Chapter 6
T he rage coursing through Jacob refused to ease, not even when they left the chaos of the main club floor and they reached his intended destination—the empty private club in the basement of Blood Moon. It was strictly for New York clan members, opened only for special occasions. Since it was a weeknight, he was sure it was empty, so he decided he would take Sloane there so they could have some privacy.
Even as the weight of her body over his shoulder and her delicious scent tickled his nose, the fury continued to blind him.
Coming to Blood Moon had been a mistake. The Toronto job had been long and boring, which, to be honest, would have been welcome, except that his wolf was agitated the entire time. It ripped up at him, never letting him have any peace. The damned animal was angry at him, and he didn’t know why.
Well, he had an inkling why, but he refused to admit it. Why his wolf was so attached to that she-wolf, he couldn’t even begin to explain. However, his thoughts, too, had been consumed with Sloane. Wondering how she was, waiting for news if she had fled. It took all his energy not to call or text Lizzie to check in on her the entire time.
I didn’t even want to be here.
Jacob had only touched down three hours ago, and he should have just gone home as he planned. But a fellow agent, Adrian St. Vincent, asked if he wanted to go to Blood Moon. He refused, but then when another coworker, Eli Blake, said he would go, Jacob’s curiosity was piqued. Blake was the new guy, and Jacob had never worked on a job with him before, but he found the hulking Lycan intriguing. Dour and taciturn, he’d barely said two words in the last three days. From what Jacob heard around the office, he had been a Lone Wolf, one of the three hundred Lycans the mages had abducted for whatever evil ritual they had planned. When he had been freed, he asked to stay in New York and work at Lone Wolf Security, but didn’t pledge to the clan.
So, the three of them grabbed a cab to Blood Moon from the airport. Adrian immediately went to the dance floor while Jacob and Blake remained by the bar. However, while he chatted up with the people around him, Blake remained silent and broody as he sipped on his drink, his keen eyes roaming the floor, like he was looking for someone.
Jacob had intended to finish his drink and leave, but then St. Vincent came back with Sloane, her arms around him like a goddamned octopus.
God, he wanted to burn St. Vincent until he was nothing but ash. But since he couldn’t do that, he did the next best thing.
Thankfully the entrance to the private club wasn’t locked or guarded. He rushed inside and waited for the door to close behind him before setting Sloane down. She didn’t even struggle when he picked her up, so he had thought she wouldn’t try to escape.
Well, he was right, she didn’t try to escape. Instead, he got a fist to the jaw.
“Oww!” Jeez, the woman was strong. “What did you do that for?”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, carrying me off like some caveman?” she yelled.
Fuck, she was beautiful when she was angry—blue eyes blazing, breasts heaving, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “What are you doing here?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m having a good time, or at least I was until you came along.”
Had she been coming to Blood Moon the entire time? Dancing, drinking, hooking up with strangers? The very thought made him want to commit murder.
“Besides, I should be asking you the same. I thought you were working? Or were you just hiding out here, fucking a different woman every night?”
“What the—I have been working! I just came back from Canada a couple hours ago. You were the one cozying up to my goddamned coworker.”
“And what about that skank who was all over you?”
“Skank? What skan—” Oh yeah . He was talking to some girl next to him, only half-listening to her yammering. She invited him to come to her place, and he was about to refuse when he saw Sloane wrapped around St. Vincent like a vine. “She wasn’t—hey, wait a minute, are you jealous?”
“What?” She looked taken aback. “Jealous? I’m not the one who threatened harm for an innocent little dance.”
“I’ve seen the dancing that goes on out there, and there’s nothing innocent about it. And don’t try to deflect. Are. You. Jealous ?”
“No,” she said.
“Liar. You were.” His heart did a little somersault. “It doesn’t feel good, doesn’t it?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered as she took a few steps back.
The move only emboldened him, and he closed the distance between them. “Jealousy.” Reaching out, he grabbed her upper arms and stared into her eyes. “That feeling in your gut like something’s clawing at you. Makes your skin crawl and your stomach churn and your chest ache. Makes you want to burn the world.” He leaned closer. “Because that’s how I felt when I saw another man touching you.”
Her eyes blazed, and he could hear her heart pounding. “Why would you be jealous? You don’t even want me.”
Not want her? “You’re such an idiot, you know that?” Before she could protest, he swooped down and melded their lips together
She didn’t stop him or struggle. In fact, her arms wound around his neck and pulled him down, their mouths clashing in a desperate kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her, wanted more, wanted to swallow her whole if he could. He walked her backward until they reached one of the couches, then she sank down and pulled him on top of her.
Her barely-there skirt rode up to her waist as her legs wrapped around him. The heat of her pressed against his growing erection, the friction making him moan into her mouth. Her hips shifted up invitingly, and if he didn’t stop, he would embarrass himself, so he slid a hand between them. His fingers found the damp front of her panties and began to stroke her through the thin fabric.
“Jacob,” she moaned.
He shifted away from her, leaning on his side so he could have full access to her sweet pussy. The scent of her arousal filled the air, making his cock twitch painfully. He teased her lips, the silky panties getting wetter and wetter as he ran a finger over her slit, occasionally teasing the bud of her clit. She let out an annoyed growl and thrust her hips upwards, which only amused him. Using his mouth, he tugged down her tube top, revealing a full breast and a pretty pink nipple. He took it in without hesitation and sucked back, teasing it with his tongue.
That sent her shrieking with pleasure. “Fuck,” she moaned. “I need …”
Oh, he knew what she needed all right. He pulled her panties aside and plunged a finger into her wet, tight slit.
“Jacob!” She yelled.
His name on her lips was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard, especially as she squeezed around his fingers. His cock throbbed, thinking of what it would be like to be inside her. He thrust his finger into her, imagining it was his dick, fucking her to orgasm. When her pleasure subsided, her body practically melted against him, and she let out a long sigh.
“Baby, you’re?—”
A loud siren rang from somewhere above them, making them both freeze.
They pulled apart. “What the hell?—”
“Fire alarm.” Fuck! “Let’s get out of here.”
They got to their feet, righting their clothes as they made their way to the entrance. When he opened the door, the piercing alarm assaulted his ears. When he tugged at her arm, she pulled away. “We gotta go!”
“I almost forgot—we need to find Olivia.”
“Olivia?” he asked, incredulous. “My cousin, Olivia?”
“Yeah, I came with her.” She trudged up the stairs, frowning as she looked at the dozens of people converging toward the main entrance. “We have to find her.”
“Everyone’s evacuating. Wait a second.” Something was not quite right. Holding up a hand, he sniffed the air. “No trace of smoke.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Huh. You’re right. No heat or fire anywhere either.” All the house lights were turned on, and though there was pushing and shoving toward the exit, it was mostly a controlled crowd. The employees directed the patrons, telling everyone to stay calm.
“Olivia will be fine; she knows her way around here. Maybe it’s a false alarm or a malfunction. But we should get out anyway. Come with me.”
She pointed to the main entrance. “But everyone is going there.”
“I know where the other emergency exit is in the employee area. C’mon, this’ll be quicker.” Pulling her along, he led her to the rear of the club, toward a long hallway that led to the kitchens and the back room. It was eerily quiet and the lights were off, but his Lycan sight allowed him to navigate in the darkness.
“How come you know your way around here?”
“Worked here washing dishes when I was sixteen,” he said. “My dad said it would help me learn something.”
“What did you learn?”
“Where they kept the good booze. There, up ahead.”
The green Emergency Exit sign up ahead shone like a beacon, and they both hurried toward it. He pushed the door open, breathing in the cool, evening air as they stumbled out into the dark alley. “See? What did I?—”
Pain shot through his skull and spots appeared in his vision, and the scream that rang through the alley made his blood freeze in his veins.
“Sloane!” he snarled, but before he could even move, something clamped around his arms and forced him to his knees. What the fuck! He continued to struggle, but it was no use as he couldn’t get free.
“Save your energy,” came a raspy voice on his left. The grip on his forearms tightened. “You’re not going nowhere.”
His vision began to clear, though the back of his head still throbbed. He blinked the blurriness away, and he could see two sets of shoes on either side of him. Based on their strong scents and the fact that they were able to subdue him, he deduced these were Lycans holding him down.
“Jacob!”
Ignoring the ache in his skull, he lifted his head. “Sloane!” She stood in front of him, her eyes wide with shock. “Run!” His wolf, too, let out a furious growl.
A third man stood behind Sloane, blocking her way. She could easily evade him, but she didn’t move.
What the hell is she thinking?
“Don’t hurt him,” Sloane said. “I’m the one you want, right? Did Ronan send you?”
“Smart girl,” the third man said. “Come with us quietly or my colleagues will snap your boyfriend’s neck.”
A large hand wrapped around the Jacob’s nape. While Lycans healed fast, they couldn’t recover from anything that caused an instant death.
“A-all right,” Sloane sobbed. “I-I’ll go with you.”
“Good decision.”
Jacob had to act now. Without a second thought, he unleashed the flames he’d been holding back. The heat shot from his hands, instantly setting his captors on fire, forcing them to let go of him as they shrieked in pain. “Sloane!”
The third man, caught by surprise, lunged at Sloane, but she was too quick as she delivered a kick to his face. She then ducked and rolled away, and Jacob extended his hand, shooting a fireball straight at the man. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the flames engulfed him, the dark alley filling with a bright glow.
“J-Jacob,” Sloane choked as she limped toward him. “What … what did you …” The expression on her face was that of awe and disbelief. “You can make fire shoot out of your hands?”
“Yeah. I also can’t be burned and can extinguish any fire I create.” With a snap of his fingers, the fires disappeared, leaving only three half-burned, writhing bodies around them. Their Lycan metabolism would prevent them from dying, but it would take days before they could heal properly. Until then, they would be in a lot of pain.
Serves them right.
“I— oomph !” Sloane slamming against his torso knocked the wind out of him. Her arms came around him, tightening the embrace.
“I thought … that you’d ….”
“It’s all good, Sweet Stuff,” he soothed, crushing her even closer to him. “We’re fine.”
“What do we do now?” she murmured against his side. Her nose wrinkled distastefully from the smell of burning flesh and hair around them.
His heart clenched at how vulnerable and afraid she looked. It was totally unlike her, and he never wanted to see her like this again. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.”
Jacob’s first call was to his father, Quinn Martin, who was one of the senior partners at Lone Wolf Security. He arrived with another one of his uncles, Daric, who was actually a warlock married to his Aunt Meredith. One of Daric’s powers was teleportation, which is how they managed to get to Blood Moon minutes after Jacob’s call. His father instructed him to bring Sloane to the office, which was thankfully only a few blocks away. “We’ll take care of these guys,” Quinn had said, referring to the three Lycans on the ground, who were still writhing in pain. “We dropped Killian off at the office, so he’ll let you in.”
They made quick work of the ten blocks or so between Blood Moon and the Lone Wolf offices, and soon they arrived. Uncle Killian was already there and ushered them into his office.
“Thank you,” Sloane said as she accepted the hot tea his uncle offered her.
“Do you need anything else?” Killian asked, his keen violet eyes narrowing at Sloane.
“No, I’m good.” Her hands trembled as she took a sip from the cup.
Killian sat down on the couch across theirs. “Tell me what happened.”
Sloane looked down at her cup and remained silent, so Jacob spoke. “After we got back from Toronto, St. Vincent, Blake, and I went to Blood Moon. Oh shit!” He slapped his forehead. “I forgot about them. The fire alarm?—”
“Was a false one,” Killian explained. “The Beta’s already down there, investigating what happened. According to her, someone had pulled the fire alarm. There was some panic from the customers, and a few had bruises and cuts, but no serious injuries.”
“It must have been those guys who pulled it. To create chaos and force us out.” He gritted his teeth. “Sloane and I after … I mean, we heard the alarm, and so I led her to the emergency exit in the staff area. Those guys must have followed us and then subdued us, but I managed to torch them.”
“I knew someone was watching me at the club. They were sent by Ronan,” Sloane said.
“Are you sure?”
“That’s what they said,” Jacob said.
“No Lycan can simply just walk into another Lycan’s territory without permission,” Killian said.
“There weren’t from the clan.” Sloane’s nostrils flared. “If he needed anything done outside Boston, he often hired Lone Wolves.”
“I’m sure if you checked their bodies once they healed, you’ll find their tattoos,” Jacob added.
Killian clasped his hands together and rested his chin on his fingers. “If you’re right, then that means Forte knows Sloane is here.”
“He’ll keep trying to get to me.” Sloane set her cup on the coffee table with an audible clatter. “I need to get out of New York.”
“No way.” His wolf, too, protested with a growl. “You’re not going out on your own. You’ll be even more vulnerable by yourself. What if I hadn’t been with you tonight?” The very thought of those assholes taking her away made his blood boil.
“You can’t stop me. Who do you think you are?” She shot to her feet. “I’m putting you—everyone here in danger by staying.”
He stood up, going toe to toe with her. “I’m going to keep you safe. Forte won’t even get another chance. I’ll burn anyone he sends to try to get you.”
“You can’t stop them all.”
“I can.”
“I have to leave now.”
“No—”
“Actually, that’s an excellent idea,” Killian interrupted.
“See? Your uncle agrees, I’m no good around here.”
“That’s not what I meant. I do think you should leave New York because Forte knows you’re here.” Standing up, Killian circled the coffee table to stand beside them. He placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “And you should go with her to protect her.”
“What?” Sloane cried. “No.”
“Yes,” Jacob said at the same time.
“I don’t need protection. I just need to leave.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you can’t stop me.”
“Just try it,” Jacob threatened. “I’ll lock you up in the basement facility at Fenrir before you can even get away.” It would be for her own good.
Killian sighed. “Now, now, we’re not going to that extreme. And I’m not proposing you go to Timbuktu or anything. I suggest you both go to West Virginia to stay with your Uncle Jackson. It’s remote and well-protected. Plus, Cliff and Stella are already there, and I suppose you won’t object to being with your sister?”
Sloane hesitated. “I guess that’s fine. For now. What about the work I’m doing with Lizzie? We’re gathering evidence to prove that Ronan ordered the hit on my parents.”
“You can always work remotely from there. And if those guys really were sent by Forte, he’ll have to face the Lycan Council for attempting to murder you and Jacob anyway.”
That seemed to mollify Sloane. “All right, I want to stay informed of everything that happens.”
“Lizzie can do that,” Killian assured her.
“We should go now,” Jacob said. “If we drive all night, we’ll get there before dawn.” He had a feeling if he waited until morning, Sloane would sneak away in the middle of the night.
“Take one of the company cars,” Killian said. “I’ll call Jackson, I’m sure he won’t object.”
“Good.” He glanced over at Sloane, whose expression was inscrutable. She looked to be in deep thought, and at the same time, confused and angry. He couldn’t blame her, considering everything that had happened.
“I can’t believe this,” she said when Killian left the room to call Uncle Jackson. “Why would you even do that?”
“Do what?”
“Rescue me. You … you could have been killed.”
“No, I wouldn’t. Those guys didn’t know what I could do.”
“Neither did I,” she raged. “What if I had done something different? What if I tried to escape instead, and those guys snapped your neck?”
“You wouldn’t have.”
“How would you know?”
Turning to her, he cupped her face gently, gazing deep into her beautiful blue eyes. To his surprise, she didn’t flinch. “I just know, okay?” In the heat of the moment, he didn’t think about it, but now he knew: he trusted her. “Sloane …”
She sighed and leaned into his hand. “If you had?—”
“ Ahem .”
They leapt away from each other as Killian entered the office. “Everything’s set. Jackson’s expecting you.”
“Great.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, he nodded toward the door. “Car’s in the garage. Let’s head out.”