Page 30 of The Billionaire Alpha's Assistant

Chapter Eleven

Rafael

I lie awake longafter Alex’s slow languid breaths turn to light snores. My muscles feel heavy and content, but my skin itches with the urge to shift. I haven’t had a decent run in days, and my wolf is restless.

Careful not to wake my sleeping beauty, I slip out of bed and go out onto the deck. It’s stopped snowing. The moon has come out from behind the clouds, and there’s enough light to see by. I walk down to the edge of my property, which abuts the dense aspen forest.

Finally, I let myself go. My spine bends as my bones break and reshape themselves, and I stifle a moan as my muscles and tendons rip and regrow. Fur sprouts all over my body, my vision changes, and the pads of my paws spread out in the snow.

The scent of pine and a wild musk fills my nostrils — the scent of my next kill.

My breath forms a cloud around me as I look up at the snowy trees. Out here, it’s quiet. Out here, I can think.

There are no responsibilities.

No fires to put out.

No expectations.

Nothing except me and the mountain.

I take off up the hill, savoring the freedom and joy that comes from running on four legs. My ears fill with the crunch of snow under my paws, but then I hear the skitter of much smaller feet. A rabbit.

A growl rumbles up my throat, and I change direction. With the cold air in my lungs and the wind in my fur, it makes me wonder why I ever return to human form.

When I’m a wolf, things aren’t so fucking complicated. I hunt. I kill. I take what I want.

In the human world, I have to blunt my animal impulses — impulses like fucking the beautiful woman asleep in my bed.

Even in wolf form, I know I shouldn’t have gone there with Alex — not when the urge to claim her is so strong.

Among shifters, alphas have a reputation for being impulsive, warmongering hotheads, but I’ve always prided myself on staying in control. It’s safer for me and my pack that way.

That’s why I’ve built my life on structure and routine. It’s to ensure that I don’t slip up and endanger my company or my pack.

But with Alex, my usual coping strategies are completely useless. She brings out all the alpha qualities I detest — the ones I’ve worked so hard to suppress.

Somewhere along the line, I decided that I’d do anything for this woman. I’d burn down the world if she asked me.

That’s why I need to end things.

The thought draws a whine from my throat, but I just push my legs harder.

If I don’t break things off, I’ll end up taking Alex for my mate, breeding her, and turning all my focus to her. My pack will fall apart. My company will deteriorate. Everything I’ve worked so hard to build will crumble.

By the time I return to the lodge, my muscles are sore, and my lungs feel raw from the cold. I know what I have to do.

I pad up onto the deck and shift, rising up on two legs and shaking off the remnants of the change. The deck is heated, so it’s clear of snow, but the boards are freezing under my feet.

I take a step toward the French doors leading to my bedroom, but then I hear a strangled squeak, followed by a loud splash.

My neck stiffens as I turn toward the hot tub, where a naked Alex is clambering out of the water. Her eyes go wide when she sees me notice her, and all the blood seems to drain from her face.

“Alex —”

“Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpers, still crouched on the stone edge of the hot tub. Her wet skin glistens silver in the moonlight, and the steam wafting off her body gives her an ethereal quality.

“I wouldn’t. Please, I can explain.”

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