Page 93 of Psycho Beasts

My fingernails bit into my palms and I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood.

I couldn’t look away as Clarissa whispered something else to Xerxes, and he trembled slightly.

The machete in my stomach turned into a grenade.

Our instructor, Z, turned toward me, and I ripped my attention away from the man-whore. “Don’s ordered us to split you up for training. Sadie, you’re going to train with Molly. The rest of you will be joining me.”

Great, I was being singled out for being the runt of the group.

But relief coursed through me as I hurried away from the men, toward the corner ring Z had pointed to. I needed to get away from them before I shifted into my tiger form and embarrassed myself.

I’d made my choice, and they’d shown their true colors.

Whatever we’d had was over before it had even begun, and I needed to accept it.

But if the don thought he was going to make me do some wimpy female version of training, he was going to be surprised.

Did he really think I couldn’t hang with the men? I was a fucking saber-toothed tiger shifter.

Had he seen my teeth? They were longer than his arms.

With every step forward, I fought the urge to look over my shoulder.

At this rate, Clarissa was probably straddling Xerxes and Cobra and humping both of them at once. Ascher would enjoy watching, and Jax would get turned on at the sight of Cobra with such a beauty.

It was all too easy for them to replace me.

Forget about me.

Move on.

A slashing sensation burned my back, and I tripped over a barbell. I was barely cognizant that I was stumbling, my mind flashing back to a small tavern and a beta’s belt.

Parents who’d abandoned me.

Maybe Clarissa was what they’d always wanted. Someone sophisticated, tall, and gorgeous who would simper at them and pamper their fragile male egos.

That wasn’t me.

Preoccupied with mentally eviscerating the men, I didn’t watch where I was going and walked into a wall.

Long, callused fingers reached out and grabbed my forearm as I stumbled back and apologized.

The rippling mountain of muscle in front of me turned around, bulging arms and impressive thighs shining with the sweat of a warrior of lore.

Half the person’s head was shaved, while the other half had long, dark hair.

I gasped when they looked up.

Olive skin, wide hooded eyes, and soft features smiled at me.

“You ready to work, sugar? I’ve been assigned to train you,” the woman said, and I realized in a daze, that unlike all the fae women, Aran included, she wasn’t that much taller than me.

My jaw flapped up and down uselessly as I stared at her sculpted perfection.

Scratch everything I’d just thought about being the runt; it would be an honor to work beside her.

Apparently, Molly was a gorgeous mountain of muscles.

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