Page 6 of Wolf Sacrificed

Mark cupped my face and then pressed his forehead against mine. “I don’t envy your position for a moment, but I respect you and everything that you stand for, and I’ll have your back one hundred percent. You have my word.”

Brandon pushed Mark out of the way and wrapped me in his arms, squeezing me hard enough that my back cracked. “I’m proud of you, Sloane. I’m with you one hundred percent of the way.”

He pulled back to reveal Erica behind him, so small and frail, just a young tween. Her eyes were rimmed in red, and the rain had plastered her hair to her face. She’d lost so much in her life, and now she’d lost the uncle who had become a father to her too. She was the reason I’d agreed to go to Pack Wolf Blood to begin with. To protect her.

Erica flung herself at me, sobbing deep, heaving cries.

I scooped her into my arms and made shushing sounds. “It’s going to be okay. We are going to see this through.”

Erica’s voice broke as she peeked up at me with wide eyes. “I don’t want to lose anyone else, Sloane. Are you sure we can’t run?”

I tucked my fingers under her chin and tilted it up so she had to look at me. “Running won’t help us. It will only delay the inevitable. We are staying here and standing our ground.”

My mom drew in a deep breath and let it out. Her hand went to her mouth, and even though the rain drenched her face, I could tell she was still crying. “You won’t even consider leaving?”

My heart plunged like a rock into the bottom of my stomach. I frowned, darting my scrutiny around my family, searching each of their faces. Mark and Brandon had deep worry lines creasing their brows. Mom and Erica shook from their crying.

I turned to Lincoln, his face a mask. He gave me a small nod, which I took to mean to follow my gut.

“No,” I said firmly. “This is our home. I plan to stay and defend it until I draw my last breath. Though I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

My mom sniffled and rubbed under her nose. She nodded and used her fingers to swipe away the rain and tears from her cheeks. The deep frown didn’t leave her face, though. If anything, it became more pronounced.

What if I was making a mistake by staying? Was I being too hasty? Had I really thought all this through?

No. This was the right call. I had to follow my instincts. That’s what my dad had told me. That’s what I was going to do. Every fiber of my being told me that staying was the right choice. There was no time for me to second-guess myself now.

A flash of red and blue split the darkened skies. At first I thought it was a burst of lightning until I came to my senses.

I whirled, narrowing my eyes. A familiar sheriff’s car made its way down the drive.

My belly knotted, and nausea churned inside. The sheriff would see our decimated house, and he would have questions.

Questions I couldn’t give him the answers to.

Three

Sloane

Even if I ran now, I couldn’t stop the sheriff before he got far enough to see the main house. If I looked through the trees, I could see the bloom of white smoke from where the rain smothered the charred remains of the structure.

My mom gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no. He’s going to have so many questions. Your father was barely able to smooth things over the last time he was here.”

She mumbled into her hand, but I couldn’t understand her.

“There is no stopping him from seeing the house now. I’ll go head him off now before he gets any farther and runs into someone who shouldn’t be answering his questions.”

My mom sniffled and rubbed ferociously under her bloodshot eyes like she could hide the fact she’d been crying all morning.

Her hand trembled as she shoved her sopping wet hair behind her ear. “We should go and speak with him together. He’s not going to know about your father yet, and I know your father’s been speaking with him about Darrin’s death. With the fire and your dad…”

Her voice broke, and she choked on a sob.

I grasped her hand and clutched it between both of mine. “Lincoln and I will take care of it. Stay here. You deserve a chance to pay your respects to Dad. I know how hard this is for you.”

Her shoulders rose and fell as she began to cry again. “Sloane, my love, no.”

I stood taller and patted her hand. “It’s okay. I got this.”

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