The Wolf Knows My Name

Ify’s POV He changed right in front of me. His body broke and reshaped itself with sounds I will never forget. Bones snapping. Muscles tearing. Fur spilling across his skin like a dark tide. What stood in his place was not a man. It was a wolf the size of a car with midnight fur and eyes that burned gold. The attackers didn’t have time to scream. The first went down with his throat torn open. The second fired a silver bullet that barely slowed the beast down before his chest was ripped apart. The third turned to run and made it six steps before the wolf dragged him into the dark. I pressed my shaking body against the cold metal container and clamped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from crying out. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. My legs wouldn’t move. I could taste terror at the back of my throat. When the wolf raised his massive head and those golden eyes locked onto mine, I felt something worse than fear. I felt connected..Truly connected. By something that could destroy me without effort and chose not to. That was when I finally ran. I ran without looking back. Three weeks later The grand ballroom of the Remi Tower shimmered with crystal chandeliers and golden light. The furnishings alone probably cost more money than I could make in an entire lifetime. Everything about the place screamed wealth and power. Women in expensive gowns drifted across the room like living jewels while men in tailored suits laughed, shook hands, and closed business deals over champagne. The music was so loud that people had to lean close just to hear each other, and I honestly wondered how any real conversation was even happening. Still, nobody noticed me. And that was the plan. I was a caterer. A ghost in a white apron carrying a tray of half-empty champagne glasses. Not until I saw him standing by the window. He stood apart from the crowd, one hand tucked into the pocket of his dark suit, the other holding a glass of champagne he hadn’t touched. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Calm, controlled posture. But it was his eyes that stopped me. Dark brown. Almost black. And fixed directly on me. My breath caught in my throat because I hadn’t expected to see him here. Chuks Remi was the billionaire heir to the Remi empire, owner of one of the biggest real estate companies on Victoria Island, and the most desired bachelor in the country. His face was everywhere. Magazines. Billboards. Society pages. Mothers practically threw their daughters at him. But nobody knew his secret. The secret I had discovered three weeks ago by accident. He was a werewolf. An Alpha. And he was hunting me. I turned too quickly, making the tray shake in my hands. One champagne flute tilted dangerously before I caught it with trembling fingers. My heart slammed hard against my ribs. I needed to leave. Now. “Miss Benard.” His voice slid over my skin like warm honey wrapped around steel. I froze. One second he was across the room. The next, he was standing beside me, moving with a silence no man his size should have possessed. Up close, Chuks Remi was overwhelming. He smelled like sandalwood and something darker underneath. Something wild. Like rain falling on dry earth before a storm. His presence demanded attention without him even trying. “You know my name,” I whispered. “I know many things,” he said quietly. “I know you work for Elite Catering. I know you live in a small apartment in Yaba with your younger brother. And I know you were in the old warehouse district three weeks ago when you should’ve been home asleep.” My blood turned cold. He knew everything. Of course he did. A man with his resources could find out anything he wanted about anyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my voice barely audible even to myself. Chuks stepped closer. Heat rolled off his body, sinking through the thin fabric of my uniform. “You’re a terrible liar, Miss Benard,” he murmured. “Your heart is beating so loudly I can hear it over the orchestra. Your scent is soaked in fear. And you’ve spent the last three weeks avoiding me.” I finally looked up at him. Big mistake. His gaze held me in place. Calm. Patient. Dangerous. “What do you want from me?” I asked. “We need to talk. Privately.” His eyes flicked briefly around the ballroom. “Not here.” “And if I refuse?” Something shifted in his expression. Not anger. Something colder. “You won’t refuse,” he said evenly. “Because the people who sent those men to kill me will eventually discover there was a witness. And unlike me, they won’t ask politely.” Before I could answer, a woman’s voice cut through the music. “Chuks, darling.” We both turned. The woman walking toward us was stunning. Tall. Elegant. She wore a body-contour red gown that probably cost more than my yearly rent. Her skin glowed like polished bronze, and her smile looked warm but never reached her eyes. Chuks’s entire body stiffened. “Sandra,” he said flatly. “I didn’t know you were back from London.” Sandra Okafor. Daughter of the powerful Okafor oil empire and, according to every gossip blog in the country, Chuks Remi’s future wife. Their marriage had supposedly been arranged years ago. A union of money, power, and influence. Sandra slipped her arm through his effortlessly before turning her attention to me. “Who’s this?” she asked lightly. “One of the staff?” “Nobody,” I said quickly, before Chuks could answer. “Just clearing glasses. Excuse me.” I didn’t run. But it was close. I moved through the crowd as fast as I could without attracting attention, heading straight for the service corridor. My thoughts spiraled. The warehouse. The wolf. The attempted assassination. Sandra Okafor. What exactly had I gotten myself involved in? Behind me, I could still feel his eyes on me. I didn’t look back.