The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase - Chapter 13: Chapter 13
You are reading The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase, Chapter 13: Chapter 13. Read more chapters of The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase.
The sound of Celeste's laughter twisted my gut—smug, vile, dripping with satisfaction. "You always thought you were better than me, didn't you? Miss Perfect. Well look at you now."
I blinked through blurred vision, my jaw clenched. "You're sick, Celeste. This is insane!"
Her grin stretched wider, poison lacing every word. "Call it whatever you want. Soon I'll be the one they worship. The one they tremble before. And you?" She leaned in. "You'll be nothing."
The crone's chanting hit its peak—then the world exploded in white-hot agony. Fire raced through my veins like my soul was being shredded.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I came to, everything felt... off. My limbs moved wrong, heavy and unfamiliar. I looked down at shaking hands—slender fingers, blood-red nails.
No. No no no—
I lurched toward the cracked mirror. The face staring back wasn't mine.
It was hers.
"Welcome to your new skin, sister," came that honeyed voice I'd grown to hate.
I whirled—and saw myself. Celeste wore my body like a prize, grinning like she'd hit the jackpot.
"Give it back," I rasped, my stolen throat tight.
Her laugh cut like broken glass. "And lose this?" She flexed my fingers. "This strength? This power? No wonder everyone wanted you."
I staggered forward, fists balled. "You can't—"
"Can't?" She closed the distance, our noses almost touching. "Watch me. I'll take Xavier's pack with this body. Become Alpha myself."
"You psychotic—"
Her breath warmed my cheek. "Maybe. But I'm psychotic in your skin now. That makes me goddamn invincible."
The hag's gnarled hand clamped my arm. "Time's up."
"Where are you—" I thrashed as she dragged me through mildewed halls, finally shoving me into a black pit of a cell.
"Sweet dreams," she cackled before the door slammed shut.
The damp air clung to me. As I slumped against the wall, an itch burned at my neck—familiar. Too familiar.
My fingers found the raised scar.
The door creaked open. There I stood—Celeste wearing my face, heels clicking like gunshots.
"Comfy in your new skin, sis?"
My blood ran cold. "What did you do?"
She tapped my—her—neck. "The tracker? Brilliant, right? Planted it after your little car wreck. How else could I stalk my prey?"
"The accident..." My voice cracked.
Her smile turned feral. "Planned every detail. The seatbelt. The airbag. And that baby of yours?" She leaned in. "That was personal."
The world tilted. "You murdered my child."
"Had to even the scales." She examined my stolen nails. "You always got everything. Now it's my turn."
Rage burned through me like wildfire. As she turned to preen in the mirror, I struck—
We crashed to the floor, her screams bouncing off concrete. My stolen fingers found broken glass, pressing it to her throat.
"Reverse it," I snarled.
The hag burst in, chanting. The air thickened—my grip slipped—
I swung a chair at her skull. Didn't wait to see her drop. Just ran.
Through rotting halls. Into the night. Toward the distant train lights.
I collapsed into a seat, lungs burning—
Then I saw him.
Zephyr.
I blinked through blurred vision, my jaw clenched. "You're sick, Celeste. This is insane!"
Her grin stretched wider, poison lacing every word. "Call it whatever you want. Soon I'll be the one they worship. The one they tremble before. And you?" She leaned in. "You'll be nothing."
The crone's chanting hit its peak—then the world exploded in white-hot agony. Fire raced through my veins like my soul was being shredded.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I came to, everything felt... off. My limbs moved wrong, heavy and unfamiliar. I looked down at shaking hands—slender fingers, blood-red nails.
No. No no no—
I lurched toward the cracked mirror. The face staring back wasn't mine.
It was hers.
"Welcome to your new skin, sister," came that honeyed voice I'd grown to hate.
I whirled—and saw myself. Celeste wore my body like a prize, grinning like she'd hit the jackpot.
"Give it back," I rasped, my stolen throat tight.
Her laugh cut like broken glass. "And lose this?" She flexed my fingers. "This strength? This power? No wonder everyone wanted you."
I staggered forward, fists balled. "You can't—"
"Can't?" She closed the distance, our noses almost touching. "Watch me. I'll take Xavier's pack with this body. Become Alpha myself."
"You psychotic—"
Her breath warmed my cheek. "Maybe. But I'm psychotic in your skin now. That makes me goddamn invincible."
The hag's gnarled hand clamped my arm. "Time's up."
"Where are you—" I thrashed as she dragged me through mildewed halls, finally shoving me into a black pit of a cell.
"Sweet dreams," she cackled before the door slammed shut.
The damp air clung to me. As I slumped against the wall, an itch burned at my neck—familiar. Too familiar.
My fingers found the raised scar.
The door creaked open. There I stood—Celeste wearing my face, heels clicking like gunshots.
"Comfy in your new skin, sis?"
My blood ran cold. "What did you do?"
She tapped my—her—neck. "The tracker? Brilliant, right? Planted it after your little car wreck. How else could I stalk my prey?"
"The accident..." My voice cracked.
Her smile turned feral. "Planned every detail. The seatbelt. The airbag. And that baby of yours?" She leaned in. "That was personal."
The world tilted. "You murdered my child."
"Had to even the scales." She examined my stolen nails. "You always got everything. Now it's my turn."
Rage burned through me like wildfire. As she turned to preen in the mirror, I struck—
We crashed to the floor, her screams bouncing off concrete. My stolen fingers found broken glass, pressing it to her throat.
"Reverse it," I snarled.
The hag burst in, chanting. The air thickened—my grip slipped—
I swung a chair at her skull. Didn't wait to see her drop. Just ran.
Through rotting halls. Into the night. Toward the distant train lights.
I collapsed into a seat, lungs burning—
Then I saw him.
Zephyr.
End of The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase Chapter 13. Continue reading Chapter 14 or return to The Crippled Wife They Tried to Erase book page.