Page 32 of Protected By the Wolven

“Don’t thank me yet,” she cautions. “There’s something else you need to know.”

Dread congeals like cement in my belly. What now? Lash grips my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, willing his strength into me.

“Max has filed a missing person’s report with the State Department. He’s claiming you’ve disappeared.”

Ice slides down my spine. “What? But… but I didn’t disappear. I left. There’s a difference.”

“I know that, and you know that. But Max is painting a very different picture. He’s saying you’re mentally unstable, that you’ve been making wild accusations against him.”

Anger flares hot in my chest. “That’s insane! He’s the one who hurt me! Not only that, he basically held me prisoner!”

“I believe you, Zoya. But we have to tread carefully here. The last thing we want is for the authorities to track you down and send you back to him.”

I close my eyes, fighting back the panic clawing at my throat. The thought of being forced to return to Max, after everything I’ve found with Lash, the tenderness, the affection…

“What do we do?” I whisper as Lash clutches me tight.

“For now, Zoya, lie low. Don’t leave the Zone unless absolutely necessary. I’m doing everything I can to keep your location under wraps and make sure this process stays above board with the State Department.”

“Okay.” I take a deep, shaky breath. “Okay, I can do that.”

“Good. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have more information. Just remember, you’re not alone in this. We’re going to figure it out.”

“Thank you, Samantha. For everything.” For a while, I’d wondered if everyone in America was cold-hearted like Max. I breathe easier to know Max was the bad apple. Everyone else I’ve met has gone out of their way to help me.

“Anytime. Talk soon.”

I hang up and tuck myself closer into Lash’s firm embrace as I try to process everything Samantha just told me. I should be ecstatic that I have a chance at a K-1 visa with Lash. But all I can focus on is the icy fear in my veins at the thought of Max searching for me—and what I’ll do if he finds me.

“That fucking bastard,” he growls. “I won’t let him get anywhere near you, Zoya. I promise.”

Burrowing into his warmth, I let his strength seep into me. “I’m just so scared, Lash. I thought I was free of him, but now…”

“Hey.” He tilts my chin up, his silver eyes fierce. “Youarefree. And you’re going to stay that way. We’re in this together, remember? And you have not only me but the Wolven Warriors on your side.”

A wobbly smile finds its way onto my lips. “How could I forget? You’re kind of hard to shake.”

“Damn right.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re stuck with me now, Starlight. Better get used to it.”

I laugh, some of the tightness in my chest easing. “There are worse fates, I suppose.”

We stay locked in each other’s arms for a long moment, just holding each other, breathing each other in. The road ahead may be uncertain, but for right now, in this instant, I feel safe. Cherished.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lash

The next day, I pace the length of the Security Office on the main floor of the Wolven Warriors’ building. My tail twitches with agitation, my ears are laid back with irritation.

Zoya and I have spent a few hours almost every day in the other half of the first floor, the den, so she could meet my pack mates. She was so shy at first that I timed our forays when the room would be close to empty.

One by one, she met my brothers. She’d already met Courage, the cocky smack-talking SOB who’s been even more insufferable since he found his mate, Candy.

She gifted Bold, our leader, with homemade apricot kolaches, a thank-you for giving me time off work and allowing her tostay, although I never would have allowed him to kick her out, kolaches or no kolaches.

The cookies were such a hit, she made other varieties gifting my packmates with new choices every day. It helped her feel more comfortable around them. She didn’t need to bribe them to like her. Who wouldn’t like my starlight?

We’re not here for recreation, though, I’ve called several of my closest brothers to strategize what amounts to the first volley of war. Against Max.

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