Page 42 of Stealing Sloane

They walked out to the porch, where Grams and Sloane sat on the couch, laughing as they chatted over coffee. For a moment, she looked so lovely, with the early morning sun bathing her face and hair in a golden light, that his breath caught in his throat.

“Leaving already, Gunnar?” Lily asked.

“I should go, Grams. Thank you for breakfast. It was nice meeting you, Sloane.”

“Nice meeting you too, Gunnar.”

He turned to Jacob. “I’m glad you came.” Gunnar embraced him. “And I just wanted to tell you when it comes to her, follow your instincts.”

Jacob stiffened. “What?”

Gunnar stepped back. “Just think about it. You already know the answer,” he added cryptically. “See you later.” With a wave, he trudged off.

Jacob could only stare at his cousin’s retreating figure, that feeling in his gut returning. He’d heard … certain things about Daric’s family and his powers, but never really confirmed anything.

“Hey, wanna go find Stella and Cliff?” Sloane said as she popped up beside him.

It had been their daily ritual now, to find her sister wherever she happened to be training, to encourage her and cheer her on. Jacob had been impressed by Stella’s progress, considering she’d only been here for a few days.

Plus, it was a good excuse to spend the day with Sloane.

“Sure.”

“That’s it, Stella!” Sloane cheered as her twin shifted back to her human form and ran to her to help her re-dress. Jacob stayed where he was, and of course, turned and averted his gaze, as did all the other males around them. This morning, after they had finished their chores, Jackson wanted to work on Stella’s shifting speed. While she could control her shifts, she still took a long time to change. Lycans had to learn to quickly slip between forms as those moments in between human and wolf were a Lycan’s most vulnerable state, leaving them open to attack by an enemy. The faster they switched, the sooner they could defend themselves.

“I think I almost got it that time.” Stella took a gulp from the water bottle Sloane offered. “I was just having a hard time at the end.”

Jackson strode over to them once Stella was dressed. “Sometimes it’s tempting to just let your mind wander while you’re inside your wolf. But you still have to maintain some control.”

“My wolf … she wanted to keep me locked away.” Stella shuddered. “It was scary.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Sloane rubbed her back. “She’s trying to test your boundaries, Stel. But you gotta show her you’re in charge.”

“Exactly.” Jackson nodded in agreement. “Our human part is the leader, the alpha. We tell our wolves what to do, including when we want to change.”

“You all do it so fast.” Stella’s expression fell. “I feel like I’m always lagging behind.”

“It just takes practice.” Cliff enveloped her in a hug. “Muscle memory, for both you and your wolf.”

Jackson rubbed his chin. “Don’t forget, you’re also pregnant. I’m afraid you’re the first person I’ve trained who’s carrying a pup, so I’m not sure if that affects it. Perhaps your wolf is being extra protective. But really, Stella, you’re doing a great job.”

“Even better than Devon,” Austin snorted.

The Alpha threw his head back and laughed. “Well, that was a different case. Devon was a stubborn SOB. The only way I got him to cooperate was because of Charley.”

Stella wiped the sweat off her face with the towel Cliff handed her. “I’m beat. And starving.”

“You’re always starving,” Cliff teased. “But, yeah, can we go back to the house for lunch, Uncle Jackson?”

“No, not today.” Jackson held up a hand before anyone could protest. “What I mean is, I thought maybe we could all use a break. I called Momma earlier, and she’s got lunch set up by the pond. I thought we could use some R and R for the rest of the afternoon.”

“No more chores?” Jack raised a fist in the air. “Yes!”

They all trudged toward the large swimming pond on the property, just east of the main house. Jacob recalled spending many hot days cooling off at the pond, so this was another activity he was looking forward to. As Jackson promised, Lily was already there, maneuvering two large picnic baskets onto a folding table.

“You should have called us, Grams,” Jacob admonished as he helped his grandmother with the baskets.

Lily tsked. “I’m a Lycan, Jacob. I’m strong enough to carry these and more.”

---