Page 56 of Stealing Sloane

“I never claimed I wasn’t, little one.”

“I’ll give these back.” She gestured to the backpack. “Just let him go.”

“Too late, for that, little one.” He sounded almost sorry. “Do you think I care about those diaries? If anything, you reminded me why I should never keep any records at all. Silly habit of mine, really. I’ll be burning them—alongside you and your boyfriend’s bodies.”

Despair gripped her chest. This was it, the end. She glanced over at Jacob.

“Jacob, I?—”

“Run, Sloane,” he sobbed. “Go!”

If she wanted to, she could escape. She was much quicker than any of his human bodyguards, and she could evade all of them.

But she couldn’t leave Jacob behind.

“Should I tranquilize him again?” Garret asked.

“No need.” Ronan’s mouth pulled up to a menacing grin. “Kill him first, before her.”

“No!” She screamed and lunged toward Jacob. Ronan, however, was too fast and grabbed her around the waist, his arms wrapping around her like a vice. She watched helplessly as Garret’s left arm wrapped around Jacob’s head, ready to snap his neck like a twig.

A bright flash exploded in her eyes, blinding her. Ronan shouted, his arms loosening. She disentangled herself, hurtling toward Jacob as the flash receded and her sight came back. Garret dropped Jacob on the floor as the Beta stumbled back. He let out an indignant scream and made a move toward Jacob, but before he could get to him, two large blurs pounced on him.

Lycans!

She flew toward Jacob, her throat feeling like it was wrapped with razor wire as she pressed her ear to his chest. She nearly wept when she heard his heartbeat, clear and strong. But there was no time to lose. Slipping her hand under him, she hoisted him up.

“What … Sloane?” He blinked, the sight of his beautiful green eyes making her heart flutter. “What—” He glanced around, the tranquilizer clearly starting to wear off. “Oh, shit.”

Oh, shit was right. They were surrounded by at least a dozen Lycans in wolf form, all of them attacking Ronan’s bodyguards.She glanced at Garret, who was pinned to the ground by two gigantic wolves—one she recognized as Jackson. The other one was nearly identical, except for the deep scar that ran down its right eye.

“Everyone’s here,” Jacob rasped. “Thank God.”

“What do you mean ‘everyone’s here’? Did you call them?”

“Yeah. Well, I called Lizzie before we went in. And she took care of everything.”

Sloane couldn’t believe it. The entire clan had seemingly shown up— there were Jordan and Jack’s wolves with their easily distinct short brown fur. Cliff’s and Austin’s massive animals. A blond wolf with bright blue eyes had to be Jacob’s father. The others had to be from Shenandoah too.

“Get them!”

Sloane recognized Ronan’s booming voice. “Oh, fuck!” Spinning around, she saw him surrounded by two bodyguards who were entangled with two wolves. Ronan glanced around, then started running for the door, his clothes shedding as he began to shift.

“No!” Sloane raced after him, changing into her Lycan form. Adrenaline pumped through her as she chased after him. She leapt forward to catch him, sending them both to the ground. Her wolf slashed and gnashed at him, her fury evident as her claws sank into fur and skin. Sloane was like a passenger in their wolf’s body, unable to stop her animal. Not that she wanted to.

This is for my parents. My lost childhood. My brother and sister. And for Jacob.

“Sloane! Sloane, stop!”

But the rage blinded her, and the smell of blood and fear only fueled her. Even though Ronan’s wolf stopped fighting and showed its neck in surrender, she continued to attack him.

“Stop, Sloane!”

Strong arms wrapped around her middle, and the she-wolf stilled, letting out a howl. The scent of clean-cut grass with a burnt edge drifted into their nose.

Stop, she told her wolf.Please.

The wolf let out a whine.

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