Page 10 of Psycho Beasts

Aran randomly said, “I think I have this new thing where I pass out at the sight of blood.”

“Probably because you’re a cannibal,” Jinx replied.

Aran’s jaw dropped, and her pale face turned an unhealthy shade of green. She made an awful choking noise.

The noise Aran made triggered my gag reflex.

I puked a little into my mouth.

“Ew, did you just puke? You know I’m a sympathetic puker,” Lucinda said mid-retch.

Jax alpha-barked, “Everyone, silence!”

You could hear a pin drop.

I made one last gagging noise, and Jax looked down at me with exasperation. I shrugged.

My alpha form was a massive cat. What did he expect?

Jax turned his large body and addressed the creepy Sunglasses Man, who we now all knew suffered from poor circulation. “Are you taking us to the don or not? We’re all hungry and tired and need to bathe after the rain.”

For a moment, Sunglasses Man gaped at us like we were mythical creatures he’d never seen before.

To be fair, we were a sight.

Aran was pale, with bright-blue hair and matching turquoise eyes, and I had red eyes, pure-white hair, and deep-golden skin.

Cobra had dark hair, green eyes, and jewels embedded all over his pale flesh; Ascher was tattooed, golden, and horned; Jax was massive, had dark skin and striking gray eyes, and was covered in piercings and golden chains; Xerxes had olive skin and blond hair down to his butt, and his harsh purple eyes were intimidating, but still made him look like a pretty prince.

Plus, we had four teenage girls with us.

Lucinda looked like a curvier and prettier mini me. Jess had green eyes, copper-toned skin, and electric-green streaks through her black hair; Jala had pink eyes and bubblegum-pink hair that complemented her dark skin; Jinx looked like a small menace of pale darkness.

Besides Lucinda and I, no one looked remotely similar. We gave off big ragtag energy.

Add on to that the fact that we bickered like old ladies playing bingo, and I’m sure Sunglasses Man was very confused.

Still, my heart was full and heavy in my chest.

Yes, it was still slightly full of acid reflux, but it was mostly full of love because we were reunited with our sisters and still all together.

For the first time in a long time, the painful loneliness of missing my family didn’t weigh me down.

Sunglasses Man cleared his throat, like he remembered he had a job to do, and marched down the long hall.

He said nothing, just assumed we would all follow him.

Of course, because why not? Across the walls in big red letters read, Hell is paved with the bones of the disloyal.

Someone had even made the letters look like they dripped blood.

Very vibey.

“I’m gonna pass out again,” Aran whispered to me as we walked down the hall.

“No, you’re not.”

“Seriously.” Aran turned a sickly pale shade as she stared at the wall.

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