Sloane's POV I stared at him, paralyzed with shock. My mind went blank, and I couldn't even remember to run. The screams of Emily and Donovan echoed in my ears, but by the time I came back to my senses, I was already in Zane's arms. "Sloane, you're alive," Zane breathed out, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank the Goddess, you're alive." He held me so tightly I could barely breathe. I tried to push him away, but he clung to me with desperate strength, like a drowning man holding onto salvation. His scent filled my nose—that familiar mix of cedar and whiskey I remembered so well. My heart started racing faster. A deep longing stirred inside me, something primal that I couldn't control. Zane cupped my face in his hands, desperate to kiss me. Just as his lips were about to touch mine

