Page 27 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Maid

As I approached his office, Dean's voice drifted out, tense and urgent.

"Levi, I didn't mean to mark her, it just happened. My wolf took over and claimed her as my mate."

I froze, coffee cup trembling in my hand.

"Yes, I know what it means!" Dean's growl held an inhuman quality that sent shivers down my spine. "She's human. How am I supposed to explain that I'm a wolf shifter? That I've bound her to me forever with that bite?"

The cup slipped from my numb fingers, shattering on the floor. Coffee spread like dark blood around my bare feet.

"Nina?" Dean appeared in the doorway. The phone was forgotten in his hand, his face pale with shock. His hazel eyes held a wild, almost feral quality I'd never noticed before. Or maybe I had, but I'd dismissed it as a trick of the light.

Now, I remembered all those little moments. From his growls of frustration, to his uncanny ability to sense when I was nearby, to the way his eyes seemed to glow when he was angry. Everything clicked into terrifying clarity. All those times I'd joked about him being an animal when he worked through the night, or teased him about his territorial nature over his office space, I hadn't known how right I was.

"Wolf shifter," I whispered, backing away from the spreading coffee. My bare feet left damp footprints. "You turned me into—"

"No!" Dean stepped toward me, then stopped when I flinched. Raw pain flashed across his face. "Please don't look at me like that," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Like I'm a monster."

"I'm not." But wasn't I? The way I'd backed away. He must have felt the fear that must be radiating from me. I forced myself to take a steadying breath. "I'm looking at you like someone who just discovered everything they thought they knew about the world was wrong."

"The mark doesn't turn you. It just connects us."

"Connects us?" My hand flew to my neck, to that strange, raised mark that now felt like it was pulsing with heat. "What does that mean exactly?"

Jenkins chose that moment to interrupt. "Shall I clean up the coffee, sir? Though I must say, dramatic revelations are better suited to the living room. The wooden floor is quite porous."

"Not now, Jenkins," Dean snapped, running a hand through his disheveled dark hair. His movements were agitated, and for the first time, I recognized it as predatory. "Nina, please. Let me explain."

I squared my shoulders, channeling every ounce of optimism I'd ever possessed. "Yes, let's explain. Starting with why you waited until after you'd marked me to mention you're not human."

His jaw clenched, muscles working beneath his skin. "I never planned to mark you. My wolf recognized you as mate as soon as we met, and last night, when we were together, I lost control."He growled in frustration, and this time I couldn't dismiss the animalistic sound.

"Your wolf?" I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly very aware that I was wearing nothing but his shirt. "You talk about it like it's separate from you."

"It is. And it isn't." Dean took a careful step closer, his movements measured like he was afraid of spooking me. "It's part of me, but sometimes it has its own impulses. Especially regarding mates."

"Mates," I echoed faintly. "Like werewolf mates? Forever mates?"

He nodded, and despite my fear and confusion, I couldn't help but notice how vulnerable he looked. The powerful, grumpy CEO I'd come to know was gone, replaced by a man who seemed terrified I might run screaming.

I should run. Any sane person would.

But my mind flashed to the moments when he had been vulnerable, and the times he hovered whenever I worked too long and had forgotten to eat. The way he pretended to work while keeping an eye on me. Now I wondered, had his wolf been worried about me even then?

Even his grumpiness had become endearing. And hadn't I always sensed something wild and untamed beneath his controlled exterior?

"Does it hurt you?" I asked finally. "Being what you are?"

Surprise flickered across his face, followed by a wave of emotion so strong I felt it echo in my chest. Relief. Hope. And somethingdeeper. That must have been the connection he was talking about.

"No," he said softly. "It's just part of who I am. Who I've always been."

Something in his tone made me pause. How lonely must it have been, carrying this secret his whole life? How many people had he trusted with this truth, only to have them run away? The mark on my neck tingled, as if responding to my thoughts. Maybe that's why the wolf chose me, because deep down, it knew I would understand what it meant to be different, to hide parts of yourself from the world.

I nodded slowly as I processed everything. "And this mark, what does it really mean for us?" My fingers traced the slightly raised skin, which seemed to warm at my touch.

Dean moved closer, and this time I didn't back away. "It means we're mate bonded. You'll be able to sense my emotions, especially strong ones. I'll be able to sense yours. It's a tie that can't be broken."

"Forever," I whispered, remembering his words from the phone call.

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