Author’s pov
Alpha Xavier ’s hand snapped over Luna Dora’s mouth like a strike of lightning, halting the cry she hadn’t even finished forming.
With a firm grip on her shoulder, he yanked her behind a massive oak tree, shrouded in the orchard’s growing twilight.
Closer to the pond, Cici’s bone-chilling scream rent the evening air, stealing every shred of attention from Cecilia and her group.
Not a single soul looked their way. No one noticed the growing tremble in Luna Dora ’s knees - or the figures quietly shadowing the back of the farmhouse.
"Help - soone help !" Cici’s voice cracked against the wind. Her desperation oozed out like sap from a wounded tree in the cool dusk.
Only when the tallic flash of the blade arced toward her did reality crush through Cici’s delusion of safety.
Her legs twitched - attempted flight - but Nicole’s grip was iron. With a hiss of silver slicing through air, the knife sank deep into Cici’s shoulder.
Agony seared through her. She scread - not dignified - but full-throated.
Nicole’s lips twisted into sothing that nearly resembled a smile. She yanked the blade out. "Didn’t go for the throat? My mistake," she murmured, and lifted the knife for another shot.
"Mom! M-MO!" Cici shrieked, arm jerking up too late.
Steel t bone.
The knife drove straight through her palm, and the scream that followed shot skyward like a flare.
Pain, pure and raw, tore through her limbs - and shattered whatever was left of her composure.
Luna Dora collapsed to her knees in the dirt behind the tree, shaking.
Tears fell silently as she watched her only daughter bleed onto the forest floor.
She glanced toward Cecilia as if her gaze itself could beg for rcy. Salvation. Compassion.
It earned her nothing.
Not from Cecilia. Not from Harper. Not from any of them.
This was karma at work - and karma didn’t take bribes.
"I’ll give you anything," Cici sobbed. "Money, real estate, custom Bentley - just na it. Please."
Nicole tilted her head. "You think that buys redemption?" Her tone was gentle - almost sweet. The kind of sweetness that ant you were about to die.
"I told you already," Nicole said, pressing the knife down. "I don’t want your money. I want your life."
And with that, she ground the blade into Cici’s wound - twisting it. Purposefully. Sadistically.
Cici scread again, the edges of her vision fraying.
Nicole yanked the blade out again and grabbed Cici by the throat this ti, pressing her back into the mud.
Cici kicked. Fought. Whimpered. "I’m sorry... p-please..."
Her voice was wet with saliva and snot, desperation leaking from every pore.
Nicole didn’t flinch. This wasn’t personal anymore. This was gravity dragging them both toward oblivion. Her expression was blank as she raised the knife high.
Cici knew she was about to die. She squeezed her eyes shut...
And in that mont - a goddamn peach - of all things - ca hurtling through the dark.
With a hollow thud, it collided with Nicole’s wrist. The blade slipped and hit the ground with a dull clink.
Nicole blinked, stunned.
Behind her, Cici’s body jerked into motion. Every molecule scread survival. She ramd her shoulder into Nicole, broke free, scrambled like a mad animal, and ran.
Nicole recovered a second too late. She grabbed the knife and chased.
Cici didn’t make it ten yards before her foot hit soft grass camouflaging the edge of the pond.
Splash.
Gone.
She broke the surface a second later, coughing, sputtering, forgotten blood mixing with algae.
Nicole threw herself in after her. Because she’d co this far. Death didn’t scare her anymore - only failure.
"Let’s DIE together," she scread beneath the water as she gripped Cici’s ankle like a vengeance-fueled sea witch.
Cici kicked. Flapped. Fought like hell. But Nicole was clamped on like death itself.
They both began sinking.
Nicole’s vision blurred. Mason’s face floated toward her, soft and glowing and young and gone. He smiled.
I’ve been waiting, his eyes seed to say.
SPLASH -
A body dove in - lean, fast, efficient.
Tang.
He surfaced monts later with a gasp, holding one girl under each arm like he was hauling logs. He paddled to shore, looked up at Cecilia. "I can’t save them both."
Cecilia stepped forward, but Harper beat her to the sarcasm. "I swear to God, if you’re about to suggest Mason over here gives Cici mouth-to-mouth - "
"I was gonna say get her precious mommy over here to resuscitate her own damn spawn." Cecilia deadpanned.
"Oh. Yeah. That works." Harper nodded, satisfied.
Levan dragged over Mrs. White, ripped the zip ties from her wrists, and pointed her toward her half-dead daughter.
Mrs. White stumbled forward. "Cici - baby - hold on!"
Ten feet away, sirens wailed in the distance - steady and unignorable.
"Who called the police?" Cecilia snapped, her body tense.
"I didn’t," Levan said.
"We’re not that dumb," Tang muttered, removing his soaked shirt and pawing through pockets for a phone.
"Locals, maybe?" Harper offered. "Soone probably heard the screaming."
Silence.
Everyone, including Mrs. White, suddenly looked a whole lot less confident.
Cici began coughing violently, spewing water. Mrs. White shrieked in relief and threw her arms around her.
"It’s okay, baby - police are coming. I’m gonna make sure they lock every last one of these monsters up!"
A long pause followed.
Harper gave her a look like she had a third eye. "Um. Mrs. White. Pretty sure murder and corpse-burying weren’t on OUR to-do list today. Maybe pump the brakes on that."
Mrs. White faltered.
Cecilia frowned. "Whoever called them... they might’ve seen more than we wanted."
"And with Cici busted up like this," Harper added, "it’s not a great look."
Cecilia’s mind was already spinning possibilities when -
"Cecilia,"Mrs. White rasped. "Let’s make a deal. You leave our nas out of it, I’ll pass this off as two hormonal girls going berserk. That woman? Nicole? I’ll say she acted alone. You can all walk clean."
"You serious right now?" Harper snarled. "Without Tang, your precious killer-daughter would be fertilizer by now."
"And you think Nicole’s just gonna go along with YOUR story?" Cecilia asked, folding her arms.
"She’s nearly unconscious. Doesn’t rember her own na," Mrs. White said flippantly. "Leave it to . Na your price."
Harper held up her phone, rolling her fingers dramatically like a magician conjuring evidence. "Thanks, Mrs. White. One more item for the prosecution."
Cecilia turned to Harper. "Upload all the recordings. Full dump to law enforcent. No edits."
Harper dipped her chin. "Already halfway uploaded."
Tang ca back jogging. "Alpha Sebastian said tell the whole truth and not to worry. He’ll be at the station in twenty. Quote: ’Anyone touches a hair on Cecilia’s head - police badge or not - they answer to .’"
Cecilia’s cheeks flushed. "I’m fine."
"Sure you are," Harper muttered.
At that exact mont, the patrol cars rolled up.
Doors flung open. Officers poured out.
And with Alpha Xavier.
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