brotherly protection. I have the amazing gift of getting to know her in ways you will never understand or get the chance to. She is a grown woman. She is capable of making her own decisions. Nariko doesn’t need anyone telling her what to do. As you said, she doesn’t need anyone making decisions for her.”
Ruka laces his fingers behind his head, stressed. “Nariko, if you want to chase today, you know where to find me.” With those final words, he walks towards the cabin where the rest of the Dust Bunnies team stays.
I watch his retreating form, and he stares across the wide open plains, either watching the weather or the cows grazing the field. Even as he puts distance between us, his emotions hang in the air in his wake. He’s aggravated, but there’s something else, a weight that only sadness holds.
I’ll check in on him later. He is her brother, which means he is family. Ruka tries my patience and gets under my skin. The one thing he has going for him is that he loves his sister. He cares about her safety and happiness. I respect that, which is why I’ll see how he is doing later after Nariko and he have some time apart.
“Hey, Sugar.” I stand in front of her and tilt her head up by her chin. The whites of her eyes are red, and big tears fall, wetting her cheeks. The hurt comes off her in waves. The emotion is so strong, it nearly has me lose my breath. “What happened? Are you okay? Talk to me.” I wipe her cheeks with my thumb, cupping her jaw in my hand.
She sniffles and bends down to pick up the blanket, wrapping the soft material around herself. More tears fall faster, her sobs becoming uncontrollable. Without saying another word, I pull her against me, embracing her in a tight hold.
