Page 156 of Primal

My knees hit so hard my teeth rattle. Mud through my skirt. Thunder cracks.

Please be okay. Please be okay. Please—

A scream.

I’m up before I feel the pain, branches whipping at my face.

Another shriek—closer. Cut mid-breath.

Past a wall of leaves and—

There.

Kristy’s on the ground, crawling backward. Lana standing over her, knife raised.

The blade flicks out, retracts. A taunt.

I throw myself at Lana.

One pivot and her elbow slams into my ribs. Air whooshes out. I reel backward.

Krav Maga. Right. Fuck.

She spits rainwater. “You should’ve run.”

Kristy lurches up, rock in hand.

Lana seizes her wrist—pop—Kristy screams.

“Lana, stop,” I choke out.

She turns. Rain drips from her lashes.

There’s the Lana who stole street signs and sang off-key.

Then it’s gone. Just the cold-hearted bitch who put that antler through Mia’s eye. Made Kade bleed on that knife.

“Please,” Kristy breathes, cradling her wrist. “Just let us go.”

Lana spins. Yanks Kristy close by the hair—the knife at her throat. “Let you go and then what? You’ll go crying to the cops? Ruin my life?”

Ruin her life. Like she hasn’t fucking destroyed everyone’s lives tonight.

Kristy swallows. Shakes her head.

“No, we won’t,” I say quickly. “We won’t tell anyone. We can—”

The blade bites in—

“No!”

The hilt thuds against Kristy’s throat.

Lana laughs. “You should see your faces. Both of you.”

Kristy roars. Slams her shoulder into Lana’s wounded side.

Lana catches her finger.