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Bianca's POV

The room was unusually quiet as I paced back and forth, my mind clouded with regret and unease. Jenny sat on the bed, her hands fiddling with her phone as if she were looking for the courage to speak. Finally, she sighed and broke the silence.

“Bianca, we’ve made some terrible mistakes,” she said softly, her eyes meeting mine.

I stopped pacing and turned to her, nodding slowly. “I know. What we did to Lia... it wasn’t right. I was so caught up in the moment, in everything Alina and Dean fed us, that I didn’t stop to think for myself.”

Jenny gave me a small, sad smile. “Me too. But it’s not too late. We can still do something to help her.”

Her words lit a spark of hope in me. “You’re right. But how? Dean and Alina have her locked up somewhere, and we both know they’ll go to any length to make sure she suffers. If we make a wrong move, they’ll know we’re on to them.”

Jenny bit her lip, thinking hard. Then she grabbed her phone and opened the video she’d recorded of Dean sneaking Lia out of the burning prison. “We have this. It’s proof of what they’ve done. If we can get it to the right person—someone who genuinely wants to help Lia—then maybe we can turn things around.”

I stared at the screen, the grainy footage showing Dean carrying an unconscious Lia to his car and driving off into the night. My chest tightened with guilt. “Who can we trust, though? The elders? No, Dean and Alina have too much influence there. What about Luca?”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “Yes, Luca! He cares about Lia. If anyone has the drive to bring her back safely, it’s him. And he’s powerful enough to take on Dean.”

“Do you think he’ll believe us?” I asked, doubt creeping in.

Jenny nodded firmly. “He’ll believe the video. And once we tell him everything we know about what Alina and Dean have been plotting, he’ll take action. He’s Lia’s best chance.”

I took a deep breath, the weight of our decision settling on my shoulders. “Alright. You contact Luca. Set up a meeting with him for tomorrow. We’ll give him the evidence and tell him everything.”

Jenny wasted no time, pulling out her phone and dialing Luca’s number. I watched her as the call connected, my heart pounding.

“Hello, Luca?” Jenny said, her voice trembling slightly. “It’s Jenny. I need to talk to you about something important. Can we meet tomorrow?”

I couldn’t hear Luca’s response, but Jenny nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll text you the time and place. Please... don’t tell anyone about this call.” She ended the call and looked at me, relief washing over her face. “It’s done. He’ll meet us tomorrow.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Good. Now we just have to make it through the night without anyone finding out what we’re planning.”

\---

We stepped out of Jenny’s room, the hallway dimly lit and eerily silent. As we turned the corner, we almost bumped straight into Alina. My heart skipped a beat as her cold, calculating eyes met mine.

“Where are you two sneaking off to?” she asked, her tone casual but laced with suspicion.

I forced a smile, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. “Just heading out for some air. It’s been a long day.”

Her gaze lingered on us as if she were trying to read our minds. Jenny shifted uncomfortably beside me, but I placed a reassuring hand on her arm.

“Well, don’t stay out too long,” Alina said finally, her lips curving into a smirk. “You never know what dangers lurk in the dark.”

The way she said it sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept my composure. “We’ll be careful,” I said, and without waiting for her to respond, Jenny and I walked past her.

As we moved further away, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she wasn’t following us. To my relief, she had turned in the opposite direction.

“Do you think she heard anything?” Jenny whispered, her voice barely audible.

I shook my head. “No. If she had, she wouldn’t have let us go so easily. But we need to be more careful. If she even suspects we’re working against her, we’re as good as dead.”

Jenny nodded, her expression grim. “Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.”

The weight of what we were about to do hung heavy between us as we stepped outside. The cool night air did little to calm my nerves, but I clung to the hope that we were finally doing the right thing.

Lia didn’t deserve what was happening to her, and while I couldn’t undo the harm I’d already caused, I could do this. I could help set things right.

Tomorrow, we’ll meet Luca. And together, we’d take down Dean and Alina. It was the least I could do to make amends for the part I’d played in Lia’s suffering.

I just hoped we weren’t too late.

___

Alina's POV

The moonlight spilled through the narrow corridor as I made my way to Dean’s room. The faint hum of murmured voices from the pack house was a reminder that time was ticking, and the weight of our plans pressed heavily on my shoulders. I reached his door and knocked twice before pushing it open.

Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed, flipping through his phone. He looked up as I entered, a sharp smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Alina,” he said, setting his phone down. “You’re late.”

I ignored the remark and closed the door behind me. “We have more pressing matters to discuss.”

He raised an eyebrow but gestured for me to take the chair across from him. I sat, crossing my legs, and leaned forward slightly.

“The elders,” I began, my voice low. “Their meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. By now, people are definitely wondering where Lia is.”

Dean leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed. “Let them wonder. By the time they get their answers, it’ll be too late for anyone to do anything.”

I frowned. “That kind of overconfidence could cost us, Dean. We need to stay sharp, especially with Bianca and Jenny snooping around.”

Dean’s smirk faded, and his expression darkened. “What makes you think they know something?”

I hesitated for a moment, piecing my thoughts together. “It’s just a feeling. They’ve been acting strange—whispering, avoiding me. Earlier, I nearly bumped into them, and the way they looked at me... it wasn’t normal. It was as if they were hiding something.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “If they know anything, they’ll ruin everything we’ve worked for. They can’t be allowed to interfere.”

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you,” I said, my tone firm. “You need to keep an eye on them while I handle the elders tomorrow. We need to ensure our story is airtight, that they believe Lia set the fire in a desperate attempt to escape.”

Dean nodded, a glint of determination in his eyes. “Don’t worry about Bianca and Jenny. I’ll take care of them. If they’re planning anything, I’ll find out.”

I leaned back in my chair, feeling slightly reassured but still uneasy. “Good. Because the elders can’t find out the truth. Not yet. If they do, all of this will be for nothing.”

Dean got up and began pacing the room, his movements sharp and deliberate. “Do you really think they’ll believe Lia orchestrated her own escape?”

“They’ll have no choice,” I said confidently. “We’ll present her as desperate, manipulative, and willing to burn the prison to the ground to avoid punishment. Besides, we’ve always had the elders wrapped around our fingers. They trust us.”

Dean stopped pacing and turned to face me. “And what about Bianca and Jenny? If they’ve seen or heard something, they could bring it all crashing down.”

I pressed my lips into a thin line. “That’s why I need you to handle them. Make sure they don’t get the chance to speak out—or better yet, make them doubt themselves. Plant a seed of fear in their minds. If they think we’re onto them, they might back off.”

Dean nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “I’ll make it happen. But what about Lia? She’s not going to stay quiet forever. The moment she opens her mouth, she’ll try to implicate us.”

“She won’t have the chance,” I said firmly. “By the time the elders are done with her, she’ll be too broken to fight back.”

Dean’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “You’re colder than I thought, Alina. I like it.”

I rolled my eyes. “This isn’t about being cold. It’s about survival. Lia is a threat to everything we’ve built, and threats need to be eliminated.”

The room fell into a tense silence as we both processed the gravity of our situation.

“Do you ever think about how we got here?” Dean asked suddenly, his voice softer than usual.

I looked at him, caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean?”

“How we went from being part of the pack to orchestrating something like this. Do you ever wonder if we’ve gone too far?”

I stiffened, unwilling to let doubt creep in. “This is necessary, Dean. Everything we’ve done is for the greater good—for the pack. Lia would have destroyed everything if we didn’t step in.”

Dean’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before he nodded. “You’re right. We can’t let sentimentality cloud our judgment.”

I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my clothes. “Exactly. Now, focus on Bianca and Jenny. I’ll handle the elders and make sure our story holds.”

Dean smirked again, his usual confidence returning. “Consider it done.”

I turned to leave but paused at the door. “And Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t underestimate them. Bianca and Jenny might seem like fools, but if they’re desperate enough, they could cause real damage.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “I won’t.”

Satisfied, I left the room, my mind already racing with the details of tomorrow’s meeting. Everything had to go perfectly. One misstep and it wouldn’t just be Lia who paid the price—it would be us too.