ZANDERThe van sat parked right in front of the Circle’s building in Vivian’s pack. The engine was off, but the tension inside was intense.I could hear everyone’s breathing in the silence, heavy and restless. My eyes stayed on the building through the front glass, tall and still in the night, like it was waiting for us.Ronald sat in the backseat with them. His face was pale and angry. I remembered the moment he realized what we had done. The second he found out, his temper had flared. He cursed, shouted, and tried to defy me. His voice had cracked with rage as he swore he would not let us use him for this plan.But then it happened. Blood started to pour out of his nose, dripping fast and staining his clothes. His ears bled too, running down the side of his neck.Then his eyes began to tear blood, thick and horrifying, and his breath stopped coming out smoothly. His chest had jerked like he was suffocating.I had watched him, calm but firm, because I knew the pact would hold. It wa
ZANDERIsla’s mom reached for the van door. She was ready to step out, but something in me made me stop her. I did not want her to go in alone. My chest felt heavy, and my gut told me not to.“Wait,” I said quickly, leaning forward. My voice came out sharper than I planned. “Everyone get down. We are going in together.”They all turned to look at me with frowns on their faces. Caroline tilted her head like she did not understand, and Lucas’s eyebrows pushed down hard. Priestess Tanya looked at me calmly but with a clear question in her eyes.“Why?” Caroline asked. “That wasn't the plan. So why the sudden change?”I looked at each of them. “We don’t have time to waste. If I see Ronald face-to-face with all of you with me, he will know we mean business.”Everyone in the van kept quiet after I spoke. For a moment, I thought they would argue with me. But slowly, they nodded.Even Isla’s mom, who had her hand still on the door, gave a small nod before pulling it open.One by one, we all st
ZANDERMy eyes were open, but it felt like I was not really seeing anything. I just stared ahead, into oblivion.My thoughts were everywhere, circling the same things again and again. I sat in the passenger seat of the van, the one we had bought just a few hours ago.Lucas was the one driving. His hands gripped the wheel firmly, his focus sharp on the road.We had already set everything in place. Plans had been made, and now we were carrying them out. No more delays.Isla’s mom was the center of it this time. She would be the one to step into Ronald’s house. She had agreed without hesitation, her voice steady and, her eyes cold with determination.She was not afraid of him, not even a little. That alone gave me some comfort.Her role was simple but powerful. She would walk inside and look Ronald in the eye. She would ask him the one question we needed an answer to the name of the woman who had paid her to kill Vivian. That name was a piece we were missing, and once we had it, everyth
ZANDERJoanna leaned forward slightly, like she was about to speak. So I shifted my gaze to her, waiting for whatever she was going to say. But before the words could leave her mouth, Tanya spoke first.“I am not sure Ronald would abide by the contract,” Tanya said.Her voice was steady. The room tensed a little, and my eyes narrowed at her.Not sure?I thought about that carefully. I had trusted Tanya’s instincts before. She was wise, and she saw things most people couldn’t. If she wasn’t sure, then it meant something.My chest tightened a little, not from fear, but from the awareness that she might be right.Ronald wasn’t a man who abided by rules or the law. A contract, no matter how tightly written, was still just ink on paper for him.Joanna gave a small nod like Tanya had spoken her own thoughts aloud. “That is exactly what I wanted to say too,” she added.Her tone was sharp, almost warning. She looked at me directly, her eyes narrowing. “We will need something stronger to make
ZANDERLucas stayed quiet for a while, and I wondered what was running through his head. Then he leaned forward and spoke.“It’s Ronald,” Lucas said. His tone was steady, but there was worry in it. “Don’t you think he can help us? He worked with Derek before. For all we know, he might still be working with him.”His words carried truth none of us could ignore. Ronald was one of those names that always left a bad taste in my mouth. Even hearing it now made my jaw tighten. I had not forgotten the things he had done.Priestess Tanya’s eyes narrowed, her lips curving into something closer to a scowl. “That asshole,” she said with no hesitation. “He needs to be taught a lesson too.”Her words matched what I felt inside. Since he was still tied to Derek, he was not just a coward, he was part of the reason things had gone this far.Before I could say anything, Joanna, Isla’s mom, spoke. Her voice was calm but had an edge, like she had been thinking about this for a long time.“Talking about
ZANDERMy mind was still spinning from Derek’s words, but I forced myself to focus. Sitting around in silence wouldn’t help us.Anger was heavy in my chest, but I needed to keep my head clear. If I didn’t, I could lose everything.“I have an idea too,” I said, my voice coming out firm. “But let’s hear yours first, Joanna.”Her eyes met mine, and for a second she studied me, as if weighing if she should speak or not. Then she gave a small nod.“Fine,” she said, turning her gaze to everyone in the room. “But I want you all to think carefully before answering me.”We leaned closer, waiting for her to continue. My stomach twisted with both curiosity and impatience. Whatever she had in mind, I knew it wouldn’t be simple.She let the silence drag for a moment, then asked, “How would you all feel about changing your face?”For a moment, none of us spoke. We just stared at her. I felt my own brows pull together, trying to understand what she meant.Lucas frowned deeply. Priestess Tanya’s lips