Alex Baker bounced her niece Mabel against her chest, the tiny face red with effort, little fists clenched in hunger. It had been hours since her last bottle, and Alex’s heart clenched with every desperate cry. “Will you stop that child from crying? ” The elderly woman’s voice sliced through the supermarket, dripping with judgment.
“She’s probably expressing existential dread about the rising cost of formula,” Alex replied with saccharine sweetness masking panic. The formula sat on the top shelf. Of course, it did. She stretched, fingers grazing the can before knocking it further back.
People stared. A toddler pointed. The elderly woman sniffed disapprovingly. Sweat beaded on Alex’s forehead.
“I promised your mom,” she whispered to Mabel, desperation cracking her voice. “I promised Jenna you’d never go hungry. ”
The memory flashed. Hospital lights.
Jenna’s pale face. Her sister’s fingers gripping hers with surprising strength. *Take care of her, Alex. * Then flatline.
Then silence. Then responsibility thrust upon the family screw-up. With the help of a borrowed mop handle and what remained of her dignity, Alex secured the formula and hurried to the checkout, juggling baby, can, and phone. Mabel’s cries had become whimpers of exhaustion, which somehow felt worse.
$8. 47 in her account. Formula: $27. 99.
Her night cleaning job wouldn’t pay for another three weeks. She owed her best friend, James Walls, too many favors already. She hated asking for money, hated how it made her stomach twist, hated how it confirmed what her parents always said—that she’d never amount to anything. But Mabel’s whimpers cut through her pride like a knife.
“Sorry, dignity,” she muttered, pulling up her contacts. “You’re less important than formula. ”
She typed a quick text, adding three yellow hearts and a prayer hands emoji, and hit send just as the man behind her cleared his throat pointedly. In retrospect, if not for him, Alex might have noticed she’d selected the wrong contact.
But the man did clear his throat, and Alex made a mistake that would change her life forever. The ping came moments later. “There you go. ”
“Haha, success!
” Alex cried in triumph, relief flooding her system. She held her phone out to buzz her virtual card—and froze. Her bank balance now read $88. She shook her head, dismissing it as an error.
But when she checked her phone again by the door, she saw the name next to the transfer: James Warden. Impossible. James Warden was her CEO—the billionaire boss whose office she cleaned at night. The man whose stoic face graced business magazines.
The man she’d never once seen smile. Then she remembered. The mandatory companywide emergency contact update from HR. She’d saved his work number, thinking it was hilarious to have the CEO in her contacts.
What an idiot. She had sent her cry for help not to James Walls, her best friend, but to James Warden, her billionaire boss. And he had sent her $80—not the $20 she’d requested, and far more than she could ever repay. —
“Perfect,” Alex whispered, freezing mid-mopstroke as James Warden strode across the lobby, surrounded by executives.
“I’ll just go thank him for the money,” she told her coworker Tina. “Are you insane? ” Tina hissed, ducking behind a potted plant. “You can’t just walk up to James Warden.
”
As the CEO disappeared into a conference room, Alex decided she’d try the executive floor that night. At 1 a. m. , it was always eerily silent—and James Warden was usually the only one still at his desk.
The light spilled from under his door. Alex knocked lightly. No response. She knocked again, louder.
Nothing. Steeling herself, she pushed the door open. The words died in her throat. James Warden, the unapproachable titan of industry, was fast asleep at his desk.
She’d been invisible to this man for eight months—emptying his trash, dusting his awards, wiping coffee rings from his desk. Now she stood so close she could see the faint scar near his right eyebrow. “Mr. Warden,” she whispered, approaching cautiously.
Still nothing. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and gently touched his arm. The effect was immediate. James jolted awake, blue eyes flying open, and recoiled from her touch.
“Who are you? ” he demanded. “What are you doing in my office? ”
“I’m Alex Baker, the night cleaner.
I wanted to thank you for the money. ” She stepped back, hands raised. “But look, sir, if this is some weird power thing where you expect favors, I should clarify—I don’t do that kind of favors. ”
“For the money, Alex clarified.
“I appreciate you feeding my kid and all, but I’m not about to climb into your bed if that’s what you were after. ”
“Oh. ” Understanding dawned across his face. “You’re the night cleaner who texted me about a hungry baby.
”
“It was an accident. I only asked for twenty dollars, not eighty. ”
“Consider it an advance on your salary,” James said, straightening his tie. Without thinking, Alex placed her hand on his forearm—a simple human gesture of connection.
The change was instant. One moment she was touching warm skin. The next, James Warden transformed before her eyes. Clothes tore.
Desk items scattered as his form expanded and shifted. A strange, crackling energy raised the hair on her arms. And then, instead of a man, a massive wolf stood before her. Alex stumbled backward, knocking over a side table.
“What the heck? ” she shrieked, back pressed against the wall. The wolf looked just as startled as she felt, ears flattened against his head, body frozen in alarm. They stared at each other—human and wolf—as the world Alex knew shattered into something unrecognizable.
“This,” Alex whispered, heart hammering, “is definitely not covered in the employee handbook. ”
—
Alex’s back pressed against the wall, heart pounding loud enough for the wolf to hear. He was massive—silver and charcoal gray—with James Warden’s intense blue eyes. “Can you understand me?
” Alex whispered. “Blink twice if you can understand. ”
The wolf stared, then blinked. Once.
Twice. “Okay,” she managed. “I’m guessing this isn’t some extreme corporate wellness transformation program. ”
The wolf huffed, offended.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, taking a careful step forward. “I’m not going to scream or call animal control. I’ve never met a werewolf before. ”
He backed up, hackles rising.
She crouched, making herself smaller. Slowly, cautiously, she held out her hand, palm up. He approached, nostrils flaring. His massive head could reach her shoulder.
His fur gleamed silver in the dim light. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered before she could stop herself. “I mean, objectively, as wolves go. ”
The wolf paused, his blue eyes widening slightly.
Then, astonishingly, he lowered his head and pressed his muzzle to her hand. The touch was electric. Then, just as suddenly, the wolf jerked back. The transformation reversed—fur gave way to skin.
James Warden stood there, naked, furious, vulnerable. “Oh my god,” Alex yelped, clapping her hands over her eyes, then peeking through her fingers. “You’re naked. That’s worse than the wolf thing.
”
Wordless, he strode to the wall and pressed a wood panel, revealing a closet of identical suits. “You have a secret suit compartment,” Alex said, staring at the ceiling. “Of course you do. ”
He fumbled with his cufflinks.
His hands trembled. She noticed for the first time that he wasn’t flawless. “Here,” she said, stepping forward. “Let me help with that.
”
James froze. “Don’t touch me. ”
If you touch me, I’ll transform back, he explained reluctantly. Human contact with members of the opposite sex triggers the change.
“So whenever a girl touches you, you instantly become a wolf? ”
“That about sums it up. ”
“How were you born? Did you come out as a wolf or—”
“No,” James snapped.
“I wasn’t born with the curse. I was in my twenties when it was cast. ”
“Who did this to you? Can it be broken?
”
James sighed. “I’m a shifter. I could always change into a wolf. The curse came later.
”
Alex studied him—his trembling fingers, the sweat at his temples. He was terrified. “You can trust me,” she said, voice soft. “I won’t tell anyone.
”
His expression flickered. Surprise, suspicion, relief. “Most people run. ”
“Most people are boring.
”
The corner of his mouth twitched—barely, but enough to thrill her. Then the office door swung open. A woman entered—early forties, impeccable, terrifying. Evelyn Warden, James’s sister.
“Why is the help in your office while you’re still here? ” Evelyn demanded. “Ms. Baker was just finishing up a coffee mishap,” James said smoothly.
Alex wheeled her cart out fast, heart pounding. Her boring night job had just gotten a lot more interesting. —
Alex woke to sunlight streaming through crooked blinds, Mabel’s cheerful babbling, and someone knocking on her door. She swung it open—and her words died in her throat.
James Warden stood in her doorway, immaculate in a navy suit that probably cost more than her annual rent. At 6:47 a. m. “How the heck do you know where I live?
”
“May I come in? ”
James stepped inside, surveying her cramped one-bedroom with an unreadable expression. “You sleep on the couch? ”
“It’s a good couch.
Why are you here? ”
“Your employment history suggests you’re intelligent but chronically understimulated,” James said. “You’ve been fired from six jobs in eight months. You don’t follow protocol.
You challenge authority unnecessarily. ”
“Creative to a disruptive degree,” Alex added, crossing her arms. “I’d like to offer you a job,” he said. “As my personal assistant.
The position pays ninety-five thousand annually, plus benefits, full health insurance, including pediatric dental. ”
Alex’s jaw dropped. “Are you for real right now? ”
“Your apartment isn’t safe for a child,” James observed.
“The building failed three safety inspections last year. ”
“This isn’t a job offer, is it? It’s a bribe. ”
“Pretty much, yes.
”
She looked down at Mabel, blissfully unaware of the adult complexity swirling around her. “Fine. I accept—but only because I can’t afford to say no right now. ”
—
Three weeks into her new job, Alex had come to a startling conclusion: James Warden had hired her to do absolutely nothing.
Literally nothing. She had an office. A desk. A company laptop she primarily used for online Scrabble.
What she didn’t have was actual work. It was increasingly clear that her six-figure salary was essentially hush money. Keep the werewolf secret. Stay out of the way.
Collect the checks. For someone with Alex’s restless mind, it was torture. Until one fateful Friday afternoon. Alex noticed James in the main hallway with a group of executives—including Elaine Northstar, the woman from the massive Northstar merger.
The woman James had been working for months to win over. Elaine extended her hand toward him, clearly preparing for a departing handshake. Oh crap. Without thinking, Alex hurried forward.
“Mr. Warden! Sorry to interrupt, but Tokyo is online. They’re insistent about those contract specifications.
”
She smoothly slid between them, grabbing Elaine’s extended hand in her own. “Wait—is that Miss Northstar? I’m such an admirer of your work. Your keynote at the Women in Leadership Summit was revolutionary.
”
Elaine smiled politely, her stern expression softening as Alex gushed. By the time the Northstar group disappeared into the elevator, the danger had passed. “Tokyo isn’t on line two, is it? ” James asked quietly.
“Nah, line two is actually the pizza place down the street. I have them on speed dial. ”
“Thank you for your intervention,” he said almost bashfully. “You didn’t have to do that.
”
“Consider it my new secret objective. No-touch bodyguard. Catchy job title, right? ”
As she left, she swore she caught the hint of an actual almost-smile on his face.
—
After that, Alex discovered she had a real knack for werewolf protection. When a VP tried to pat James’s shoulder, she accidentally spilled water on him. When a client enthusiastically extended a hand, Alex intercepted. “Mr.
Warden is experimenting with traditional Japanese greetings today. Bow, don’t touch. Cultural sensitivity training,” she announced cheerfully. “Very progressive.
”
She kept it smooth and discreet—except for the fact that she couldn’t stop noticing things about James. The strength of his hands. The rare softness in his expression when something genuinely amused him. The way he looked at her sometimes like she was a puzzle he wanted to solve.
By month two, she was sitting in on executive meetings. Others began to notice. “They’re calling you Beauty and the Beast in the breakroom,” a coworker told her. “Though no one can agree which of you is which.
”
Alex rolled her eyes, but the word *beauty* sent a flutter through her chest. In month three, a folder appeared on her desk—brochures for exclusive daycares, each with a handwritten note on strengths and security. “What’s this? ” she asked, stepping into James’s office.
“You mentioned Mabel’s childcare situation was problematic. I made some inquiries. ”
It was unexpected, thoughtful, quietly generous. “Thank you,” she said.
By month four, James relied on her for more than logistics. He asked her opinion on personnel decisions, marketing plans, even restructuring proposals. When he proposed an alternative to mass layoffs after hearing her perspective, she understood—her voice carried weight. Then came the most unexpected shift of all: James in her apartment.
It started as necessity—a burst pipe, an emergency relocation. But it became routine. Late-night strategy sessions while Mabel slept. Takeout on the kitchen table.
Spreadsheets on the living room floor. One evening, after a grueling budget negotiation, Alex opened a bottle of wine. “You look like you need this. Even werewolf CEOs deserve to unwind.
”
He sipped once, set it aside, his shoulders still tense. “They’re idiots,” she declared, flopping beside him. “That sustainability initiative will save millions. ”
“The board prefers immediate returns,” he muttered.
“The board wouldn’t recognize long-term strategy if it bit them on their collective behinds. ”
His mouth twitched. She watched him deliberately lean back into the couch, sighing. “Now try moving your face muscles into an expression,” she encouraged.
And then it happened. James Warden smiled—a real, full smile that reshaped his entire face and softened everything. Alex’s heart skipped. This wasn’t just cracking his armor.
It was something else. Warm, fluttery, dangerous. *Oh crap. I have a crush on my werewolf boss.
*
—
This is not happening, Alex told her reflection. Absolutely not. You cannot have a crush on your billionaire werewolf boss. She tried to maintain professional distance.
She avoided the usual coffee breaks. When he appeared at her office door, she suddenly remembered urgent errands elsewhere. By the third day, she could tell he’d noticed. There was a new tension in his posture, a slight furrow in his brow.
Then he appeared in her doorway with a crisis. The Northstar deal was stalling. Marcus Northstar, heir to the company—and, apparently, another shifter—wasn’t closing. “Maybe you can identify what I’m missing,” James said carefully.
Two days and several discreet phone calls later, Alex had a clear picture. Three of Northstar’s last five major deals were signed in upscale bars after midnight. He was known for saying business only happens when people get real with each other—which apparently involved tequila shots and karaoke. He was essentially the anti-James Warden.
“You need to change your approach,” Alex announced. “Take him to a bar. Make sure the drinks are flowing. ”
James stared at her, affronted.
“That’s not professional. ”
*God, he’s so adorable when he’s being stubborn and principled. * The thought ambushed her, breaking through all her careful defenses. “Is something wrong with my face?
” James asked. “Nope,” she said brightly, backing toward the door. “All good. Nothing unusual happening here.
”
When she got back to her desk, Lisa from HR intercepted her, looking grave. “Ms. Warden wants to see you in her office. Immediately.
I’ll start planning your funeral. ”
Evelyn Warden sat behind an immaculate white desk, her gaze so penetrating it felt like being dissected. “What’s your angle with my brother? ” Evelyn asked.
“I’m his assistant,” Alex protested. “We work together. ”
“Work? Is that what you call it?
” Evelyn’s laugh was sharp. “All he ever talks about is you. He wants to invite you to my birthday dinner. ”
“What dinner party?
” Alex’s heart gave a treacherous little skip. “You’re not invited, you dafted girl,” Evelyn snapped. “This is a private family-only gathering. ”
“Oh, no, Miss Warden, don’t worry,” Alex said quickly.
“I’m used to being very careful around you guys. Like, in all these months, I never once touched James. I’m always careful not to let anyone touch him. ”
Evelyn’s face went suddenly, alarmingly pale.
“Are all your family shifters? ” Alex pressed, curiosity overriding caution. “Are you a shifter? ”
“He told you,” Evelyn whispered.
“Has he gone completely mad, telling a human? ”
“Okay, but see, he didn’t actually tell me,” Alex backpedaled frantically. “It’s more like he showed me. I touched him once, accidentally.
And then, you know—fur. Lots of fur. Very unexpected. ”
Evelyn’s face transformed into a mask of pure horror.
The office door swung open and James appeared. “What’s going on? ”
“This girl has known about us for months,” Evelyn shrieked, “and it didn’t occur to you to tell me? ”
“James, I’m sorry,” Alex said quickly.
“I thought she knew that I knew. ”
“Please go,” he interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. There was a plea in his eyes, not a command. “I need to speak with my sister.
”
As Alex slipped out, Evelyn’s voice rose behind her. “After everything I’ve done for you, for the pack, how can you be so careless? ”
Alex walked faster, chest tight. Whatever fragile balance existed between the Warden siblings, she’d just upended it completely.
—
Alex Baker wasn’t obsessing over James Warden’s birthday. Not at all. She was simply aware that today happened to be the day he was born thirty-five years ago. A random fact, utterly insignificant.
Which was why she checked her phone approximately seventeen times, debating whether to send a two-word text: Happy birthday. She’d almost managed to stop thinking about him when there was a knock at her door. “If that’s Mrs. Hernandez complaining about baby stomping again, I swear—”
“It’s not Mrs.
Hernandez. It’s James Warden. ”
His tie was loose. There was a flush across his cheekbones and he wore a loopy grin so unlike his usual reserved expression that Alex could only stare.
“Deal signed,” he announced, waving a document. “Your idea worked. Great idea. Very great idea.
”
The words were slightly slurred. “Are you drunk? ”
“Me? No, I’m fine.
It’s fine. ”
Alex guided him inside. “I didn’t expect *you* to get drunk. I meant him.
”
James dropped onto her couch with a grunt. “You have a birthday dinner tonight, remember? ”
“I forgot about that,” he groaned. “I’ll make coffee.
”
“Well, now I can’t go. Evelyn will freak. ”
“She’ll be happy you signed the deal. That’s what she wanted, right?
”
James snorted. “No, it won’t be fine. Last time I got drunk, she got our entire pack cursed. ”
Alex nearly dropped the coffee pot.
She returned with a steaming mug. “Okay, let’s get you sobered up, birthday boy. ”
When she extended the mug, he gave her a smile—a full radiant grin that transformed his entire face. The coffee mug slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor.
She dropped to her knees, gathering shards, painfully aware of his gaze. “You know,” he said softly, and when she looked up, their faces were suddenly, unexpectedly close, “sometimes you look at me, and your heart rate increases. Like now. ”
Alex froze.
“You can tell when my heart rate increases? ”
His phone rang. He fumbled it from his pocket. “Oh, Evelyn.
Hi. ”
Alex winced, reaching for the phone, then remembering she needed to avoid touching his hand. “Give me that. ”
With a swift movement, she plucked the phone from him, careful to avoid skin contact.
“I hung up,” James announced, looking relieved. “You did not. *I* did. ”
“What did you mean earlier?
” she asked as she mopped up the coffee. “When you said Evelyn cursed your entire pack? ”
James’s expression clouded. “Oh, no.
That wasn’t her fault. She was just trying to protect us because of me. ”
His words trailed off, eyes drifting closed. He was losing his battle against sleep.
“I should lie down,” he mumbled. “You’re already lying down. ” Still, she helped him shift to a more comfortable position. “Happy birthday,” she said softly—the words she’d been struggling with all day, finally escaping.
James opened his eyes, his blue gaze finding hers. And then, before she could react, he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. The world stopped. His lips were warm and surprisingly soft, the kiss gentle but insistent.
He sighed into it—a sound of such profound relief that something inside Alex broke open. Without conscious thought, she kissed him back. *This is a terrible idea,* her rational mind protested. *He’s drunk.
He’s your boss. He transforms when women touch him. *
But he was touching her now, his hands warm against her cheeks, and nothing was happening except the slow melt of her resistance. He pulled her onto his lap, strong hands guiding her until she was practically straddling him.
She braced herself for the crackle of energy she remembered from that night in his office. Nothing happened. She opened one eye cautiously. James lay beneath her, cheeks flushed, fingers still loosely twined with hers.
Skin against skin, with no fur in sight. He was fast asleep—but still completely, undeniably human. “What just happened? ” Alex whispered, staring at their joined hands in wonder.
The only answer was James’s soft, even breathing. She gently disentangled her fingers and paced. “We touched. We actually touched skin-to-skin, and nothing happened.
”
She approached the couch cautiously, extended a finger, and gently poked his exposed wrist. Nothing. She allowed her fingertip to rest against his skin for a full second. Still nothing.
*This makes no sense. *
A sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Before she could respond, the door swung open with force. Evelyn Warden stood in the doorway, expression thunderous.
“Where is he? ”
“Um, who? ”
Evelyn pushed past her. “James, we need to go now.
” She stopped abruptly at the sight of her brother passed out on the couch. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “What did you do? ”
“Me?
I didn’t do anything. He showed up at my door already drunk. And—Evelyn, listen—something happened earlier when James and I touched. He didn’t—”
“You touched him?
” Evelyn’s head snapped toward Alex, and Alex gasped as the woman’s eyes flashed gold, pupils elongating into something decidedly inhuman. “I didn’t mean to! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We touched, but he didn’t transform.
”
“Get up,” Evelyn ordered James. “We’re leaving now. ”
“Why are you yelling? ” James protested, swaying dangerously once vertical.
“Everything’s fine. ”
“Do you see the state you’re in? ” Evelyn’s voice vibrated with barely controlled fury. “On your birthday, of all nights.
Have you learned nothing? ”
“Let me help you get him to your car,” Alex offered, reaching for James’s arm. Evelyn whirled on her, eyes still glinting gold. “Get away from my brother.
You’ve done enough. ”
The venom in her voice made Alex recoil. “I was just trying to help. ”
“Stay away from us.
Stay away from him. ”
She dragged James toward the door, leaving Alex standing alone in her suddenly too-quiet apartment. —
The email arrived at 7:47 a. m.
Its innocuous subject line—*department transfer*—belied the punch it delivered. Ms. Baker, effective immediately, you are being transferred to the marketing department as a strategy analyst. This lateral move comes with a 15% salary increase.
Regards, James Warden, CEO. No mention of last night. No acknowledgement of the kiss. Just a cold corporate reassignment as if the past months meant nothing.
*Coward,* she muttered, anger rising to mask the hurt. By 8:59, Alex was standing outside his office door. “So that’s it? ” she demanded, waving her phone.
“After everything, I get a form letter? ”
“It’s not a form letter. I wrote it myself. ”
“Oh, well, for the personal touch with the ‘regards’ at the end.
Really captures our working relationship. ”
“This is a promotion,” James said carefully. “The position comes with better pay, more autonomy—”
“This is Evelyn’s idea, isn’t it? ”
“We discussed it.
And I agree it’s for the best. You can do better than being my bodyguard. ”
“What is going on with you two? Last night she almost bit my head off because you were—”
“I apologize for that.
It was entirely my fault. ”
“I don’t understand. Is this about the curse? You mentioned something last night about Evelyn cursing your pack because of you.
”
James was silent for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. “Fifteen years ago,” he began reluctantly, “I had too much to drink at a pack celebration. I was young, reckless.
I had an encounter with another pack member. Evelyn went to a wish granter named Adrien to protect the pack—to protect me from my own weakness. She thought she was helping us, but that magician tricked her. ”
“Wait—you hooked up at a party, and for that, your sister cursed your entire pack for fifteen years?
”
“You don’t understand pack dynamics. ”
“Then help me understand. Because from where I’m standing, this seems like a massive overreaction. ” Alex paused.
“Unless… the encounter wasn’t consensual? ”
“What? No.
Nothing like that. We knew each other, liked each other even. It’s just—I was drunk. She wasn’t.
That made me vulnerable. ”
“Being vulnerable isn’t a crime, James. ”
“I’m not human. ”
“You know what I mean.
”
This conversation is over, Miss Baker. Please report to Director Franklin to begin your new—
“The curse doesn’t work the way you think it does,” Alex interrupted. James turned back to her, expression guarded. “What?
”
“Last night. You touched me skin to skin, and nothing happened. You didn’t transform. ”
James’s eyes widened.
“You kissed me. Well, you kissed me, and I kissed you back, and you stayed completely human the whole time. ”
A flush crept up James’s neck. “I don’t—” He cut himself off.
He didn’t remember. The kiss that had consumed her thoughts all night—that had felt like the beginning of something—meant so little to him, he couldn’t even remember it. “It doesn’t matter,” Alex said quickly, hating the tremor in her voice. “The point is we touched, and you stayed human.
Which means there’s something different about the curse. Or about me. ”
“You have feelings for me. ” James’s voice was strangely distant.
It wasn’t a question—it was an accusation. “What does that have to do with anything? ”
He took a deliberate step away from her. “You should go.
”
“Why? Why are you being like this? Why do you insist on pushing me away when it’s obvious there’s something—”
“Because what’s the point? ” he burst out, his perfect control cracking.
“What’s the point of these feelings if I can’t even touch you? What kind of future is that for us? ”
The naked vulnerability in his voice made something click in Alex’s chest. He felt the same way.
And hope flared. “But that’s what I’m trying to tell you. You *did* touch me, and nothing—”
“Enough. ”
The sharpness silenced her.
“Please, Alex. It was difficult enough to get Evelyn to agree to this arrangement. ”
“Why do you keep listening to her? You’re letting her fear control you.
You’ve turned your guilt into a prison. ”
Acting on impulse, she closed the distance between them and placed her hand directly on his exposed wrist. James stared at her, shock and betrayal written across his face. Then the air seemed to crackle with energy—and before Alex could step back, he transformed.
The massive wolf crouched where James had stood seconds ago. “I don’t understand,” Alex whispered. “I thought—”
The wolf backed away from her, ears flat against his head, a low whine escaping his throat. “James, I’m sorry.
I really thought—”
He snarled. It wasn’t aggressive exactly, but clearly a dismissal. “I’ll go,” she whispered, turning toward the door. “I’m sorry.
”
The last thing she saw before closing the door was James in wolf form, sitting amid the ruins of his torn clothing, looking more alone than any creature she’d ever seen. —
A month felt like a year when you were heartbroken. Alex lay on the couch, cocooned in a blanket despite the summer heat, halfway through her second pint of ice cream. “This is pathetic,” she told the ceiling.
“You’re pathetic. ”
The ceiling, like James Warden, said nothing. Her best friend Wally arrived with groceries and Mabel. “Come on, he wasn’t even that great.
You said so yourself. He was boring. ”
Alex sighed, unable to explain that beneath James Warden’s supposedly boring exterior was a man who could transform into a wolf, who carried a fifteen-year curse, who kissed like he’d been starving for it. “He had his moments,” she said instead.
“He laughed at my jokes, Wally. ”
“Damn. No one laughs at your jokes. Your jokes are lame.
”
“I know. ” Alex whined, burying her face in a cushion. “The thing is, I don’t understand how everything could go so wrong. It feels like the only reason we’re apart is his sister.
”
“Yeah, the sister sounds like a piece of work. Maybe you’re better off without her as your extended family. ”
“Maybe,” Alex said, thinking of Evelyn’s golden eyes, her barely contained fury. “You should have seen her.
She went all white and she was shaking. Honestly, she sounded a bit like your mom. Remember when she wouldn’t even let you come out with me to the cinema because she thought for sure you were going to grope me? ”
“Yeah, she was controlling.
”
“That was before Jenna made her go to therapy. ”
Alex stopped abruptly, a long-buried memory surfacing—Jenna, seventeen and fiery, screaming at their mother. Their mother’s fear disguised as anger, her desperate need to control, her conviction that the same thing that happened to her would happen to her daughters if she didn’t protect them. Then years later, Jenna explaining their mother’s behavior: she’d been mugged walking home from work, and the trauma had manifested as paranoia.
The fear, the need for control, the desperate protection that became a prison. *Stay away from him. * Evelyn’s voice echoed in her memory. The woman’s hand gripping James’s arm with desperate strength.
Something clicked into place in Alex’s mind. What if something had happened to Evelyn? Something traumatic that made her seek magical protection—not just for James, but for herself. “Earth to Alex?
You still in there? ”
“Yeah,” she said, mind racing. “Just thinking. ”
“Dangerous hobby,” Wally quipped.
Maybe it didn’t matter anymore. James hadn’t called, hadn’t emailed, hadn’t made any attempt to reach out. Some mysteries weren’t meant to be solved. —
Alex stared at the meeting invitation, her stomach twisting.
Quarterly marketing review. All department heads and analysts required. For a month, she’d maneuvered through Warden Enterprises without crossing paths with James—dodging elevators, eating at odd hours, volunteering off-site. Now there was a meeting she couldn’t escape.
She felt him before she saw him. A prickle at her neck. A shift in the air. Don’t look.
She grabbed a seat in the corner, arranging her materials with shaking hands. The meeting began. Director Franklin ran through achievements. Alex tried to focus.
Then James spoke. “I’d like to hear from the marketing analyst who developed the Eastern Region Strategy. Miss Baker, could you share your insights? ”
Her legs barely responded as she rose.
She walked through the data, analysis, trends, projections—eyes fixed on the back wall. She finished, sat down. “I have a question, Ms. Baker.
”
She froze. “Could you look at me while you’re speaking to me, please? ”
Slowly, she looked up. James looked awful—pale, tense.
His eyes, once warm and teasing, were shadowed, but still piercing. The pain she saw there unraveled her. Tears blurred her vision before she could stop them. “Alex.
” The concern in his voice undid her. “Excuse me,” she choked out. “I don’t feel well. ”
She grabbed her materials and bolted down the hallway into the stairwell.
Two flights down, her legs gave out and she collapsed on the steps. “Stupid,” she whispered, scrubbing at her cheeks. “So stupid. ”
The stairwell door cracked open.
“Alex. ”
She stumbled blindly down the hall. The elevators were full. Footsteps close behind.
She veered for the service elevator, ducking under the caution tape and pounding the button. “Alex, wait! ” James called. The doors opened.
She slipped inside and hit the lobby button. Just as the doors closed, James rounded the corner. “Alex, don’t. That elevator is—”
The doors shut.
At first, nothing. Then a jolt. The car dropped too fast, then slammed to a stop. The lights flickered.
“No, no, no,” she whispered, hitting the emergency button. Nothing. Another groan. A second drop.
She was thrown to the floor. “Help! ” she screamed, pounding the doors. “Alex, can you hear me?
” James’s voice. “The elevator’s stuck! ”
“Are you hurt? ”
“No, but—” The elevator groaned again.
“James, I think it’s going to fall. ”
Shouts from above. Words like “cable failure” and “override. ”
“Alex, listen to me.
Stay completely still. ”
The car dropped again. She screamed. “Alex!
”
“James, get me out of here! ”
“I’m coming down. ”
“What? No, you can’t!
”
But she heard him moving. Minutes passed. Then a section of the ceiling opened, and his face appeared. “I’m going to get you out.
Climb up. ”
“I can’t. ”
“You can. I won’t let you fall.
”
She reached, but it was too far. She jumped, tried to grab the edge, and fell back. Then James dropped into the elevator. “What are you doing?
”
“I’m getting you out. Both of us. ” He crouched, laced his fingers. “Step here.
I’ll boost you. ”
She obeyed. He lifted her. She scrambled through the opening and grabbed a cable mount, clinging to it as James followed.
“Now what? ”
“Now I carry you out. ”
Before she could argue, he pulled her close. “Hold on tight.
”
His eyes locked with hers, blue and fierce. “Trust me. ”
With methodical precision, James climbed the shaft using maintenance rungs, one arm securely around her waist. Alex clung to him, face pressed against his neck, trying not to think about the drop below.
When they finally reached the open doors where maintenance personnel waited, Alex was trembling uncontrollably. “Are you okay? ” James asked, cradling her face in his hands. “Are you hurt anywhere?
”
She shook her head. “What were you thinking, getting into that elevator? You could have been killed. I almost lost you.
”
Then reality cut through her adrenaline haze. “You’re touching me,” she said, pulling back to look at his face. James blinked. “Yes.
”
“See? I told you. I told you—you can—”
She didn’t finish. James’s mouth crashed down on hers.
Alex responded instinctively, all the longing she’d suppressed for a month pouring into the connection. When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, she was vaguely aware of an audience—maintenance workers, security personnel, curious employees. “I’m still mad at you,” she declared, even as her hands clutched his lapels. “I know.
” James smiled, then kissed her again as if he couldn’t help himself. As if now that he was allowed to touch her, he couldn’t stop. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured against her mouth. “For pushing you away.
For not fighting for us sooner. ”
“Then he kissed her a third time, and she felt the months of quiet unraveling between them. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and he shuddered at the contact—a small sound escaping him that made her realize just how touch-starved he must be after fifteen years of isolation. “What is going on here?
”
The sharp voice cut through their bubble like a blade. They broke apart to find Evelyn Warden standing at the edge of the crowd, her expression a mixture of shock and fury. —
“Everyone out,” Evelyn commanded. “Now.
”
The crowd dispersed rapidly. Once they were alone, Evelyn turned her full attention to them. “Get away from him,” she ordered Alex, each word sharp as ice. James tightened his arm around Alex’s waist.
“No. ”
“What are you doing? You’ll change! ”
“I kissed her, Evelyn.
I’ve been touching her for the past fifteen minutes, and I didn’t transform. ”
“You kissed her? Are you insane? After everything—”
“I think I’m allowed to kiss the woman I love.
”
Alex went still against him, her breath catching. “The woman you love? ”
“For crying out loud,” Evelyn snapped. “Of course he loves you.
He’s been moping around like a lovesick teenager for a month. That isn’t the point. ”
“Then what is the point? Alex and I can touch.
Everybody saw it. Shouldn’t you be relieved? ”
“The curse can’t be broken! ” Evelyn’s composure fractured.
“There are no takebacks. The magician was very clear about the terms. ”
“It looks like you don’t want the curse to be broken,” Alex observed quietly. Evelyn tensed.
“What are you talking about? ”
“Do you? Are you happy we can do this? ”
Alex deliberately turned to James, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, threading her fingers through his.
James visibly melted, his eyes fluttering closed. “Get away from my brother! ” Evelyn cried, the words tearing from her throat with unexpected violence. “You don’t want me to touch him.
You’re afraid. Why? ”
“The curse. He could change.
People could see. ”
“There’s no one around, Evelyn,” James said, frustration edging his voice. “He wants me to touch him,” Alex said softly, the pieces clicking into place. “That’s why he isn’t changing.
Because he wants me to touch him. He was afraid before, and because he was afraid, he didn’t actually want to be touched. ”
“You cursed him and your pack for protection. Something happened to you, didn’t it?
Something bad. You weren’t just trying to protect everyone. You were trying to protect yourself because you were scared. ”
“That’s not true,” Evelyn protested, but the words sounded hollow.
“Because something happened to you. ”
Evelyn’s face crumpled. The elegant mask she’d worn for fifteen years finally broke. James took a step toward his sister.
“Evelyn, did something happen to you? ”
“It was at the regional council meeting,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “The northern pack alpha—he wanted to merge our packs. I refused him.
” She stopped, a shudder running through her frame. “He put something in my drink. I don’t remember everything. Just fragments.
”
James’s face drained of color. “Why didn’t you tell me? ”
“Tell you what? That your sister, your alpha, was weak?
That I couldn’t protect myself? ” Evelyn’s voice was bitter. “I handled it. I made sure he lost everything.
But then, when you got drunk at the pack celebration, I saw history repeating itself. You were so vulnerable. I couldn’t bear the thought of that happening to you. ”
“So you went to the magician,” Alex said softly.
“I asked for protection. I wanted us all to be safe from unwanted touch. He warned there would be a price, but I didn’t care. ” Evelyn’s voice broke.
“He made all touch impossible. ”
“But you let me believe it was my fault,” James said, his voice thick with emotion. “All these years, I thought I’d caused this, that you sacrificed everything because I was reckless. ”
“I wasn’t trying to punish you, James.
I just wanted to make sure no one could ever hurt either of us again. ” Evelyn’s words poured out, years of repressed truth. “If no one could touch us, no one could harm us. ”
James moved toward her.
“Evelyn, I would have protected you. You didn’t have to carry this alone. ”
“I was supposed to protect you,” Evelyn whispered, her voice breaking on a sob. “I was the alpha.
I failed. ”
“No. You survived. ”
She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, all pretense of control abandoned.
“I am so sorry, James. I thought I was protecting you. ”
“I know,” he said gently. “But I don’t need protection anymore, Evelyn.
And neither do you. ”
In the silence that followed, Alex felt the weight of fifteen years of secrets, guilt, and misunderstanding finally breaking free. —
“Are you sure about this? ” James asked quietly, his voice barely audible above the hum of the rented car’s air conditioning.
Alex followed his gaze through the window to her mother’s sunlit garden, where Evelyn sat on an iron bench beside Mrs. Baker. “My mom will get it,” Alex said, leaning against James’s side. “She went through something similar and got help.
Now she’s better. She can reach her. ”
They watched in silence as Mrs. Baker nodded, her expression thoughtful and empathetic.
Then she said something that made Evelyn’s perfect composure finally crumble. The elegant woman who’d intimidated executives and pack members alike for fifteen years suddenly broke, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Without hesitation, Mrs. Baker pulled Evelyn into a tight embrace, one hand stroking her hair soothingly.
“It’s okay,” they could faintly hear through the window. “It’s okay now. ”
“Sometimes you just need a hug,” Alex concluded softly, turning to press her face against James’s chest, his heartbeat steady and reassuring beneath her ear. —
The investigation into the wish granter had led them through obscure bookshops and secretive supernatural communities, finally to a small, unassuming storefront.
As Alex’s eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the used bookstore, she felt James tensing beside her. “Stand behind me,” he suddenly said. “What? Why?
”
Behind the counter stood a young woman with strawberry blonde hair and startlingly clear blue eyes. She looked perfectly ordinary—no more than twenty-eight—but James was practically snarling at her. “Something’s wrong with her. She has magic.
”
The blonde tilted her head in annoyance. “I can hear you, shifter. Is there a reason you’re here, or are you just planning to stand there and growl at me? ”
“We’re looking for an Adrien,” Alex cut in.
“Do you know him? ”
Something flickered in the young woman’s eyes. “He isn’t here. I’m Iris.
” Then she added, “And he will not be coming back. Perhaps I can help. ”
Iris studied them, easily deducing whatever traces of magic were still working on James. “The mechanics of the curse are exactly as you suspected,” Iris explained.
“Only unwanted touch triggers the transformation. ”
“But fear and paranoia made every touch unwanted,” Alex squeezed James’s hand. “So the curse can be broken? ”
Iris’s sharp eyes studied them both.
“Since he who granted the wish is no longer present, the curse can be lifted if the wisher—your sister Evelyn—no longer desires its protection. ”
“But will she get her alpha status back? ” James asked. “That cannot be undone.
The price is paid. ”
At least they had their answer. The curse could be broken—not through magic spells or dramatic rituals, but through the slower, harder work of healing from trauma. —
Months passed.
Evelyn’s therapist thought she was making real progress. She talked about stepping back from the company, taking time to focus on herself. “She’s changing,” James said simply. “We all are.
”
The curse still technically existed. Pack members still transformed when touched by those they feared or distrusted. But understanding its mechanics had changed everything. They were working on it daily, learning to welcome touch again, to distinguish between real threats and phantom fears.
For James and Alex, the curse hadn’t affected their relationship since that day in the elevator. What Alex had noticed, however, was James’s constant need for contact—the way he gravitated toward her in every room, how his hand found hers under tables, how he reached for her in sleep with unconscious certainty. He never asked, never demanded, but she saw the need in him, raw and vulnerable. She gave freely what he couldn’t bring himself to request—casual touches, embraces, the simple human connection denied him for so long.
And in return, she received a love so deep and certain it sometimes took her breath away. “You’re staring again,” James observed, looking up from his book to find Alex watching him from her side of the bed. “Just admiring the view. CEO by day, baby whisperer by night.
Very sexy combination. ”
He rolled his eyes, but the pleased smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. Setting his book aside, he shifted closer, one arm wrapping around her waist. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly.
“For pushing you away when I discovered we could touch. For not fighting for us sooner. For wasting an entire month we could have had together. ”
Alex sighed, tracing the line of his jaw with gentle fingers.
“That’s true. But you did risk your life to rescue me from that elevator. ”
“You wouldn’t have been in there if it wasn’t for me. ” He captured her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“I never want to hurt you again, Alex. If you let me, from now on I’ll make you happy. ”
The sincerity in his voice, the vulnerability in his eyes—it still amazed her how completely he’d opened himself to her, this man who once kept everyone at arm’s length. “You already make me happy,” she whispered, leaning in to press her lips to his.
“Besides,” she added with a mischievous smile, “I’m told I’m very good for your heart rate. ”
His eyes snapped open, amusement and desire darkening the blue. “Is that so? ”
“Mhm.
Enhanced senses, remember? I can tell when your heart rate increases. ” She imitated his drunken confession from months ago, delighting in the flush that spread across his cheeks. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?
”
“Not a chance, Wolfie. ”
He groaned at the nickname, but there was no real irritation behind it. Instead, he pulled her close, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you,” he whispered, the words still new enough to send a thrill through her.
“I love you, too. ”
Whatever challenges they still faced—the remaining effects of the curse, Evelyn’s ongoing recovery—seemed manageable in this moment, because they’d face them together. Just a woman who never backed down from a challenge. A man learning to be vulnerable again.
And the transformative power of love in all its forms—healing, protective, and enduring. Plus an adorable baby who was turning the fearsome CEO into a complete softy. But that was a story for another day.
