Page 66 of Witch's Wolf

Raul doesn’t flinch or visibly react. He exhales, slow and measured, but it’s clear he’s not changing his mind.

“Sam, I’ve been to Westchester. It is a rich suburb, but there are also empty lots. Here and here and here. We ditch our cars in one of them and go in on foot. That’s not the problem I’m worried about.”

“Then what is?” I ask, staring at the lots he pointed to then looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Because if Raul, our calm, level-headed strategist, has a bad feeling then I damn well want to know why.

“How far apart are these?” Raul asks, pointing at the house nearest to Jenkins’s.

He’s frowning and I can see his thoughts racing ahead. I bend down over the paper, squinting at the tiny figures.

“Twenty-four yards,” I say.

“Shit…” his fist slams onto the table, rattling the map. A sharp exhale follows, frustration filling the air between us. “The weather’s nice and warm. Neighbors will be outside. Grilling, drinking wine, and enjoying the evening.” He locks his gaze on mine, and I know exactly where he’s going. “You see the problem?”

My stomach drops and I clench my jaw, trying to see a way around it. Ray says it out loud.

“We can’t use the wolf,” Ray mutters, arms crossing over his chest. “Not outside, anyway.”

“Exactly,” Raul nods, his expression grim. “Helena’s potions can mask our scents. We can move in small groups, stay out of sight. But shifting? Running the streets in full wolf form?” His lips press into a hard line. “No. It’s too risky.”

“Is it riskier than taking those vampires on in human form?” I say, quieter than I mean to.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Raul says, shaking his head as tension tightens his jaw. “We can’t take the fight outside. Period. Whatever happens, it has to stay contained. If even one neighbor spots a giant wolf tearing through their suburban paradise, we’re screwed. Royally.”

He doesn’t need to say it. I already know. One sighting, one viral video, and it’s over. The pack. The town. Everything. And yet… I can’t shake the feeling that keeping this fight in the shadows might be the real trap.

“There’s something else, too” I say, keeping my voice steady despite the knot forming in my gut. “We’ll have to cover ourtracks. By the time we’re done in there, that house is going to be a mess. We’ll leave prints. Hair. Blood.” I glance at him, watching the realization set in. “And the bodies. This isn’t a low-rent area where things will get overlooked. The cops in that part of town are going to have questions. Lots of them. First one being, how the hell is a stiff ice-cold outside of a freezer?” I pause, letting that sink in before I deliver the inevitable. “We’re going to have to burn them.”

“Agreed. We have to keep this clean,” Raul says without hesitation.

Ray’s chair scrapes against the floor as he shoves back from the table, anger rolling off him in waves.

“What the fuck are you two talking about?” His eyes darken as they snap to Raul. “I get that you want to help Sammy out. I do, too. But this? This is goddamn crazy. You can’t just roll into a human neighborhood and torch a house. People will notice. How the hell do we get out without being seen if we blow the place up?”

Finally. He’s thinking.

“Glad you finally decided to use your head,” I say, lowering my voice just enough to demand his attention. “But before you lose your shit, know this, we’re not blowing the place to hell. We’re setting it ablaze.Big difference.”

“Well, thank God for tiny favors,” Ray snarks. “I’m so relieved, burning it is so much better.”

“Ray—” I say.

“No, don’t ‘Ray’ me,” he snaps. “This is fucking nuts. Why not go the simple route? She doesn’t show up. End of story. If they wanther, they can fucking come here where we control the narrative, not them.”

Anger hits so hard and so fast I’ve raised my fist and am growling before thinking. Nora steps between us, trying to keep us both on our leashes.

“Enough,” Raul barks.

Ray and I glare, but neither of us will disobey the Alpha’s orders. He narrows his eyes, his lips curling back into a snarl.

“You son of a?—”

“Stupid insult, dumb ass, she was your mother too!” Ray cuts me off.

“Jesus, will you two stop your shit,” Nora says.

“I said enough,” Raul says. He doesn’t yell, or even raise his voice, but it cuts through the emotions, nonetheless. “Ray, we can’t keep Erica here. The witch wants her gone and we’re not ready to face her.”

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