Page 31 of Protected By the Wolven

His jaw tightens just enough that I’m certain he’s drawn tiny pinpricks of blood. Instead of filling me with pain or fear, it feels right. It’s as if it’s sealing us together.

His hips speed up impossibly faster as he races to completion, bathing me with his liquid heat. Then he slumps next to me, throws his arms around my waist, tugs me closer, then tongues my shoulder with short, sweet licks.

“Sorry. Carried away. So fucking good. Perfect,” he says between soothing laps.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Zoya

Mornings are completely different for me since I’ve been living with Lash. Instead of waking up in fear after a restless night, I’ve awakened with a sense of calm and comfort.

Today, the light streaming in tells me it’s later than I usually awaken, but the best thing is the feeling of Lash’s claws in my scalp. They’re slow and gentle as he cards through my hair. The feeling soothes something deep in my soul.

My back is cuddled to his front, but I don’t need to twist to see him in order to know there’s a soft, affectionate smile on his handsome face. When I finally turn to greet him, his expression is just as I imagined. He’s looking at me as though I’m this wonderful thing that dropped into his life.

I know the feeling. I feel the same way about him.

“Good morning, Starlight.” He gives a soft, nibbling kiss to my forehead.

“I love my new nickname.” My voice is dreamy. We learned English in school in Ukraine. During our first year, I remember learning that silly song, “Twinkle, twinkle little star”. It was such a simple, basic song, but it made me happy when I mastered all the words.

“Starlight, Moonshine, Sunshine. Whatever I call you, Zoya, I want to call you mine.”

For a moment, it feels as though my blood curdles in my veins. When Max called me his, it wasn’t a good thing.

Forcing down my fear, I focus on Lash’s face.This male has never hurt you, Zoya, and I don’t think he ever will.

Wading through my initial terror, I allow myself to feel the joy Lash’s words were meant to convey.

“Yours?”

“We’ve got lots of time left on our ninety-day trial period. Don’t freak out.”

Blin.He must have seen the panic in my expression.

“No freakout. It just took a moment to sink in. It feels… good.”

I don’t know how I manage to snuggle even closer, but I do. Pressing my palms to his cheeks, I let Lash see all my affection beam out of my eyes.

“Yes. It feels good,” I repeat.

The tips of my breasts are pressed to his chest, and I can’t control my fingers from sifting through the fur on his shoulders. It’s soft and irresistible to touch.

“Maybe we could…” I ease a few inches away and let my fingertips trail down his chest from his Adam’s apple, “find new ways to make each other feel good?”

A spark of lust flies through me when his eyes turn molten at my suggestion.

He cups the back of my head and is leaning closer to claim my lips when his phone buzzes. He groans as he pulls away. “Could be important.” When he glances at the screen, his muscles tighten and he sits up.

“It’s Samantha. You should take it.”

My heart leaps into my throat. News from my lawyer could change everything.

“Samantha, hi.” I try and fail to keep my voice steady as I put the call on speaker. No reason Lash shouldn’t hear what she has to say. “What’s up?”

“Zoya, I have some updates for you.” She’s all business, cutting straight to the point. “I reached out to my contact at the State Department, and they’re willing to make an exception in your case. You can apply for a K-1 visa with someone other than Max.”

Relief crashes over me like a wave. The idea of being Lash’s fiancée fills me with hope for about two seconds. Then I’m reminded of a whole new list of terrifying possibilities, like being legally bound to someone who starts out kind and then turns into a monster. I try not to let her hear the fear in my voice when I say, “That’s… that’s incredible. Thank you so much, Samantha. I don’t know what to say.”

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