Page 3 of Stealing Sloane

It may even make up for the fact that Ronan Forte was still breathing to this day.

Finding out she still had family—a twin sister no less—had shaken her to the core. She cycled through a myriad of emotions—shock, anger, relief—the moment she saw the viral video of her own face staring back at her from her phone.

First she thought it was a fake—but as she continued to watch, it all fell into place.

“Hi, my name is Stella, and I’m an adoptee. Recently, I found out that I have a twin sister, so I was hoping someone out there could help me find her …”

Sloane didn’t know how her twin sister escaped Ronan’s clutches or how she’d been adopted by human parents. Perhaps they had been separated to keep them safe? Anyway, it didn’tmatter. At that moment, she decided she had to get to Stella before the Boston clan did. If she had seen the video, then Ronan would have too, and he’d find a way to take Stella back, by force if necessary, if only to lure Sloane into coming out from hiding.

Since her botched attempt to kill Ronan, Sloane had managed to evade the Boston clan, moving around constantly, never staying in one place too long. She had no choice but to turn Lone Wolf, a special status for Lycans that had no Alpha and no territory to claim. It was the only way she could move through different territories having to seek permission from whatever clan ruled over a particular place.

It had been a difficult year, but she was still alive, and she had not given up on her mission. And Ronan, for sure, hadn’t given up on finding her either.

So, she came up with a plan—find Stella and take her into hiding, then she would get rid of Ronan once and for all.

Of course, things weren’t that simple. Though she had left the clan, she still had some contacts on the inside, who told her that Ronan had already attempted to kidnap Stella twice. She had to act quick, so last night, she had planned to approach Stella and tell her everything. To her surprise, Stella wasn’t home. Sloane had staked out her house, but when dawn came and there was no sign of Stella returning, she had feared the worst. She had broken into the house and found the invitation to some awards ceremony for the previous night at a hotel on the Strip. Her gut told her Ronan didn’t have her yet. Perhaps Stella had drunk too much alcohol and decided to stay the night, and that’s why she didn’t come home. So, she made her way down to Las Vegas Boulevard.

And so here she was, roaming the lobby and gaming floor, hoping to catch a glimpse of Stella. Like everything on the Strip, the Panorama Hotel and Casino was massive, and she didn’tknow where to start. She’d been here for hours, and there was still no sign of her.

Maybe she’s not here.

Her wolf lay down and let out a whine.

There could be a million other places she?—

She stopped short when a whiff of something familiar tickled her nose. Her she-wolf perked up, its nose in the air, trying to identify the scent.

It was the same lavender and sage scent that permeated Stella’s home. Even if she didn’t know it, her wolf did, yipping loudly as if telling her that was their sister’s scent. Sure enough, when she looked ahead, she saw a flash of blonde hair.

But she wasn’t alone. There was a tall, broad-shouldered figure walking alongside her and though Sloane hadn’t sensed his wolf or inhaled his scent, something about his confident and arrogant swagger told her he had to be Lycan. It wasn’t anyone she recognized, but then again, Ronan oftentimes hired Lone Wolves to do his dirty jobs especially outside his territory.

Alarm bells immediately rang in her head, and that’s when she reached the conclusion that she had to get Stella out of that Lycan’s reach—even if it meant kidnapping her own sister.

Good thing I’m always prepared,she thought as she fished a couple of zip ties and a fabric bag from her backpack. Stealthily, she followed the pair as they wound through the maze-like casino gaming floor.

Are they going around in circles? They must be lost.The pair had passed the same roulette table twice. An idea popped into her head.

As she passed by a craps table, she snagged a phone from a player’s back pocket, then opened the camera app. She walked in the parallel row to Stella and the man, then crossed over to their side, crossing in between them. She activated the flashso it blinded her sister, sending her staggering back as her companion continued walking forward.

Yes!

Unfortunately, Sloane celebrated too early as someone bumped her from behind, and she lost her chance to take Stella. However, she had succeeded in separating her twin from that other Lycan, which would make it easier to take her away.

She continued to follow Stella as she wandered around the gaming floor. When she turned toward a relatively empty row of slot machines, Sloane knew that was her chance.

Springing into action, she rushed toward Stella, raising the bag high as her sister whirled around.

“No!”

But Sloane was faster, and in one swoop, she zip-tied Stella’s hands and feet, then hoisted her up, fireman style.

“Let me go!”

“Shush!” Sloane hissed, though she doubted Stella could hear her as she continued to thrash about. Shuffling her around into a more comfortable position, she made a beeline for the exit.

A low growl emanated from the figure over her shoulder, and her inner wolf let out a yip of recognition. Did Stella know she was a Lycan? Why didn’t she try to shift and escape?

“Put her down, asshole!” growled a voice from behind.

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