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

DEAN

My muscles coiled with each turn across the office, Rafe's earlier smirk burning in my mind. The way his fingers had lingered on Nina's wrist, how he'd leaned in too close, breathing in her scent. My wolf thrashed beneath my skin, its claws scratching to get out. The beast's rage manifested in rippling muscles and burning skin, my shoulder blades aching where they wanted to reshape themselves. Each breath brought the bitter scent of barely contained violence, my gums throbbing where fangs pushed against flesh.

Crack!

I glanced down at my desk. Deep grooves now marked the dark wood. The tips of my claws had broken skin.

My wolf's protective instincts raged at Rafe's transgression. He'd touched what was mine. No, not mine. Nina wasn't mine. She could never be mine. But the primal part of me didn't care about that logic. It only knew that Rafe's scent near her was wrong. The worst part was knowing he'd done it deliberately, playing on my instincts like a maestro conducting chaos.

"Sir," Jenkins' voice cut through the red haze. "Might I suggest some breathing exercises?"

"Mute," I growled, then immediately regretted it. Jenkins was only trying to help, in his analytically precise way. "Sorry, old friend. Override mute. I can't have him here. Can't have him anywhere near…"

"Near Miss Sorenson?" Jenkins finished. "I've noticed your protective instincts seem particularly triggered where she's concerned."

I barked out a harsh laugh. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only to those who know you well, sir. Though I must say, your heart rate does show marked elevation whenever she—"

"Jenkins."

"Shutting up, sir."

I looked out the window at the cityscape below. Suddenly, the office that used to be my safe haven felt too sterile, too confining. I was a predator caged in a glass tower, rendered fangless by my life choices.

"Jenkins, increase security protocols. No one gets in without my explicit approval."

"Already done, sir." A pause. "Though I should warn you—"

The elevator chimed.

"Your mother has override access."

Violet Nightfang stepped into my office like she owned it, elegant in a charcoal Chanel suit.

The sharp click of her Louboutin heels against the wooden floorboards echoed like the beat of a drum. Her silver-streaked dark hair was perfectly coiffed, and her red lipstick immaculate. She looked every inch the successful businesswoman she pretended to be, but I caught the predatory gleam in her eyes, the same eyes I saw in the mirror.

"Dean, darling." Her smile didn't reach those eyes. "No hello for your mother?"

"Still hiding in your office," she observed, running a finger along my desk. "Like a prince in exile. Or should I say, a wolf without a pack?"

"I have everything I need here." The words came out clipped.

"Do you?" Her knowing smile made my skin crawl. "That little human girl down the hall would disagree. I can smell your interest in her, darling. The way your scent changes when she's near."

"Leave her out of this." My voice dropped to a dangerous growl.

"Oh, but she's already in it. The moment you let her cross your threshold, she became part of our world. Whether you wanted her to or not."

I kept my distance, knowing she'd read any physical contact as submission. My wolf remembered too well the brutal lessons of pack hierarchy. "What do you want?"

"Such hostility." She settled into my chair and studied me with the focus of an apex predator. The scent of her designer perfume couldn't mask the underlying wolf musk.

"Can't a mother check on her son?"

"You never just check on anyone." The wolf in me bristled at her presence in my territory. "Rafe was here earlier. I assume that wasn't a coincidence."

"Nothing is coincidence with this family, as you well know. The Nightfang empire needs its heir."

"I have my own empire."

"Ah, yes. Your little tech company." Her lip curled. "Playing with computers and doo-dads while real power slips through your fingers. Your grandfather would be ashamed."

"My legitimate tech company helps people." The words came out sharp, defensive.

"Help people?" She laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "The Nightfang name was built on taking what we want. Your father—"

"My father is in prison." The words tasted like acid. "Along with half the family pack. Because they deserve to be."

"Details." She waved a hand dismissively, the gesture at odds with the steel in her voice. "The point is, darling, you can't run forever. The blood in your veins is Nightfang blood."

A soft gasp from the doorway made us both turn. Nina stood frozen, cleaning supplies in hand, eyes wide as a doe in headlights. The subtle tremor in her fingers made the bottle she was holding quiver, and I could hear her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. A flush crept up her neck, staining her cheeks pink as her green eyes darted between us, trying to process the predatory tableau before her. My heart stopped. She looked so vulnerable in the doorway. Nina was everything my mother would see as prey.

The fear in her eyes cut deeper than any wound. Not just fear of interrupting, but a deeper unease of prey sensing predators in their midst. I wanted to rush over and comfort her. But my mother was waiting on her haunches, watching for the first moment she could strike. I couldn't risk showing any sign of weakness. Any hint of my feelings for Nina would paint a target on her back.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't know. I'll come back later."

"No need to leave on my account." Violet's smile was razor-sharp as she scented the air. "I was just having a chat with my son about family matters."

Nina's gaze darted between us, and I saw the moment understanding clicked. The way Violet sat in my chair. The tension crackling through the air. The predatory gleam in my mother's eyes. I could hear Nina's pulse race from across the room.

"Actually," I said as I moved to put myself between them. "My mother was just leaving."

"Think about what I said, darling." Violet rose with fluid grace. "Blood calls to blood. You can't deny what you are forever."

She brushed past Nina, pausing to inhale deeply. My wolf snarled at the threat implicit in the gesture.

"Interesting choice," Violet murmured, just loud enough for my enhanced hearing to catch. "She smells pure. Innocent. Like prey."

I held my breath until the elevator doors closed behind her, but her stench still lingered in the penthouse.

The elevator doors closed behind her, but the air still crackled with tension. Nina's fingers were white from gripping the bottle. The sharp metallic smell of adrenaline and fear rolled off her in waves, making my wolf claw at my chest restlessly.

"I didn't mean to," she whispered, taking a half-step back. The rapid flutter of her pulse echoed in my ears.

My wolf whined, desperate to comfort her, to nuzzle the spot behind her ear where her scent was strongest. But the predator my mother had awakened in me made that impossible.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I should have knocked."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. The message made my blood run cold.

SECURITY brEACH DETECTED. FIREWALL COMPROMISED.

"Damn it." I dashed to my desk and pulled up terminal windows, my fingers flying over the keyboard. Lines of code scrolled past as I traced the intrusion, my enhanced vision catching every detail of the malicious attempts that battered our primary firewall while a more subtle attack probed our backend servers.

"What's wrong?" Nina stepped closer, concern overriding caution. Her presence behind me made it hard to focus.

"Someone's trying to hack our systems." I didn't look up as I typed, building defensive walls of code. "They're good, but I'm better."

A familiar digital signature caught my eye. Sean. The bastard was getting bolder.

"Jenkins, activate Protocol Alpha. Lock down all sensitive data."

"Already in progress, sir." The AI's voice was clipped, focused. "Shall I initiate countermeasures?"

"Not yet." I smiled grimly as I laid a trap in the code. "Let's see where this leads." Everything faded away as I battled against the intruder in my systems until a rich, dark aroma cut through my tunnel vision. Nina set a steaming mug beside me, the ceramic quietly scraping against my desk.

"You looked like you needed it," she murmured. A warmth bloomed in my chest that had nothing to do with coffee.

"How did you know how I take it?" I asked, noting the exact shade of caramel that meant the perfect ratio of cream.

She shrugged, a slight smile playing at her lips. "I pay attention."

My wolf preened at her care, while something dangerously close to tenderness threatened to crack my carefully maintained walls.

For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine a different life. One where I could accept this simple gesture without fear. Where I could pull her close, bury my face in her neck, and let her gentle presence soothe the storm inside me. Where my family's legacy didn't threaten everything and everyone I dared to care about.

But that wasn't my life. It would never be my life. The Nightfang blood ensured that.

With the security breach contained, I leaned back, catching the movement from the corner of my eye. Nina was organizing files on the shelf at the other end of the room, but her movements were too slow, too hesitant. The screen of her phone glowed on the shelf beside her, and my enhanced vision caught the search results before she could close the tab.

NIGHTFANG FAMILY EMPIRE: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

MAFIA DYNASTY: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE NIGHTFANG NAME

brUTAL MURDERS LINKED TO NOTORIOUS CRIME FAMILY

My stomach dropped. "Nina." My voice came out harder than intended. "What are you doing?"

She startled, nearly dropping the files. Guilt flashed across her face as she glanced at her phone. "After Rafe and your mother, I wanted to understand."

"Stop." I stalked toward her, my wolf too close to the surface. Her back hit the wall as I invaded her space, caging her with my arms on either side. "Whatever you think you're looking for, whatever you think you'll find, don't."

Her breath hitched as I leaned closer, drawn by the rapid pulse fluttering at her throat. Heat radiated between us, electric and dangerous.

"This isn't a request." My voice dropped to a rough whisper. She was so close I could count each freckle scattered across her nose, see the way her pupils dilated as she met my gaze. "Stay out of my personal business. For your own safety."

"I'm not afraid of you." Her chin lifted defiantly, even as her pulse quickened. The gesture exposed the delicate line of her throat, and my wolf growled in approval. Her small hands came up to rest against my chest, whether to push me away or pull me closer, I couldn't tell. The touch burned through my shirt like a brand.

"You should be." The words came out as a growl. My fingers ached to trace the curve of her jaw, to tangle in her hair and claim her mouth. She smelled like temptation itself, like home and desire and everything I couldn't have.

"Dean." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it hit me like a physical blow. She swayed toward me, unconsciously seeking contact, and I caught a hint of her arousal mixed with the sunshine of her natural scent.

With miraculous effort, I pushed away from the wall, putting precious space between us. My hands shook with the need to touch her, to claim her, to protect her from everything, including myself.

"Just stay away from anything involving my family." I couldn't look at her, knowing that one glance at those green eyes would shatter my resolve. "Please."

She left quietly, but her scent lingered, desire and hurt that made my wolf whine in distress. I fought the urge to chase after her, to explain everything, to beg her forgiveness.

But I couldn't let her get involved in this darkness. Couldn't let my family's poison touch her light. Not if I wanted to keep her safe.

Even if denying our attraction felt like ripping out my own heart.