Page 38 of Protected By the Wolven

“Stop, Max, I don’t want to hurt you.” Even after Max has assaulted us and brandished a gun, Lash is still trying to talk sense into him.

Max is fueled by desperation and rage. He comes charging at Lash with a furious roar, driving his shoulder into Lash’s chest, slamming him into the brick wall. Lash’s head hits the wall with a sickening thud, clearly dazing him and pulling a terrified shout from me.

A bystander is shouting into her phone, her words a distant buzz in my ears. All I can focus on is the bitter fury of the man I flew halfway across the world to marry as he tries to destroy the most precious thing in my world.

Max wraps his hands around Lash’s throat, squeezing hard. I stand helpless as Lash struggles to stay conscious from the blow to the head while feebly trying to pull Max’s fingers from his throat. His face is turning an alarming shade of red.

And in that moment, something in me snaps. The fear that’s held me captive for so long shatters, replaced by white-hot fury. This man, this monster, has taken so much from me. My sense of safety, my self-worth. I won’t let him take Lash, too.

I don’t remember moving. One second I’m frozen, the next I’m grabbing the fallen gun from the ground. It’s heavy in my hands, foreign. But my grip is steady as I level it at Max’s chest.

“Get. Off. Him.” My voice is a snarl, ringing with a strength I hardly recognize. “Get off him now, or I swear to God, I’ll shoot you where your heart should be.”

He doesn’t react to my threat. Of course not. He knew me for five long months and in that time, I was nothing more than a pathetic punching bag.

“I’ll shoot you through your heart by the time I count to five.” I brandish the gun, hoping he sees that I’m not playing.

Max stills, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of me. The barrel of the gun never wavers. Slowly, he releases his grip on Lash’s throat, raising his hands in surrender.

Lash takes a moment to pull in some desperate breaths. The dazed look in his eyes clears, his lips pulled back to expose his fangs, his claws unsheathed and deadly. But this male who I love doesn’t steal my power. He just silently lends his strength to mine.

“Zoya, baby, you don’t want to do this.” Max’s voice quivers as he wheedles, but his words have lost their power.

“You don’t know what I want,” I snap. “You never did. All you ever cared about was controlling me. But I’m done being your victim. I’m done being afraid of you.”

Sirens wail in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. Max’s face pales as he realizes what’s coming. In a last, desperate bid, he lunges for me.

But Lash is there, easily tackling him to the ground. He flips him onto his stomach, pinning Max down. His knee digging into Max’s back doesn’t prevent the man from spewing threats and profanity.

Funny, somewhere in the last month his words lost the power to hurt me.

“You’re finished,” Lash growls. “You’ll never hurt Zoya again. You’ll never hurt anyone again.”

The police cars screech into the parking lot, officers pouring out, weapons drawn. They order me to drop the gun, then swarm the three of us, uncertainty on their faces.

A woman holding a cell phone yells, “Wait. I’m the one who called 911. The man on the ground is who you want, not the wolven. I have it all on video.”

An officer approaches her and watches as she replays the video. He nods and points to Max. “That’s our perp!” The officers train their guns on Max as Lash steps away. They grasp Max, yank him to his feet, and cuff his hands behind his back.

As they lead him away, Max’s eyes find mine one last time. There’s no remorse there. No regret. Only a seething, impotent hatred.

I stare back, unwavering. I’m not afraid of him anymore. He has no power over me. Not now, not ever again.

Lash is at my side in an instant, his arms coming around me. I sag into his embrace, my hands clutching him with all my strength.

“It’s over,” he murmurs into my hair. “You did it, Zoya. You’re free. My female is stronger than she knew.”

And as the truth of his words sinks in, as the reality of my newfound freedom takes hold, I feel a lightness I’ve never known. In Lash’s arms, with the promise of our future stretching before us, I am finally whole.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Zoya

“Thanks for cooking, but I’m not hungry. My stomach is still spasming from what happened in that parking lot. Not to mention the hours giving our statements to the police. Thank goodness that woman called 911 and showed the video to the police.”

“But the good news is that Samantha managed the meeting with the folks from the State Department while we were speaking with the police. Once she got word that I was cleared and Max charged and detained, I’m now your official sponsor.”

He looks pleased with himself, but he reads me so well. The moment he notices my sour expression, he pushes his chair back from the table, opens his arms to me, and nods. Wasting no time, I ease onto his lap, burrowing closer as he hugs me tight.

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