Page 21 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Fake Girlfriend

But Ethan wasn't deterred. He lunged forward, his movements erratic and unpredictable. Denver let out a low rumbling snarl and pushed me out of the way.

I scrambled behind a parked car and watched as Ethan collided with Denver. The impact knocked him off of balance, but Denver was much bigger and muscular compared to Ethan's wiry frame. With a supernaturally quick motion, Denver grabbed Ethan by the collar and slammed him against a concrete column with enough force to knock the wind out of him. He took advantage of the moment as Ethan was stunned and wrenched the knife from his hand, tossing it away.

"You are not going anywhere near her." Denver's words were so garbled. It didn't even sound like they were spoken by a human.

Ethan struggled against Denver's grip. His face distorted with rage. "She's mine!" He was beyond reason, twisting and thrashing frantically like a wild animal. To my surprise, he squirmed free from Denver's grip and dashed for the discarded knife.

A loud booming roar echoed around the parking structure, causing the entire building to shake. I sucked in a breath and stared wide-eyed shock as Denver's body began to change. Muscles grew and rippled, tearing through the fabric of his suit. Dark fur sprouted from his skin, covering the tanned smooth surface until it was as thick as an animal pelt. He dropped onto his hands and knees as his fingers twisted and turned into claws. Denver turned his head toward me, and I gasped at the primal beast with blue eyes that stared at me. He was a wolf.

I had known that wolf shifters ran Huntington Harbor, but I never suspected that Denver was one of them.

Ethan's eyes widened with terror, the knife hanging limply from his hand as he stumbled back. "What the fuck are you?" he stammered.

The wolf let out a deafening snarl and lunged at him. Ethan screamed, bringing his arm up and slashing the knife in the air. His efforts to fend off the wolf's attack were useless.

With one swipe of his claws, Ethan fell to the ground in a bloody pile. I watched in frozen awe, my heart pounding as the gruesome scene unfolded. Denver pounced on his prey, pinning Ethan in place and landing several strikes with his claws.

Ethan's whimpers grew weaker until they finally stopped. Oh my god, Denver killed him, I realized.

"Denver!" I cried out. "You have to stop."

The wolf turned to me and snarled. Droplets of blood decorated his face like a mask made of rubies.

Despite his fearsome appearance, I was not afraid. No, underneath the form of the beast was the man whom I loved.

The wolf let out a low growl, turning away from me and back to Ethan.

"Please, he's dead," I pleaded.

Placing a hand on his fur-covered back, I swallowed the sick that threatened to come up my throat at the blood surrounding us. "I know you're still in there."

The wolf looked up at me again, his piercing blue eyes locking with mine. For a moment, I doubted myself. Who was in control right now, Denver or the beast? If I was wrong, then the wolf was going to kill me.

For a moment, we were both paralyzed. Then, I felt him tremble beneath my palm. Slowly, the wolf began to shift, the giant animal shrinking and elongating back into human form. Like a magic trick, Denver stood in front of me once again.

"Denver," I whispered. I placed a hand on his bare chest.

He flinched and looked away from me. His expression was filled with guilt and to my surprise, shame. "Sasha, you shouldn't be around me."

I cut him off, throwing myself into his arms and hugging him tightly. "I don't care that you're a wolf," I cried into his chest. "You saved us."

He hesitated before wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "I thought I was going to lose you. I didn't want you to see me as a monster." His voice broke with emotion.

I pulled back slightly and cupped his face with my hands. "Denver, you're not a monster. You're still you and I love you in any form."

"I love you too, Sasha. I will always protect you. Always."

Our lips met in a kiss that was fierce and desperate. When we finally pulled apart, I rested my forehead against his, my heart still racing but my mind clearer than ever.

"Let's go home," I whispered.

He nodded, his eyes softening as he looked at me. "Home."

Chapter 9

DENVER

The warm water of the bathtub lapped gently against my skin, but it did little to soothe the storm raging inside me. I leaned back and rested my head against the porcelain edge of the tub, the coolness of the ceramic a stark contrast to the heat surrounding me. Closing my eyes, I tried to steady my breathing, as if I could breathe away the images that haunted me.

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