Page 116 of Primal

Kristy’s already sitting perfectly still, hands folded. The only evidence is a tiny smear of blood on her thigh where the edge nicked her.

Except now the antler’s jutting from her pocket.

Fuck.

Pigface’s boots scrape closer.

I lean into Kristy like I’m slumping from exhaustion—let my bound hands ‘accidentally’ brush her thigh. My fingers hook the fabric of her neon shorts—tug just enough to cover the point.

Pigface pauses. That grotesque snout dips toward us.

Kade angles his body forward. A human buffer if Pigface decides to look too close.

I go limp against Kristy’s shoulder. “God, please tell me you’re done with the cult juice,” I mutter, loud enough to carry.

Derek snorts from the altar. “Aw, someone’s a lightweight.”

The mask tilts. Then—finally—Pigface turns away.

Kristy’s exhale is barely audible. The antler’s hidden.

For now.

Derek snaps his fingers. “Dollface. Bring me the good mic.”

Pigface heads toward the altar.

“Baby giraffe,” Kristy breathes in my ear.

I give her a look. What the fuck?

“Boots,” she whispers.

I watch the hem of Pigface’s robe sway with each step.

A flash of black leather. Shiny. Familiar.

Chérie Noir.

Amanda’s fucking thigh-highs. The ones she took off, whining about tripping.

What if she put them back on?

What if Pigface is Amanda?

Kristy gave her a pep talk and called her ‘baby giraffe.’ I offered her a cold towel. We even took a goddamn group selfie.

Now, the girl who needed a hype squad to power-walk through the woods is racking up kills like a fucking pro.

She said she hated this place. Hated the running, the rules, the whole twisted circus. Maybe when you’ve got that much hatred rotting inside you, there’s only one way to let it out—stab first, ask questions never.

And the whole time, every breathless whine, every doe-eyed wobble …

Bitch was playing us.

I glance at Kade. My zip ties bite, but there’s enough slack to let me brush his forearm. He tenses and shifts closer, head cocking slightly.

I can’t explain. Not here. Not with the bitch hog watching.