Page 16 of Taming the Lion
One of the other masked figures tries to make a break for it, heading for the back exit, but I’m faster. I tackle them to the ground, and this time, there’s no fight left in them. The adrenaline is surging through me, the need to protect Sophia, to stop this, fueling every movement.
Behind me, I hear the roar of the crowd, but I know it’s not for me. It’s for Sophia and Zeus, still holding the audience’s attention even in the middle of this chaos. She’s holding ittogether, but I know what this is doing to her. I know the weight she’s carrying, the fear she’s been hiding.
As I secure the last of the thieves, I look up to see her watching me, her chest heaving with effort. For a second, everything else fades—the audience, the noise, the chaos—and it’s just the two of us. The connection between us is raw, undeniable, and it hits me with the force of everything we’ve been through together.
This isn’t just about stopping a heist anymore. It’s about what happens next. What happens to us.
I don’t have time to think about it for long. Sophia turns back to Zeus, her voice calm, but there’s a tremor there now, something vulnerable. “Good boy, Zeus. You’re okay.”
But I can see the way her hands are trembling, the way she’s holding herself together by sheer force of will. And I know, even as the danger ebbs, that we’re far from done.
The performance might be over, but the real battle is just beginning.
Chapter Thirteen
Sophia
Chaos swirls around me. The sounds of the circus—normally so familiar, so comforting—twist into something jagged, sharp. My heart is hammering in my chest as I watch the crew close in on Zeus, their hands reaching for the cage. It’s happening too fast. Too fast for me to stop it.
For a moment, everything slows.
The villain’s face blurs with the faces from my past—people I trusted, people who betrayed me. The air becomes thick, oppressive, as memories surge up, suffocating me. My pulse spikes, my body freezing in place as my mind drags me back to a time when I was powerless. I see it all again. The faces, the voices. The way I felt trapped, unable to stop the things happening around me. My parents, my past, every wrong turn I ever made.
I can't move. I can’t breathe.
The circus ring dissolves, replaced by old wounds, old fears. The shadows of my past tighten their grip around my throat. My vision blurs, and the sensation of losing control becomes all-consuming. Zeus’s roar fades into the background, swallowed by the storm inside my head. I’m losing him. I’m losing everything.
I don’t know how to stop it.
Suddenly, cutting through the haze, I hear Alex’s voice. Strong. Steady. Certain.
“You’ve got this, Sophia.”
His voice snaps me back to the present. I blink, my mind clawing its way out of the darkness. The chaos of the circus floods back in—Zeus snarling, the crew scrambling, the audience’s confused shouts. But none of it matters. All I focus on is Alex.
Our eyes lock from across the ring, and there’s something in his gaze—something that grounds me, pulls me out of the paralysis. He’s not giving me promises. He’s not telling me it’s going to be okay. He’s reminding me who I am.
“You’ve always had this,” he calls again, his voice cutting through the noise like a lifeline.
I inhale sharply, the air burning in my lungs as I shake off the fear that was threatening to consume me. He’s right. I’ve always had this. I’ve been through worse. I’ve faced down trauma, betrayal, and loss, and I’ve survived it all. I’m not the scared girl I used to be.
I’m in control now.
With a surge of determination, I turn back to Zeus. He’s watching me, waiting for my command, his massive body coiled with tension. My voice, which felt trapped in my throat moments ago, comes out steady, strong.
“Zeus, stay with me,” I say, my tone sharp, cutting through the chaos.
The lion responds instantly, his focus narrowing as he tunes out the surrounding confusion. We move together, seamlessly, as we’ve done so many times before. His strength is mine. His power flows through me, and I can feel it in every fiber of my being.
I step forward, my heart no longer racing in fear but beating with purpose. I call out to Zeus again, directing him to the far side of the ring, away from the villains trying to corner him. His movements are smooth, precise, and I can see the crew stumbling in their attempts to wrangle him. They’re panicking now, realizing they’ve lost the upper hand.
The control is back in my hands.
With each command, Zeus follows, his powerful body moving effortlessly to evade capture. He’s not a victim here—neither of us are. The villains scramble, their plan unraveling before their eyes as they try to regain control of the situation, but it’s too late.
“You’re not taking him,” I mutter under my breath, my eyes blazing with focus. “Not today.”
Behind me, I hear Alex moving closer, his presence solid, a constant reminder that I’m not in this alone. His support is there, steady but unobtrusive, letting me take the lead. And for the first time in a long time, I realize I’m okay with that. I don’t have to fight this battle by myself.
