Page 12 of Billionaire Wolf Needs an Assistant

"Celeste," he said flatly. "What an unwelcome surprise."

My eyes darted between the two of them, trying to piece together the history that hung heavy in the air. While Reeve stared ahead at the table like he had seen a ghost, Celeste looked like the cat who swallowed the canary. What was the connection between them?

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your little friend?" she purred. Celeste's smile was pure venom. Her companion giggled mockingly. Both women loomed over our table with practiced intimidation. "How sweet to see you branching out socially."

"This is Ms. Clark, my assistant." Reeve's voice had gone cold and formal, all earlier warmth evaporating. "Ms. Clark, Celeste Blackwolf and Rachel Lightblood."

Whoever this woman was, it was clear that her presence caused Reeve pain. And for that, I hated her guts. I forced out a polite smile even though all I wanted to do was slap that smug grin off of her face. "Lovely to meet you both."

"How quaint." Celeste's perfect nose wrinkled as she deliberately scented the air. "Though I suppose someone has to handle the grunt work. Still, darling, dining with the help? What would Victoria say?"

Reeve tensed, the muscle in his jaw jumping like he had been shocked. Before he could respond, I smiled sweetly up at Celeste. "I'm sure she'd say it's none of your business. After all, it appears you are no longer a close part of the Song family."

Rachel gasped. Celeste's eyes flashed with fury, and a low growl escaped her throat. For a moment, I thought she was going to lunge across the table and take a swipe at me with her crimson tipped claws.

Silence descended across the dining room as the patrons waited to see what kind of drama was about to unfold.

"You let your human speak to me that way?" Celeste demanded, her perfect composure cracking to reveal the predator beneath.

"Ms. Clark speaks for herself. If you'll excuse us, we're trying to have dinner."

Reeve ignored her, turning his attention back to me. He topped off both our glasses with wine as if Celeste and Rachel were nothing more than pests.

The two women left after they failed to provoke a response out of Reeve, but the damage was already done. Reeve retreated behind his cold mask and responded to my attempts at conversation with one-word answers through the meal. Tight lines emerged around his mouth and forehead. The candlelight that had seemed warm and romantic earlier now cast harsh shadows across his face.

Later, back in the helicopter, I finally broke the heavy silence. The city lights below seemed dimmer now, the magic of our earlier flight lost to old wounds. "She hurt you badly."

He didn't respond for so long that I thought he wasn't going to answer me. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, almost broken. "Valentine's Day. Three years ago. She told me she'd found her true mate in Alexander Blackwolf. I was not wolf enough nor man enough for her." He shot me a sad look. "She was right. I don't know how to be what anyone needs."

"Hey." I reached out, touching his arm gently. His muscles were tense beneath my fingers. "She was wrong. You're everything I want, and more." I finally admitted the truth to myself, that I was falling in love with my grumpy wolf shifter boss.

He looked at me then. For a moment, I thought I had broken through those carefully constructed walls around his heart. He seemed to lean toward me for comfort, but then he turned away as we landed. The walls slammed back into place, higher and thicker than ever.

When we landed, he helped me out of the helicopter, but there was a stiffness to his touch. "Goodnight, Katie," he said once we were back on solid ground. "Thank you for your company."

His shoulders were rigid and bunched as he turned and walked away. I watched him go, my own heart aching with the need to heal his. Celeste might have broken him on Valentine's Day, but I was determined to help him trust again.

Even if it meant risking my own heart in the process.

Chapter 7

REEVE

My wolf was a feral beast, clawing at the edges of my sanity, tearing me apart from the inside.

It had been three days since the disaster with Celeste. Three days of Katie's scent driving me to the brink of madness. Every time she walked past my door, I had to stop myself from lunging at her and claiming her. There was nothing I wanted more than to spread her across my desk and pleasure her until she was the one howling out her desire.

She was mine. My mate. My home. My heart.

But if I gave into my craving for her, then everything would change. My pack's expectations of me, the responsibility to preserve our pure bloodline, all of it hung over my head like a knife.

The rest of the Song pack was never going to accept her. They would see her as a weakness, a stain on our legacy. And yet, every fiber of my being screamed for her.

The entire office became a minefield of tension. Employees scattered like frightened mice whenever I passed by. Not even Sophia dared to pull her usual shenanigans. Only Katie seemed like she wasn't afraid of me, maintaining her perfect professional courtesy. She didn't cower. Didn't run away.

And that only made it harder.

It was a lie, of course. Her racing pulse gave her away every time.

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