Page 122 of Psycho Beasts

Before I could let the bloodlust overtake my common sense, I reached my palm out. Like I’d done with the fae queen, I pulled at the droplets of blood, dragging them back through the layers of flesh until they slammed into my outstretched hand.

With a snap, the electric tether among all five of us broke, and I crashed to my knees, heaving.

The men stumbled away from one another, and I ducked my head as I dry-heaved bile across the floor.

The aftermath was like falling from the stars and face-planting into the dirt.

My body ached as it re-acclimated to the shaky existence of surviving without another’s life-force.

“They’re back!” Jess said with excitement from the top of the stairs.

After a long dry heave, I stumbled back to my feet, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the foyer.

“I’ll call the maids,” Walter mumbled and ran down the hall.

Suddenly, I was hyperaware of four sets of eyes staring at me.

Violence cackled.

Slowly, I turned to face the men I’d just joyfully enslaved with my blood.

From the tense jaws and tightened fists, they weren’t happy.

Aran backed up the grand stairs. “Girls, this is a good lesson about how to deal with angry alphas. We need to give them some space.”

“What happened to them? Why are they so mad?” Lucinda asked innocently.

There was a long, awkward pause, then Aran said, “Sadie got a little carried away showing off.”

I opened my mouth to apologize to the men.

“Xerxes invited me to his first heat. Said it should be soon and he needed a female alpha present.”

Fresh indignation filled me. “I’m not sorry.”

Eyes glowed.

Cobra whispered, “You’re going to be.”

“Run for your lives!” Aran screamed at the girls as she scrambled up the stairs.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

As fast as I could, I bolted after her, feet slapping against the marble as I ran like a vampyre was chasing me.

There was silence behind me.

Then the crashing sound of four pissed-off men sprinting after me.

“Save yourselves!” I yelled at the girls, who I’d quickly overtaken in my mad dash. I pushed them into an open door as I sprinted past.

Aran was farther down the massive hall and shrieked as she looked over her shoulder.

It was the only warning I got before callused hands forcibly grabbed me and tossed me into a room like I weighed nothing.

There was a loud crash as someone slammed the door shut with so much force it fell off its hinges.

“We should talk about this. Like adults,” I pleaded as I was tossed onto the bed.

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