Page 30 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Chef

I barely felt the pain. Her touch and her concern were all that mattered. The bond between us hummed, a warm balm soothing my raw adrenaline-singed veins. I cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing lightly over her skin. "You're safe. That's all I care about."

Denver stepped next to Boris's corpse, his amber eyes flickering between human and wolf as he surveyed the carnage. "This isn't over," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "Boris had allies. And they'll come for her."

"They'll try," I growled, pulling Ivy closer. My wolf bristled at the thought of anyone daring to touch her again.

Ivy's fingers tightened on mine. "And we'll take all of them out one by one." The bond between us hummed with her conviction, her strength. It was intoxicating, infuriating, and utterly undeniable.

I exhaled sharply, my forehead resting against hers. "You're going to be the death of me," I muttered.

She smirked, the faintest hint of mischief in her eyes. "Guess you'll just have to keep up."

Behind us, Denver cleared his throat. "As touching as this is, we've got a mess to clean up and a traitor to find."

I straightened, pulling Ivy to my side as I turned to face them. "Brody, secure the building. Denver, track down whoeverleaked the security details." I glanced down at Ivy, my resolve hardening. "You stay with me. No arguments."

She rolled her eyes but didn't protest. "Fine. But I'm holding you to that partner thing."

"Deal," I said, my lips twitching upwards in spite of myself.

As we moved through the wreckage of the test kitchen, Ivy's hand stayed firmly in mine. The fight wasn't over. But with her by my side, I felt like I could take on any obstacle.

And I'd burn the world down before I let anyone take that away from me.

Chapter 11

IVY

The office smelled of stale coffee and gunpowder.

Brody and Cameron had been at it all night—interrogating security feeds, barking orders into phones, their wolves simmering just beneath their skin. I curled my hands around my mug, letting the heat sear my palms as I chased the last dregs of adrenaline from my veins. My body was sore, my mind racing, but the bond between Cameron and me hummed with a steady warmth that kept me grounded.

Cameron paced the length of the room, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark with barely contained rage. Every third pass, he'd glance at me, his gaze softening for a fraction of a second before hardening again. I knew that look. He was replaying the fight in his head, obsessing over every moment where I'd been in danger. I wanted to tell him to stop, to reassure him that I was fine, but I also knew he needed to process this in his own way.

The door slammed open. Brody strode in, a manila file crumpled in his fist. "We found the leak." He tossed it onto the table.Photos of grainy stills of a security guard pocketing cash, a timestamp from before FoodieCon. "Michael. Boris paid him upfront, then threatened his daughter."

Cameron's growl rumbled through the room as he snatched up the file. "Where is he?"

"In custody," Brody said, taking a step to block Cameron's advance. "I will handle it. But we need to focus on the bigger picture. Boris's men are still out there, and they're not going to let this go."

I set my coffee down, my stomach churning at the thought of more danger. Cameron's gaze locked onto me, his pupils turning into a wolf's. "What's the plan?"

He turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "Brody and I will take down anyone else who's a threat. You stay here at the office and the penthouse where it is safe."

I set my mug down with a clink. "Try again, Fitzgerald."

He hesitated, his jaw tightening. For a heartbeat, I thought he'd argue. Then his shoulders dropped. "Christ, Ivy." He raked a hand through his hair. "You're going to be the death of me."

"Partners," I reminded him, stepping closer. "Or did you mean that only when it's convenient?"

A muscle jumped in his cheek. "Fine." He caught my wrist, his thumb brushing my pulse point. "But you stick to me like a shadow. No more heroics."

I arched a brow. "Says the man who shifted mid-air to body-slam a werewolf."

Brody snorted. "She's got you there, boss."

Over the next month, Brody worked tirelessly to dismantle Boris's network, while Cameron and I focused all of our energy on rebuilding Cam's Comfy Cuisine's reputation. Despite our strong showing at FoodieCon, the stock price continued to fall to an all-time low. The numbers glowed on my laptop screen, CCC's stock price barely limping out of the grave. I slumped back in my office chair, rubbing my temples.

We launched a heavy marketing campaign, partnering with influencers and food bloggers to showcase the kits. I also found myself making my debut in front of the camera as the company's new spokesperson. After cursing Cameron out, I pasted on a cheery smile and demonstrated the new meal kit with notorious Hollywood A-list actor Levi Storm on a morning talk show. The response was overwhelming. It didn't take too long to win back investor confidence and the stock price and sales began to climb steadily. It felt good to see the company on the rise again and to know that our hard work was paying off.

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