Stephanie’s POV
A slow smile spread across my lips as I caught the flicker of fear in Damon’s eyes. He tried to hide it, clenching his jaw, standing tall, but I saw it I felt it.
“What’s wrong, Damon?” I taunted, tilting my head. “I thought you were the most fearless werewolf. A rogue with nothing to lose.”
His fists curled at his sides. By then, Jake and John had started stirring, groaning as they slowly regained consciousness. Damon’s gaze darted to them before snapping back to me.
“You’re a damn psycho,” he spat. “How the hell did you cut off Diane’s hand?”
I twirled my blade between my fingers, feigning boredom. “The same way I’ll take something from you if you don’t release my people.” My voice was calm, steady. Deadly.
Damon scoffed. “Diane was weak. I don’t really care what happens to her.” His lip curled into a smirk. “And I’ll do whatever I damn well please.”
I chuckled. “Good,” I murmured. “Because Reyna is safe now, and that means I get to enjoy this.” I lifted my gun, my finger itching to pull the trigger. “Killing you will be so much fun.”
His eyes darkened. “You wouldn’t dare,” he growled. “I have sentinels. More than you can count.”
Without hesitation, I aimed at the sentinel beside him and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced straight through the man’s skull, and he crumpled to the ground in an instant.
Silence.
Then, in a blur, the remaining sentinels pointed their weapons at me, their fingers hovering over the triggers. But I didn’t flinch I simply redirected my gun back to Damon, keeping my aim steady.
“The choice is yours, Damon,” I said coolly. “You either let them go, or you die with your sentinels. Because I promise you, you’re already surrounded.”
Confusion flickered across his face, but then, almost as if on cue, shadows moved from the corners of the room. John’s sentinels stepped into view, weapons raised.
Damon’s horror was delicious.
His grip on his gun tightened, his breaths uneven. His eyes darted around, assessing the situation, but we both knew how this would end.
With a growl, he yanked his gun from his belt and threw it at me.
I caught it with ease, but before I could react, he spun on his heels and bolted for the exit.
“Coward,” I muttered under my breath.
Damon’s sentinels chased after him, disappearing into the dark corridors. But two stayed behind, their gazes locked on me.
I lifted my gun.
Two clean shots.
They dropped.
I didn’t waste time. I rushed over to Sarah, quickly untying her restraints before moving on to John and Jake.
“Come on,” I said, tossing a gun to John. “We need to get the hell out of here.”
We weren’t done yet. Not by a long shot.
And I wasn’t leaving without finishing what I started.
____
Reyna’s POV
A dull, throbbing pain pulsed through my skull as I slowly opened my eyes. The ceiling above me was bright white, too bright, making me wince. I blinked a few times, trying to push past the haze in my mind. My body felt heavy, my limbs sluggish.
“Where…” My voice cracked, my throat dry. I swallowed hard and turned my head slightly.
A woman in a nurse’s uniform stood beside the bed, carefully pressing a cold cloth against my forehead. Her touch was gentle, but even the smallest movement sent a sharp ache through my head.
“Easy,” she said softly. “You’re safe now.”
Safe. The word felt foreign, like something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I forced myself to focus. “Where am I?”
“You’re in a private clinic,” the nurse answered. “Your friend brought you here.”
I frowned, trying to remember. My mind was foggy, pieces of memory slipping through my grasp. “My friend?”
“Stephanie,” she clarified. “You’ve been unconscious for two days.”
Two days?
A wave of panic surged through me. “Where is she? Where’s Stephanie?” I asked urgently, pushing myself up despite the protest of my aching muscles.
The nurse placed a hand on my shoulder, gently easing me back down. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “She left after bringing you in and hasn’t returned since.”
Before I could process that, the door swung open.
Stephanie.
Her dark eyes locked onto mine, relief flooding her face as she rushed toward me. Without hesitation, she pulled me into a tight hug, and for a moment, I let myself melt into it, feeling the comfort of my best friend’s presence.
Behind her, Sarah, Jake, and John stood near the doorway, watching me closely.
“How are you feeling?” Jake asked.
I pulled back from Stephanie’s embrace and exhaled slowly. “Like I got run over by a truck,” I admitted, rubbing my temples.
Sarah crossed her arms. “You scared the hell out of us.”
“I scared myself,” I muttered, shaking my head.
Then, memories came rushing back all at once. Damon. Diane. The fight. The pain.
“What happened?” I asked. “Damon, Diane… where are they?”
A tense silence filled the room.
“Damon escaped,” John finally said, his jaw tight with frustration. “But Diane… we have her.”
“She’s in custody,” Stephanie added, her voice sharp. “Lost a lot of blood, but she’s still alive.”
I frowned. “Why keep her alive?”
Sarah’s expression darkened. “Because she needs to suffer before she dies.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Execution.
I knew it was necessary. Diane had done unforgivable things, but a small part of me felt unsettled by the idea of watching someone be sentenced to death.
Jake turned to the nurse. “Is Reyna free to leave?”
The nurse nodded. “She’s fine to go. No internal damage, just some bruising and fatigue.”
Stephanie’s phone buzzed, cutting through the tension in the room.
She pulled it from her pocket, and the moment she looked at the screen, her entire body tensed. Her face went pale, her eyes widening with shock.
“What is it?” I asked, my pulse quickening.
Her fingers gripped the phone tightly.
“It’s Marcus,” she whispered.
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Jake stiffened. Sarah’s expression hardened. John’s eyes darkened.
“He’s waiting outside,” Stephanie said, her voice barely above a breath.
For Sarah.
A heavy silence hung over us.
Something was coming.
Something none of us were ready for.