Chapter 39

Theo's POV I looked at her flushed face, the fever making her cheeks a soft pink that somehow made her look both fragile and beautiful. The direct question hung between us, demanding an answer I wasn't sure I could give without revealing far more than I intended. She was right, of course. I had said we needed boundaries. I had insisted on maintaining professional distance. Yet here I was, unable to leave her side, my every instinct screaming that it was right to protect her, to care for her, to ensure she was safe. My wolf growled restlessly inside me, demanding that I stop this charade, stop lying to myself and admit what we both knew—that my feelings for Claire went far beyond those of an employer for his secretary. The beast within me was tired of the pretense, tired of the careful distance I maintained during daylight hours only to lose myself in thoughts of her when darkness fell. But tonight had proven something else entirely. Getting close to her, allowing my feelings to show, w