Page 11 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Maid (My Grumpy Werewolf Boss #6)

NINA

I stretched languidly in Dean's massive bed. Everything ached in the most delicious way, a sweet reminder of our passionate night together. The silk sheets whispered against my skin, carrying his scent that made my heart flutter.

But when I caught my reflection in the mirrored closet doors, my contented smile faltered. There, stark against my pale skin, was a mark on my neck. It wasn't quite a bruise, not quite a bite, but something otherworldly. The raised pink edges seemed to shimmer slightly in the morning light in a way that wasn't quite normal.

"Jenkins?" I whispered, suddenly aware of how alone I felt in the massive bedroom. "Where's Dean?"

"Mr. Nightfang is in his office taking an urgent call," the AI responded smoothly. "Though I must say, you look rather marked this morning."

Was it my imagination, or did Jenkins sound amused? I pulled one of Dean's dress shirts from the closet around me, the expensive fabric swimming around my petite frame. "I'll bring him some coffee."

In the kitchen, I prepared Dean's coffee exactly how he liked it. The familiar routine helped settle my nerves, even as my fingers kept straying to that strange mark on my neck.

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 something deeper. 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.

"Yes." His voice was rough with emotion. "I'm sorry, Nina. I should have told you everything before."

"Before you claimed me as your mate?"

He flinched at my blunt words. "Yes."

I studied him carefully, seeing him with new eyes. The predatory grace I'd attributed to his athletic build, the intensity I'd blamed on his genius. It all made sense now. He wasn't just a billionaire with a temper. He was literally part wolf.

I studied the sharp angles of his face, the tension in his jaw. He looked simultaneously more human and less than I'd ever seen him, vulnerable and powerful all at once. My heart ached with the complexity of it all, with the weight of this moment that would forever divide my life into before and after.

"Show me," I said suddenly.

"What?"

"Your wolf. If I'm going to be bound to you forever, I want to see all of you."

Dean stared at me for a long moment, and I watched in fascination as his hazel eyes changed, gold spreading from his pupils like honey in warm tea. My heart pounded, not from fear, but from the raw power radiating from him. The mark on my neck pulsed in response.

"Not here. Not like this," he said, voice rough with restraint. His fingers flexed at his sides, and I sensed he was holding something back. "When the time is right, I'll show you everything. I don't want to overwhelm you more than I already have."

"You think seeing your wolf form would be more overwhelming than finding out I'm supernaturally bound to you for eternity?" I asked, trying to lighten the moment.

His lips twitched. "Point taken."

I let him pull me close, breathing in his familiar scent that now held new meaning. "I'm processing," I admitted. "It's a lot to take in. But I'm not running away screaming, if that's what you're worried about."

His arms tightened around me, and I felt his relief wash through our new bond like a warm wave. "I can feel your confusion, your fear." He pressed his face into my hair, inhaling deeply in a way that seemed distinctly wolf-like. "But also your acceptance. How are you so calm about this?"

I laughed softly, the sound slightly hysterical. "Maybe I'm in shock." I pulled back to look at him, really look at him. "Maybe I'm just tired of normal. My whole life has been about playing it safe, doing what's expected. Moving to the city was the first real risk I'd ever taken. Then I met you, and everything changed. Finding out you're a wolf shifter is just one more extraordinary thing about you."

A warm, glowing sensation flowed through my chest, liquid gold threading through my veins and settling in my bones. It was as if someone had wrapped my soul in velvet. It was soft, warm, and impossibly intimate. Each pulse of the connection brought new awareness, from the steady rhythm of his heartbeat echoing in my mind, to the fleeting ghosts of his emotions coloring my thoughts in shades I'd never known existed. It wasn't my feeling, or at least, not entirely. Through this strange new connection, I could sense Dean's relief washing over me.

"Oh," I gasped, pressing a hand to my heart. "Is that it?"

"The bond," Dean confirmed softly. "You're feeling what I feel. And I feel what you feel. It takes some getting used to."

"It's like a warm blanket on a cold day," I tried to explain, "but the warmth starts in my heart."

"That's a surprisingly accurate description." His eyes softened, and a wave of tender affection rippled through our connection. "Nina," he breathed my name like a prayer, his voice carrying a growling undertone that made me shiver. "My mate."

Part of me wanted to lose myself in his arms again, but there were still things we needed to discuss. "You have to tell me everything," I said firmly, channeling some of that determination that had gotten me through my first day in his chaotic penthouse. "No more secrets. If I'm going to be bound to a wolf shifter for eternity, I need to know what I'm getting into."

Dean nodded solemnly. "Everything," he promised. "But first, let me get Jenkins to clean up this coffee, and then we should probably put on some actual clothes."

I glanced down at his shirt barely covering my thighs and blushed. "Right. Clothes first, life-altering supernatural revelations second."

His laugh was rich and warm, rumbling through his chest where I was pressed against him. For the first time since I'd overheard his conversation, I felt truly at peace with what had happened. Whatever being Dean's mate meant, whatever challenges lay ahead, I knew in my heart I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Even if where I was meant to be was bound forever to a grumpy billionaire wolf shifter who'd failed to mention that rather important detail before biting me.

"Jenkins," Dean called out, still holding me close. "Clean up this mess, and hold all my calls. My mate and I need to talk."

"Of course, sir," Jenkins replied dryly. "Shall I also research couple's counselors who specialize in supernatural relationships? I hear communication is key, especially when one partner has failed to mention their species before mating."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Dean growled at his AI's sass, but I felt his amusement through our bond.

This wasn't how I'd expected my morning to go, but then nothing about Dean Nightfang had ever been expected.