Page 4 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Fixer (My Grumpy Werewolf Boss #5)

LEVI

I barely registered the French doors slamming open as I stormed onto the terrace, the ocean wind whipping through my hair. Krista was right behind me, her bare feet slapping against the stone.

"You don't get to walk away from this!" she snapped.

I whirled on her. "You think I want to hear her voice like that?" I let out a chest rumbling snarl. "They killed her, Krista. And now they're coming for me."

Selene's terrified voice still echoed in my skull. It would haunt me forever.

A hand closed around my bicep. Small but unrelenting. Krista. She stepped into my space, undeterred by my growl. "Then fight smarter. Not harder."

I spun on her, the growl in my chest building to a roar. "Back. Off." Grabbing her wrist just firmly enough to make her listen, I towered over her and stared her down. "You don't know what Dante's capable of."

Her pulse jumped under my fingers, but she didn't pull away. Just tilted her chin up, eyes blazing. "And you don't know what I'm capable of." She poked at my chest with each word. "We're in this together, you stubborn ass."

My breath came in sharp, ragged bursts. The wolf wanted to lash out. To tear something apart. But Krista stood her ground. "You don't understand what I am," I snarled.

She stepped closer, forcing me back with sheer will. "I don't care. But I won't let you turn into the monster they're painting you as."

A flicker of movement in the trees beyond the property line caught my eye. A glint of glass. A telephoto lens.

Shit.

I dropped her arm like she'd burned me, but it was too late. The damage was done.

Krista followed my gaze, her breath hitching. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

I grabbed Krista's hand and pulled her back to the kitchen. Garret materialized as soon as we stepped inside. "Boss. Security feed showed Troy Mercer skulking near the east gate. He's gone, but it's only a matter of time before he spins something for the tabloids."

The next morning, the photo was everywhere. It was doctored, but convincing and it showed me gripping Krista's forearm, my face twisted in what looked like rage. TMZ's latest headline glared back at me from my phone: STORM'S NEW VICTIM? Leaked Photo Shows Levi Grabbing PR Rep in Violent Altercation. Never mind that she'd been the one pushing me. Never mind that her fingers had curled into my shirt right after.

The world only saw what it wanted to see.

The phone cracked in my fist.

Krista snatched her phone from her back pocket. "Zane's already on it. The shelter footage is buying us goodwill, but we need to bury this before it spreads." She exhaled sharply through her nose. "Okay. New plan. We lean into the shelter angle hard. Show them the Levi the strays know."

The shelter reeked of antiseptic and wet dogs. Volunteers shuffled around us, throwing wary glances our way until Krista charmed them with a smile and a clipboard like she owned the place.

Then I saw him, a one-eyed Chihuahua mix named Sunny, who'd arrived last week after being dumped on the freeway. The little demon took one look at me, sniffed, and launched himself at my knees.

Krista went preternaturally still beside me as I crouched to scratch behind his torn ear.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as Sunny licked my knuckles. "You're a menace."

When I glanced up, Krista's lips were parted, her expression caught somewhere between shock and awe. She swallowed. "Huh."

The shelter's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the rows of kennels. Sunny wriggled in my arms, his stubby tail vibrating like a hummingbird's wings as I scratched under his chin. His one good eye rolled back in bliss, tongue lolling.

Krista pulled out her phone and aimed the camera at me.

I shot her a glare. "You're enjoying this."

She smirked, adjusting the angle. "Immensely."

I sighed and set Sunny down, but he immediately flopped onto his back, paws in the air, demanding belly rubs. Traitor.

One of the volunteers, a college kid with a nose ring, nudged a carrier toward me. "Mr. Storm, we just got this little guy in last night. Found him in a storm drain. He's skittish."

Inside, a scrawny black kitten hunched in the corner, fur puffed up like a Halloween decoration. His yellow eyes tracked every movement, pupils blown wide with fear.

Krista crouched beside me, her shoulder brushing mine. "Think you can work your magic on this one, wolf boy?"

I ignored the jab and reached in slowly, letting the kitten sniff my fingers. His tiny nose twitched. Then, with a hiss that sounded more pathetic than threatening, he swiped at me.

Krista snorted. "Oh, you've got the same personality."

I shot her a look. "Quiet. You're scaring him."

She rolled her eyes but kept her phone trained on the kitten and me.

I kept my movements slow and deliberate, letting the kitten get comfortable and make the choice to come to me. After a tense minute, the kitten's ears twitched forward. Another minute, and he leaned in, sniffing again. Then, with the grace of a creature who'd decided I wasn't a threat, or at least, not worth the energy to fight, he butted his head against my knuckles.

Krista's breath hitched. "Levi," she whispered in amazement.

I didn't look at her. Didn't trust what my face might be doing. Instead, I scooped the kitten into my palm, cradling him against my chest. His tiny claws pricked my skin through my shirt, but he didn't bolt. Just curled into a tight, trembling ball, his purr a tiny rumble against my ribs.

Krista's fingers brushed my elbow. "You're good at this."

I grunted. "It's not hard. They just need to know you're not going to hurt them."

She was quiet for a beat. Then, softer: "Yeah. I get that."

When I finally glanced up, her phone was lowered, her gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart beat like a drum and my stomach flipflop. From the chaos of the shelter from the barking dogs, to the chatter of volunteers, to the squeak of sneakers on linoleum, it all faded into the background until it was just her and me and this moment.

Then Sunny barreled into my shin, yipping excitedly and demanding attention.

Krista cleared her throat, lifting her phone again. "Okay, big guy. One more shot of you looking like a Disney prince, and then we'll call it a day."

I scowled.

She snapped the photo anyway, grinning. "Perfect."

The kitten in my hands kneaded his paws against my thumb, purring louder.

Something in my chest unclenched.

The kitten purred against my chest, his tiny body a warm, trusting weight. For a moment, the world felt quiet and simple. Nothing could ruin the rare peace of holding something so small and fragile that wasn't afraid of me.

Then my phone buzzed.

Krista gave me that knowing look. "Trouble?"

I ignored the message until the phone vibrated again. When I finally checked, Garrett's text burned into my vision.

Garrett: Dean found more evidence.

Garrett: Dante paid Selene's dealer to spike her drinks. Call me ASAP.

The kitten squirmed in my grip as my hands shook. Krista's smile vanished.

"Levi?"

That bastard had her killed and then framed me for it.

Before I could answer her, her own phone rang. Zane's panicked voice blared through. "We've got a problem. Dante's lawyers just filed a restraining order claiming Levi threatened him after Selene's death. The media's eating it up."

That night, I found Krista hunched over her laptop in the library, curls piled in a messy bun. The firelight painted her skin gold, and for a reckless second, I let myself stare.

She turned, her eyes soft and heavy with exhaustion. "You should sleep."

I hesitated. "You didn't have to stay."

"Of course I did." Her smile was tired but real. "Someone's gotta keep you from burning the world down."

Something in my chest twisted. "Krista." Her name tasted too raw. "Thank you."

She stilled.

I reached out without thinking, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Her breath stuttered. My thumb grazed her cheekbone, and I savored the feeling of her soft skin.

Then my phone rang. It was Alan, my lawyer. Reality slammed back in.

I jerked away. "I have to take this."

Krista's face shuttered. "Right. Work always comes first."

Before I could say another word, she turned back to her computer. As I quietly closed the door behind me, it felt like a brick wall standing between us.