Chapter 4: The CEO’s Secret
I stared at my reflection in the glassy surface of the lake, its dark waters shimmering under the moonlight. The evening air was crisp against my skin, and I could hear the rustle of leaves behind me as the wolves I communicated with in secret moved gracefully through the forest.
Each wolf, a guardian of the territory, felt my presence, but none encroached upon my space—containment was all they ever knew from the world of humans.
In contrast, my heartbeat with thoughts of a different kind of wilderness—Devon Sinclair. The billionaire CEO with an alluring grin and penetrating blue eyes that seemed to see through to my very soul had captivated me in ways I had never imagined possible. Our chemistry was intoxicating, but beneath his charming exterior lay a secret I could only begin to fathom.
Even as my thoughts drifted toward Devon, I sensed a shift in the air, tinged with tension. It was a feeling I had associated with danger ever since my estranged father, William Hawthorne, a retired hunter, had imparted lessons about the supernatural world lurking just out of sight. I shivered at the memory of his warnings, cautious of whatever shadows might follow my resurgence into this mysterious realm.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my reverie. I turned to see Noah Gray, my childhood friend, stepping into the clearing—a familiar face, albeit one that had recently grown clouded with his own unexpressed feelings for me.
“Hey, you,” Noah called softly, breaking the serene night. “I thought I might find you here.”
“I needed to think,” I replied, avoiding his eyes. The weight of my emotions—the pull toward Devon and the truth of my connection to the wolves—left me feeling vulnerable.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time in the woods,” Noah observed, concern lacing his tone. “Is it just the wolves that have you drawn in? Or is it something else?”
I felt the tremor of uncertainty rise within me. Before I could respond, Milo, the shape-shifting sidekick of Devon, appeared in a flash of fur and mischief, effortlessly shifting back into his human form beside me.
“Sorry to interrupt this emotional moment,” he announced with a cheeky grin, “but we might have a bit of a situation on our hands.”
Noah’s brows furrowed, and I crossed my arms, instantly on edge. “What kind of situation?”
“It’s about Devon,” Milo said, glancing quickly at Noah. “He’s been called to a meeting with his board, and let’s just say his loyalty might be tested. There are whispers about his true nature, and a rogue CEO is sniffing around—quite literally.”
“Liam O’Brien,” I said, the name heavy on my tongue. I knew of the rival known for his cunning tactics and had the motive to exploit secrets for his own gain.
“Precisely,” Milo replied, scratching the back of his head. “Devon’s been keeping things under wraps, but if Liam suspects anything… it could lead to a full-blown scandal.”
My heart raced. I had seen the way Devon had closed off; not just as a businessman but as someone who hid his truth beneath layers of power and prestige.
“I need to talk to him,” I decided, newfound determination fueling my voice. I turned to Noah. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
“No! Claire, wait,” Noah urged, but I was already on my way.
I dashed through the trees, my heart racing in sync with the thudding of branches against my arms. Meeting Devon always stirred an uncontrollable storm of emotions within me, leaving me hungry for the warmth of his presence amid the chilling uncertainty of our worlds colliding.
In the luxurious office of Sinclair Enterprises, the air was tense. The high-rise windows framed the city skyline, but all Devon could focus on was the looming threat from Liam and his suspicions. Elena Vargas, his business partner and a powerhouse in her own right, paced in front of him, her heels clicking sharply against the polished surface of the floor.
“Devon, you need to be careful,” she warned, frowning. “Liam is not just here to play games; he’s hunting for weaknesses, and if he gets wind of your… unique abilities, it could ruin everything.”
Her words cut deeper than she knew. He glanced out the window, his mind warring between the fierce creature he was inside and the polished businessman he portrayed outside.
“I can handle it, Elena,” Devon said, his voice low and serious. “I’ve dealt with rivals before. They won’t touch me.”
Elena stopped pacing and fixed him with a piercing glare. “This is different. You have feelings for a human, and it’s clouding your judgment.”
Before Devon could respond, Milo burst into the office, an urgency in his tone that demanded immediate attention.
“Devon, Claire’s coming,” he said, almost out of breath. “She’s got that determined look on her face, and frankly, I don’t think we have enough time to prep for what she’ll want to discuss.”
Devon’s heart skipped a beat, a sensation entwined with both excitement and worry. I had a way of unfurling the walls he’d erected to hide the beast within. “Milo, lock the door,” he ordered, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily over him.
As the door clicked shut behind Milo, Devon felt the change in the atmosphere. He yearned to be completely honest with me, yet the truth of his lineage as a werewolf and the implications of my discovering it were enough to keep him on edge.
With hardly a moment to breathe, the door swung open, and I stepped inside. My eyes glimmered in the dim light, revealing a myriad of emotions that mirrored his own—anticipation, fear, longing.
“Devon,” I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil I sensed beneath the surface. “We need to talk.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking a step closer, attuned to the flutter in his chest that accompanied every interaction with me.
I swallowed, the determination in my gaze faltering just enough to notice. “I heard from Milo. About the meeting. And Liam.”
A heaviness settled in the room. I felt the tension thrumming between us like a live wire, a blend of passion and danger coiling around our words. “There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, attempting to assuage my fears, even as the reality clawed at him.
But I pressed on, defiance sparking anew in my features. “Devon, what is it? What are you hiding? Because whatever it is, I can’t keep pretending that I’m okay with not knowing. Not anymore.”
Every fiber of his being urged him to reach for me, to close the distance between us and wrap me in the shelter that he longed to provide. Yet, revealing his true self felt like unleashing a storm that could swallow us both whole.
“Claire, I—” he started but was interrupted by the sudden blare of an emergency alert from his phone.
The notification on the screen read: Rogue werewolf sighted near Sinclair Industries. Evacuate immediately.
His stomach dropped. “We need to go, now,” he said, making a decision in that instant. “We’re not safe here.”
“Wait, what does this have to do with—?”
Before I could finish, Devon grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the door, instinctively protective of me as we burst into the hallway. The atmosphere was charged with panic, employees rushing toward exits, the air thick with confusion.
Elena appeared beside us, her expression frozen in disbelief. “Devon, the board meeting—”
“No time! We have to get Claire out of here,” he said as a piercing howl echoed through the hallway, drawing nearer.
I squeezed his hand, the urgency of the moment electrifying my senses. “What was that?”
“What I’ve been trying to keep you away from,” Devon said, urgency driving our steps. We sprinted past frightened workers, the echoes of chaos igniting the buried beast inside him, as it roared for freedom.
Milo promptly shifted back into form just ahead, leading us through the exit. “This way! We can shift and run through the woods!”
My breath hitched, realization dawning on me. “You’re not just a CEO, are you? You’re…”
“Not right now!” Devon interrupted, desperation bleeding into his urgency. “We can’t discuss that now. Please trust me.”
The moment echoed between us as we burst into the moonlit night, the forest now an escape route—a sanctuary where revelations awaited under the stars.
As we ran deeper into the woods, I found my footing, integrating the surreal nature of my existence with the raw pulse of an impending disaster; behind us, the sound of snapping twigs and growls mingled with the sway of wind through the trees.
Devon glanced back at me, catching the flicker of bravery shining through my apprehension. “You might want to hold on tight,” he warned, his heart clenching with protectiveness and something deeper that haunted his every instinct.
“In for a penny, in for a pound,” I breathed, adrenaline igniting my spirit as I felt my hand tighten around his.
But ahead of us, a new threat loomed, as Liam O’Brien stepped into our path, shadowy and looming, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. “Well, well, what a lovely moonlit meeting. Devon, care to explain this?”
Devon’s chest tightened, his breath barely escaping as Liam’s deep, menacing voice cut through the night air. The game was on, and he was acutely aware that every moment could tear apart the fragile world he fought to protect.
He glanced at me, whose courage shone brightly even amid the chaos surrounding us. This was only the beginning, and he knew, deep down, that secrets couldn’t stay buried forever—not in a world that demanded loyalty and love under the watchful gaze of the moon.
The stakes had already escalated, and in our rapidly unfolding drama, bloodlines would be tested, and bonds would either shatter or strengthen under the weight of destiny laid bare before us.
As the wolf howled outside our trembling hearts, the moonlit desires we harbored would become the greatest test of all.
My breath came in short gasps as I instinctively stepped back, my pulse pounding in my ears. The way Liam stood there, perfectly at ease in the moonlight, sent a chill down my spine. His eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity—too sharp, too knowing.
Devon shifted slightly in front of me, his stance rigid with unspoken tension. “Liam, walk away,” he warned, his voice low and edged with something dangerously close to a growl.
Liam smirked, tilting his head as if amused by the notion. “Walk away? But I’ve only just arrived.” He took a slow step forward, the air around him thickening with an invisible pressure. “And from what I can see, Claire deserves to know the truth.”
My fingers twitched at my sides. “The truth about what?” I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt.
Liam chuckled darkly, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. “Oh, Claire,” he said, voice laced with mock sympathy. “Did you really think you were just a bystander in all of this?”
A sharp gust of wind rushed through the clearing, carrying the distant echo of a howl. My heart lurched.
Devon took a deliberate step forward. “Don’t,” he warned, but Liam only smiled wider.
“You’ve been kept in the dark for too long,” Liam said, his voice silk and steel. “But that ends tonight.”
And then, in the blink of an eye, he moved—too fast for human sight.
I barely had time to react before a rush of shadows enveloped us, and everything—Devon’s grip, the sound of the forest, even the light of the moon—vanished into nothingness.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
To be continued…