Chapter 245

Julian’s POV

Olivia moved toward the edge of the seat and then slid off. She had a gun in her hand, pointed at Amber and me. Amber tried to stay in front of me, stubbornly, but I was much stronger than her. Even with her not helping, I could easily shift so that she was behind me, and by holding my arms out, I kept her from moving around back to my front.

I didn’t care how much she insisted or tried, Amber would never be between me and the barrel of that gun.

“You look ridiculous,” Olivia mocked. She was moving with a limp, like her bones didn’t quite heal correctly after having been broken. And even as she walked toward us, with me constantly trying to move Amber back towards the opening of the fence, she clutched her side like it pained her.

“How are you still alive?” I demanded.

“I couldn’t die yet,” she growled. “I wouldn’t allow myself. You always underestimated me, Julian. Underestimated my will and my purpose. Now you will pay for it.”

“You won’t hurt Amber,” I said.

She laughed. “You think I care about that bitch, anymore? My life is over. Even with her out of the way, there is no future for us, for me. Why should I continue to go after small fries, when the true target has always been you?”

So Amber was right. She and Alice weren’t the intended victims this time. I wasn’t frightened by this. Instead, I was almost… relieved. My family was safe, and I was much more difficult to kill.

“Killing me won’t be so simple,” I said.

“Maybe,” Olivia mocked. “But we’ll see how many silver bullets you can take to the head before you drop.”

“No!” Amber said, renewing her efforts to get around me.

I kept her back, kept her protected, not wanting her to take any stray bullets that had been meant for me.

This was my fight, my problem. I was the one who had allowed Olivia into our lives at all, even at the beginning. I should have cast her away years ago. I should have known that she always lied to me about the night we had been together, and about her being pregnant.

My heart would have never betrayed Amber.

She cocked the gun. She held it steady, aimed straight for my head. She must have been taking lessons, or watching videos. She seemed more confident in her stance.

But I was confident too. Because I knew something she didn’t know.

Right as she was about to fire, Tony crept up behind her and grabbed her arm. He yanked it up just as the gun fired, sending the bullet high and wide.

This alerted the guards, who immediately turned back toward us.

Tony wrestled the gun away from Olivia, then tossed it aside, far out of both of their reaches, clear to the other side of the fence.

“What are you doing, lover?” Olivia said. “You must want them dead, as well, after all they’ve done to us? Join me. Let’s end them together and take their place as Alpha and Luna of the pack.”

“I might have fallen for that in the past,” Tony replied. “But never again. You knew that potion would turn me feral, but you didn’t care, did you? You never cared about me at all.”

“No, baby,” Olivia said sweetly. She batted her eyes at Tony. “I had no idea. I’m so relieved you are alright. Stand with me now. Let’s finish this together, just like we always said we would.”

“No,” Tony replied. “The answer is no, Olivia, and I’m honestly offended you would even try that with me again.”

The sweetness on her face shriveled up in a flash, replaced once more with the furious, ugly anger that had been there before.

“You coward,” she spit. “Well, I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone.”

Looking back at me, she shifted into her wolf. Her wolf was in even worse shape than her human form, a twisted, gnarled thing. Her teeth and claws were still sharp though, and she was likely counting on that as she turned toward me and pounced.

I prepared, bracing for impact. But Amber used my distraction to sneak around me. At the same instant, she shifted too, and collided with Olivia in the air.

Olivia flew to the side, smashing into the grass and dirt as she landed on her back. The guards surrounded her at once, and as she shifted back into human form, she was taken into custody.

Amber, who had landed on her feet, waiting until Olivia was secured before she trotted back toward me, shifting into her human form once more as she did so.

The minute she was within arm reach, I grabbed her and pulled her to me. My racing heart steadied only when she was safe in my arms.

“Never do that again,” I growled.

“No promises,” she replied, which irked me to no end.

We were going to talk about this later, when we didn’t have an audience. Keeping one arm around Amber, I shifted her to my side so we could both look at Tony.

Amber had saved me too, but Tony had saved me first.

I held out my free hand for him. Immediately, he grabbed it with his own and shook it.

“Thank you, Tony,” I said. “I don’t want to think about what might have happened if she had pulled that trigger.”

“Just returning the favor,” Tony said, then nodded at Amber. “You both saved my life when you could have left me for dead or killed me. I know I have some punishment to sit through now, but it’s only because of you that there is hope for me for after. Someday, I’m going to have another chance at life.”

“To hells with you all!” Olivia screamed and we all looked at her. The guards were taking her away, straight to the entrance of the jail and inside.

“I can’t believe I fell for her lies,” Tony said.

He wasn’t the only one. Long ago, I had done the same. I didn’t tell him that though, allowing some memories to stay buried in the past now. With Amber beside me, that part of my life felt like a million miles away.

After Tony was also taken back to the jail, I returned Amber into the car where we awaited our guard escort. Before they arrived, I held Amber with both arms in the backseat and kissed her.

Between desperate kisses, I told her, “You shouldn’t have interfered. I could have handled Olivia.”

She shook her head, but then kissed me back, again and again. “You are a protector, but so am I. I will always protect the people I love.”

I couldn’t help but grin. With Olivia caught, all of the fear and worry that had caused me to suffer for so long felt like it had vanished. And in its place, I felt only hope and love.

“I guess I’m happy to be among the people you love then,” I said.

“You are,” she told me with such conviction that there was no room for doubt.

I kissed her a few more times, some more soundly than others, to properly share my appreciation.

Then, breathless, I asked her, “We should renew our vows as soon as possible. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” she said, and practically tackled me into the seat in her desperation to kiss me more. “Yes. A thousand times, yes. I don’t want to fight anymore, or hide. I just want to be your mate, and I want everyone to know.”

If they didn’t already know, they soon would. That I could guarantee her.