Page 65 of Stalker

My hands lock around his throat before he can react. His eyes widen in shock and betrayal.

"What are you doing?" His voice comes out strangled. "Stop! I'm your father, you can't do this."

Tears blur my vision but my grip remains firm. "Yes, you're my father. Which is why I HAVE to do this. I can't let you hurt anyone else."

He claws at my hands, but my reaper strength makes his struggles futile. His face turns red, then purple. Those gray eyes that once looked at me with such pride now fill with terror.

Memories flash through my mind - teaching me to ride a bike, reading bedtime stories, proudly watching my graduation. But they're tainted now by the knowledge of his true nature. By the screams of his victims.

His struggles weaken. The light in his eyes dims, then goes out completely. His body goes limp in my grasp.

I release my hold and he crumples to the floor. A sob tears from my throat as the reaper rage drains away. The bone spurs retract into my flesh with burning pinpricks of pain. My skin lightens back to its normal tone.

The collar still pulses against my throat, but gentler now. Comforting. The raw power fades, leaving only grief in its wake.

I fall to my knees beside his body, tears streaming down my face. "I'm sorry," I whisper, though I know it had to be done.

CHAPTER 25

BRUTICUS

The stiff collar of this human suit chafes against my neck spurs. I tug at it for the hundredth time, shifting on the hard plasteel bench outside the IHC courtroom.

"How much longer do I have to wear this torture device?"

"Just a little while longer, love." Maryse pats my hand, her touch soothing away my irritation. "Once we give our statements to Judge Chen, we can finally put all this behind us."

The gentle weight of her fingers on mine reminds me why I'm here, why I traded vengeance for something far sweeter. "You're right. Time to focus on the future instead."

"Oh? And what future plans did you have in mind?"

"Important ones. Like how many children we should have."

Her emerald eyes sparkle. "At least two. A boy and a girl."

"And if the first two aren't one of each?"

"I guess we'll just have to try, try again." She winks, and heat floods my chest at the promise in her voice.

"The court will now hear testimony in the matter of the Rakura IV incident."

The judge's words echo through the chamber as I take my place at the witness stand. My claws click against the polished wood as I recount that dark day - the screams, the blood, thesight of my mother's body. Detective Vorpa catches my eye from her seat, giving me a slight nod of encouragement.

"And you were prepared to take the law into your own hands?"

"Yes, your honor. Until I met someone who showed me a better path."

My gaze finds Maryse in the gallery. The corners of her mouth lift in a small smile that gives me strength to continue.

When it's Maryse's turn, my chest swells with pride. Her voice stays steady even as she describes discovering her father's true nature. A tear rolls down her cheek when she recounts his final moments, but she brushes it away and keeps going.

"He left me no choice. He would have kept hurting people, destroying lives..."

The pain in her voice cuts deep, but she doesn't falter. She tells the whole ugly truth, sparing no detail.

Outside the courtroom, I pull her into my arms. Her shoulders shake slightly as she presses her face against my chest. The familiar scent of her hair - sunshine and citrus - fills my senses as I hold her close.

"There's my favorite unlikely couple." Detective Vorpa's scales catch the fluorescent lighting as she approaches us. "Care to join me for lunch? My treat."

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