Page 81 of Haunting the Hunter

Ipark the truck half a mile out, killing the lights and slipping out into the darkness. The walk through the forest is slow—dense, with low visibility. Good. That works in my favor.

Pushing branches and brush aside, I hit a clearing with a narrow path that cuts through, leading toward the house. I glance up—the trees splitting just enough to reveal a clear night. No clouds. Stars spilling across the sky in sharp, silver constellations.

I creep closer to the house… but something feelswrong.

The forest is dead quiet. No crickets. No wind. No rustling.

Just… silence.

It’s fucking creepy.

Then it hits me—this…pull.A sudden, overwhelming urge to turn back, to leave. Every nerve in my body lights up, screaming thatthis is wrong. This is a mistake.

I turn—instinct driving my movements—only for the sensation to snap like a thread. Gone as quickly as it came.

The pendulum against my chest vibrates, buzzing faintly against my sternum, the weight settling. The panic fades.

Huh. I still have no clue what this thing does, besides tethering me to you. But that? That was new. I shake my head and continue forward.

The tree line breaks ahead and I crouch down, watching the property.

Jack’s intel checks out—three main guards with cameras on every corner. No blind spots yet. Someone’s definitely monitoring the feed.

The black Cadillac in the driveway confirms it—Benjamin’s here.

Jack dug deep—Benjamin’s family launders money through antiques auctions, art deals, dig sites, and restoration projects. Artifact smuggling. A front. How deep the Covenant ties go is… admittedly still unclear. But I know this much—

He’s Rosa’s right hand. He’s brutal, rich, and untouchable as the head of Teller Enterprises.

I shift, angling my head, but freeze, my eyes narrowing as I focus.

A faint shimmer wraps the house. Thin and glistening in the night air, like heat waves off asphalt.

What the hell is that?

A knot tightens in my gut. This isn’t paranoia. This ismagic.

I remind myself to breathe. Wait for Jack’s all clear. The plan is for him to loop the camera feed and catch the next guard rotation.

Get in and get out.

“Cameras are set.” Jack’s voice filters through my earpiece, right on time. “Two guards at the front. One east by the alley. You have an entry point on the west side—first-floor window.”

Two in front. One east. Nothing on the back or west, despite the cover.

They’re not expectingme.But they are expectingsomeone.That’s clear as day.

I move up slowly, slipping behind a tree. Dry leaves crunch underfoot as I drag the mask up—a matte black half mask stretched into a sharp-toothed, demonic grin, covering just enough to hide my scar.

“A ski mask would’ve sufficed,” I mutter into the coms, feeling ridiculous.

“C’mon—it’s Halloween,” Jack shoots back, voice grinning in my ear. “I even convinced Calli to dress up. She’s at that downtown festival. The girl needed to get her mind off… well, you know…”

My chest tightens and I still. “She went alone?” I growl, almost ready to turn back just to throttle him.

“Nah.” He sounds far too casual about my sister’s safety. “Some guy she met from the gas station picked her up. Killer costume, too. Chill—her phone’s being tracked. Be grateful she’s not in our ears right now giving both of us hell.”

I release a sharp breath. “Yeah, because you know what’s good for her, isn’t that right,” I concede grudgingly.