Page 120 of The Alpha’s Unclaimed Mate

“We’ve got a situation,” he says.

“What’s going on?”

“I cornered Sloane.” He drags in a breath. “She got into your uncle’s house, Marc. She’s hurt him.”

My hand locks on the wheel. “How bad is it?”

“He’s not good. I can’t tell what she did.” Voices crowd his end. “There’s a healer here.”

“And what about Sloane?”

“She’s dead.”

I hiss through my teeth. “She’s the only one who could’ve told us where it came from.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m on my way.” I kill the call.

Jessa’s watching me. “What’s happened?”

“I have to go.” I pull up to the house. “Get inside, all of you. Lock every door. Cole or Adrian will come by.”

Once they’re through the front door, I cut around the side of the house, out of any window’s line, and strip. I knot my clothes into a bundle, shift, take my pants up in my teeth, and run.

It’s twenty minutes on four legs to his estate.

I come out behind the gatehouse and change back where the cameras don’t reach, dragging my pants on. Sloane’s body is already coming out the front on a board, a sheet drawn over her, one pale arm hanging loose. Deep cuts mark that arm. My uncle fought her, then.

Why would she come at him at all?

Adrian’s in the doorway. He spots me and waves me up.

“What was she doing here?” I ask.

“I was closing in on her.” He keeps his voice down. “She got wind of it and bolted here, thinking your uncle would shelter her.” His jaw works. “He told her to hand herself in. That’s all I’ve got. The line cut, so I broke the door down.”

“And she didn’t make it.”

“No. Your uncle was on the floor bleeding when I forced my way in.” He steps back inside and comes out with something cupped in a cloth. “There’s more. Smell this.”

I lean in. My whole chest goes cold. Wolfsbane.

“It was in his room.” Adrian’s voice has dropped. “It’s some kind of smoke dispenser.”

“He was being poisoned in his own house.” I stare at the thing in his hand. “Maybe that’s how my father and Daniel…”

“It looks that way.”

“It’s the hunters.” My voice scrapes. “They’re going for the alpha again.”

I head to the door. Two guards move to block it.

“The alpha’s being seen to,” one says. “No one goes in.”

“Step aside.”

“He’s with the healer—”