Page 25 of Falling for My Shifter Boss

My control slips. A growl rips from my throat, echoing off the walls.

A heavy steel door stands between us. I don't hesitate.

I slam into it with my full strength, letting my wolf's power surge through my muscles. Metal groans and gives way, the hinges snapping with a satisfying shriek. The door crashes inward, revealing the dimly lit room beyond.

And there she is.

Maya is chained to a chair, silver cuffs biting into her wrists. Her skin is raw where the metal touches her, angry red welts rising beneath the cursed restraints. Her head lifts weakly at the sound of my entrance, amber eyes locking onto mine. Despite the pain in her gaze, despite the blood trickling from a cut above her brow, she still manages that damned smirk I've grown to crave.

"About time," she rasps. "I was starting to think you'd gotten lost."

Something inside me snaps.

Before I can reach her, movement to the left—

A hunter yanks her upright, pressing a silver blade to her throat. The room stills.

I stop where I stand, my body coiled tight, every muscle locked in place. My wolf rages, but I force myself to stay still. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and that blade will cut deep. The thought alone makes my vision blur red.

The hunter's grip on Maya is too tight, his breathing uneven. He's nervous. Good.

"You think that knife will save you?" My voice is low, steady. Deadly.

The hunter tenses, his hands trembling slightly. "Stay back, or I'll—"

I lunge.

It happens too fast for him to react.

In a blur of motion, I grab his wrist, twisting hard. The knife clatters to the floor as his bones snap beneath my grip. His scream is cut short when my other hand wraps around his throat, lifting him clean off his feet.

"You touched what's mine," I growl, my wolf's rage bleeding into my voice.

He claws at my grip, his face turning red, but I don't squeeze hard enough to kill—just enough to make him feel the weight of his mistake. Then, with a flick of my wrist, I toss him aside. He crumples to the floor, unconscious.

I turn back to Maya, my hands gentler now as I reach for the chains. The silver burns my fingers, but I don't stop. I snap the cuffs, the scent of scorched flesh filling the air as I toss them away.

Maya sags forward, too weak to hold herself up. I catch her before she can fall, her body pressing against mine. Her heartbeat thunders against my chest, quick but steady.

Her fingers tighten in my shirt, twisting the fabric as if anchoring herself to me. "I knew you'd come," she whispers, her breath warm against my neck.

I exhale sharply, my forehead pressing against hers. My hands cup her face, thumbs brushing away traces of blood and dirt. "I'll always come for you."

The words escape before I can stop them, raw and honest in a way I haven't allowed myself to be in years.

My wolf rumbles in satisfaction as Maya's scent wraps around me, the relief overwhelming. She's hurt but alive. Safe.

Mine.

I scoop her into my arms, cradling her close as I step out of the room. She nestles against my chest, her nose pressing into the curve of my neck. "My hero," she murmurs, managing a weak laugh that makes my heart clench.

The fighting outside has died down. Theo and his wolves finish off the last of the hunters, their snarls fading into silence. Eli wipes blood from his knuckles, glancing up as I emerge from the warehouse. His sharp hazel eyes flick to Maya in my arms, then back to me. He doesn't say anything, but his knowing smirk says enough.

Lucien stands off to the side, watching the carnage with elegant detachment. He tilts his head, silver-gray eyes gleaming with dark amusement as he murmurs, "Well, well. You really are quite terrifying when provoked, Blackwell. I do believe I'm starting to see the appeal."

I don't respond.

I don't care about Lucien, or the hunters, or the blood staining the ground.

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