Stephanie’s POV
I held my breath, pressing my body tightly against the cold stone wall as I peered around the corner. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw the sentinels stepping out of John’s office. Their faces were grim, and their voices were low as they exchanged words I couldn’t make out. Panic clawed at my insides. If they checked the CCTV cameras, it would be over. They’d know the truth. They’d know Sally came for me.
I quickly ducked back into the shadows, praying they wouldn’t notice me. My mind raced, trying to think of a solution, but nothing came. The moment they discovered Sally had been here, everything would unravel. My secret will be revealed
I needed to talk to her. Now.
Without another thought, I sprinted down the hallway, keeping low, my footsteps as quiet as I could manage. My body was trembling with fear as I made my way to Diane’s room. She would know what to do. She had to.
When I reached her door, I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed it open and stepped inside, shutting the door behind me in a rush. Diane was sitting on her bed, flipping through a book, her brow furrowing in irritation as soon as she saw me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she snapped, throwing the book onto the bed. “And who gave you the right to just barge into my room without permission?”
Her tone made me flinch, but I couldn’t waste time on her anger. Yes she’s a mistress but now isn’t the time for formalities. “We have a problem, Diane,” I said quickly, trying to keep my voice steady.
Diane crossed her arms, clearly unamused by my urgency. “A problem? What kind of problem, Steph? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s not a ghost. It’s worse.” I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I tried to gather my words. “John and the sentinels are looking into an intruder. They think someone was here, and if they check the CCTV footage, they’ll find out.”
Diane raised an eyebrow, still unimpressed. “And why should that matter to me?”
“Because…” I hesitated for a moment, knowing I was about to throw someone under the bus, but I didn’t have a choice. “It’s Sally. He snuck in. He came to see us.”
Diane’s eyes darkened, but before I could say another word, she stood up abruptly. “What do you mean us? Sally didn’t come to see me,” she said, her voice sharp. “If he came to see you, then that’s your problem, not mine.”
I blinked, stunned by her reaction. “You-You’re going to pretend you didn’t know?”
“I didn’t know,” Diane said coldly. “And I don’t care, Steph. This isn’t my mess to clean up.”
“But…” I stammered, trying to make sense of her indifference. “We’re in this together. If they find out about Sally, they’ll come after both of us!”
Diane rolled her eyes and walked toward the door. “You should’ve thought about that before you let him in. I’m not getting dragged down with you because you couldn’t handle your business.”
My heart sank as I realized she wasn’t going to help. “I didn’t let him in! Diane, please. You know what they’ll do if they find out!”
Diane turned to face me, her expression hard and unforgiving. “I don’t care, Stephanie. Deal with whatever happens, but leave me out of it.”
With that, she opened the door and gestured for me to leave. I stared at her in disbelief, but there was nothing more I could say. She wasn’t going to help me. She had made that perfectly clear.
Defeated, I stepped out of her room, my heart heavy as the door slammed shut behind me. I had come here hoping Diane would have a plan, but who was I kidding? She was still the bitter mistress who hated Reyna and I for what I know nothing about.
I walked down the hall, my thoughts swirling with fear and desperation. If they found out about Sally, everything I’d been trying to protect would fall apart. And worse, they might discover that I’m connected to the Lycan hidden right under their noses.
—
Marcus’s POV
The flames crackled softly in the hearth, casting a warm glow across the dimly lit room. Ryan stood beside me, his arms crossed, his face set in that familiar grim expression he always wore when he was impatient.
“When are we going to attack John and Jake’s pack?” Ryan asked, his voice low but laced with frustration. “Our targets, Reyna and Stephanie, are there. We can’t afford to wait any longer. They’re vulnerable right now.”
I leaned back in my chair, taking my time before answering. Ryan’s impatience had always been his biggest flaw. He wanted action, swift , without thinking through the consequences. That’s why I was in charge, and he wasn’t.
“Calm down, Ryan,” I said, my tone measured. “We’re not rushing into anything. We’ve waited this long. A little more time won’t hurt.”
Ryan clenched his jaw, clearly unsatisfied with my response. “But why wait? They’re right there, ripe for the taking. Every day we delay is a risk.”
I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “And that’s exactly why we’re waiting. We don’t attack until we know everything is in place. Rushing in now would only put our mission in jeopardy. Trust me. We’ll get them, but on my terms.”
Before Ryan could argue further, the door creaked open, and Sally stepped into the room, a smug smile plastered across his face.
“Ah, Sally,” I said, sitting up straighter. “You’re just in time.”
Sally sauntered in, clearly pleased with himself. “Everything went smoothly. No one suspected a thing.”
“Well done, again,” I said, nodding in approval. “What news do you have for us?”
Sally’s grin widened as he stepped closer to the fire. “I told Stephanie to make sure everything was clear for us to move. She’s on edge, but she’ll do what she’s told. We’ll be ready to abduct Jake and the other target. The plan is to strike the night after tomorrow.”
I exchanged a glance with Ryan, who finally looked somewhat pacified. Then I turned back to Sally. “The night after tomorrow,” I repeated thoughtfully. “Good. That gives us time to make the final preparations.”
Sally stood there, still grinning, clearly basking in the praise. But I wasn’t done yet. “Make sure Stephanie stays in line,” I added. “If she starts getting cold feet, we might have to consider other options.”
Sally’s smile faltered for just a second, but then he nodded. “I’ll handle her. Don’t worry.”
“Good,” I said, leaning back again. “You’ve done well. Now make sure everything is ready.”
Sally nodded once more before turning to leave the room. The door shut behind him with a quiet click, and I returned my attention to the fire.
“Are you satisfied now?” I asked Ryan, raising an eyebrow at him.
He gave a small, grudging nod. “I’ll be satisfied when we have them both in our hands.”
“You’ll have them,” I said confidently. “And when we do, John and Jake’s pack will crumble. The Lycan’s reign will finally be over.”
Ryan didn’t say anything, but the gleam in his eyes told me that he, too, could already taste the victory that was just on the horizon.