Page 69 of Saving Stella

Finally, she took in a deep breath.

That scent?—

“Put her down, asshole!”

Jacob’s voice sent relief pouring through her. She was being rescued!

“I said, put her down!”

The falling sensation made Stella’s stomach lurch, then she hit the ground. Pain shot up her arm, and she curled up in agony.

“Who the hell?—”

Thump.

Something heavy hit the ground right next to Stella. Before she could even think, she was lifted up again.

Jacob!

Oh Lord, what did he do to Jacob?

What would he do to her?

The minuscule bit of hope she clung to drained out of her, and she went limp in despair as her kidnapper continued his march. A car door unlocked and opened, then he put her on her feet before shoving her inside what she guessed was the backseat. Moments later, an engine revved, and the car began to move.

This was it. She was done for. Tears welled in her eyes, thinking that she would never see her parents again.

And Cliff.

Despite the fact that he left her without saying goodbye, she couldn’t keep him out of her thoughts. How she wanted to see him again one last time.

That deep vibration returned, spreading across her chest and her body. A dizzying feeling came over her, and her skin crawled. The rumble became stronger, louder, and a low growl ripped from her throat.

Stella screamed—but nothing came out of her mouth. When she tried to move, her limbs wouldn’t respond.

What in the?—

Pain shot up her arms and legs as the zip ties grew tighter and cut into her skin. The loud pop, however, told her that they had pulled apart. Her now-free limbs stretched, and what felt like needles began to shoot out of her skin.

“What the—holy fuck!” a muffled voice shouted.

The car screeched to a halt, and Stella careened forward, hitting the front seats. She let out an indignant yowl and ripped the bag covering her face off with her claws.

Claws?

Once out of the confines of the bag and the zip ties, her body continued its transformation. More fur sprung out from her skin, and the rest of her body continued to expand. Stella didn’t even need to struggle—her wolf did all the work. It clawed and twisted around, raising its head toward their attacker. However, they were too late and much too slow—the driver’s side door was already open, and the seat was empty.

The wolf let out an indignant yowl and smashed its giant paws through the door like it was tissue. It lifted its head in the air, catching a familiar scent before darting off.

Up ahead, she saw a figure in black running away from them.

There!

The wolf pushed hard until it caught up to their attacker. It leapt into the air, letting out a roar as it drew nearer.

“No!”

In a blur, the figure in black was gone. Or rather, he had shifted—into a large, blonde wolf.