Sebastian’s pov
The car slowed down abruptly, drawing my attention.
"Alpha Sebastian!" Liam’s voice dropped to an urgent whisper, his professional composure cracking for the first ti tonight. "That car ahead—is that it?"
I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing as I peered through the tinted window. A sleek black sports car sat just fifty feet ahead of us. The license plate matched perfectly.
"Stay calm. Keep following," I commanded, my voice deliberately even. Years as Alpha had taught that panic spreads like wildfire, especially in crisis situations. "Maintain distance."
"Yes, Alpha Sebastian," Liam replied, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he gradually increased speed.
I texted Harper with our location update. She would bring the police—proper channels were important in human territories. anwhile, I’d sent Tang ahead as backup. My wolf, Soren, paced restlessly in my mind, sensing my mate was in danger.
[She’s ours to protect,] Soren growled. [If they’ve hard her...]
[Focus,] I silently replied, though my own anger simred dangerously.
After fifteen minutes of careful pursuit, the black car turned into a gated residential community. Our vehicle couldn’t follow without arousing suspicion.
"This is—" Liam’s eyes widened in recognition. "This is Cecilia’s forr ho!"
I stared out at the familiar entrance gates, my expression hardening into stone. Alpha Xavier’s residence. Where he and Cecilia had lived during their marriage.
Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed Alpha Xavier’s number. My patience had just run out.
Cecilia’s pov
The pungent sll of gasoline jolted awake, burning my nostrils and making my stomach heave.
It was everywhere—soaking my clothes, my hair, even my skin. I forced my heavy eyelids open, disorientation giving way to cold horror as I realized where I was.
[This is our living room. Our ho. Mine and Xavier’s.]
Even in the dim lighting, I recognized the floor-to-ceiling windows, the arrangent of furniture, the exact placent of the door. Four years of living here had burned every detail into my mory.
Panic flooded my system as I tried to move and found myself immobilized—duct tape binding my wrists and ankles, another strip sealing my mouth. My muscles heavy as lead, unresponsive to my desperate commands. So kind of drug, I realized. My mind was clearing, but my body remained a prison.
The sharp click of heels against hardwood pulled my attention to the doorway. A petite silhouette approached, settling beside on the sofa. Even without seeing her face clearly, I knew instantly who it was--Cici White.
I stopped struggling, straightening my posture as much as possible. If I was going to die, I wouldn’t cower.
"I’ve been waiting three whole days to catch you," Cici said, her voice light and sweet—but sothing about it was off. She flicked a lighter open and closed, the small fla dancing between her fingers, just inches from my gasoline-soaked clothes. "Three. Whole. Days."
She stepped closer, and in the brief flash of firelight, I saw her face twist into sothing almost inhuman.
Gone was the pretty, cheerful girl Xavier had once chosen over . What stood before now was a woman who had clearly lost her mind.
"Scared?" she asked, waving the fla near my face like it was part of a ga. "Don’t be. It’ll only hurt for a little while. Then you’ll just be ashes, and Xavier—he’ll throw up when he sees you. What a way to end, right?"
Her laughter rang out, high-pitched and unhinged. It bounced off the walls like broken glass, sharp and chaotic. She wasn’t just angry—she was completely gone.
Suddenly, she leaned in and tore the tape from my mouth. I gasped in pain, and she grabbed my jaw hard, forcing to look at her.
"Let’s make a deal," she whispered. "Bark like a dog. Beg . If you make laugh, maybe I’ll let you live."
I stared back at her, cold and calm. I said nothing.
Inside, every part of scread with fear. My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking—but I knew begging wouldn’t save . She’d already made up her mind. There would be no rcy.
Her face twisted with rage. She slapped hard across the face. My head jerked to the side, and the pain burned, but I stayed silent.
"You won’t beg? Fine!" she shouted. "Then I’ll have soone hurt you first, cut you into pieces, and burn you with this house!"
She grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back again. Her mood shifted so fast it made my skin crawl.
"I’m giving you a chance!" she said breathlessly. "Just bark. It doesn’t hurt. It’s nothing. Just do it!"
I looked straight into her wild eyes and spoke clearly, my voice low but steady.
"Murder is a cri. If you kill , you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison. Is that what you want?"
She froze, clearly thrown by my calm response. She’d expected to break down, to beg and plead. The fact that I hadn’t—infuriated her.
Slaps rained down on my face, one after another until my mouth filled with blood and my skin went numb from pain.
"I am going to kill you," she hissed, her breath hot against my ear. "I’ll torture you until you wish you were dead. And yes, murder is illegal, but who can prove I did it? I’ve eliminated all evidence. The whole world might suspect , but without proof, what can they do?"
She straightened up, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "After this, your husband will be mine. Everything that was yours will be mine. We’ll rebuild on the ruins of your tragic death. We’ll marry, have children, live happily ever after."
I couldn’t help but laugh at her delusion. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll beco a vengeful spirit haunting you?"
"If you beco a ghost," she snarled, "I’ll find a warlock to capture your soul. I’ll force you to watch Xavier and in bed together. I’ll make you watch as I take everything that was once yours."
"You’re so incredibly cliché," I replied flatly.
My comnt earned another brutal beating. When she finally tired, she stood back, breathing heavily.
"Cecilia," she said, suddenly thoughtful. "Are you stalling for ti? Hoping soone will rescue you?"
She laughed, a brittle sound like breaking glass. "Don’t dream. No one will save you tonight. No one will guess you’re here. By the ti they find you, you’ll have committed suicide—I’ve even prepared your note."
She stepped back, flicking the lighter on again. "No more gas. I’ll send you on your way now."
The light reflected in her eyes as she admired the fear and desperation she assud were on my face. With a theatrical flourish, she tossed the lighter upward...
In that split second, survival instinct surged through , sohow breaking through the drug’s paralysis. I managed to lurch forward, falling from the sofa to the floor.
But it wasn’t enough. The lighter would hit the ground, ignite the gasoline, and I would burn alive.
I closed my eyes in utter despair.
I never imagined I would die because of Xavier’s infidelity. If ghosts were real, I would beco one—and my first target would be Xavier himself.
This was all his fault.
Cici waited eagerly for the inferno to consu .
But the expected sound of the lighter hitting the floor never ca. Neither did the rush of heat from igniting gasoline. Instead, a dark shadow appeared on the floor.
Just inches from the ground, a hand reached out and caught the burning lighter.
"Who are you?!" Cici’s face contorted with shock.
The figure rose smoothly from the ground, ignoring her question. Seeing her plan falling apart, Cici lunged toward with frightening speed. She snatched a knife from the coffee table and drove it down toward my crumpled form by the sofa.
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