Page 131 of Psycho Beasts

I’d woken up in a tangle of limbs, soft kisses, and satisfied smirks.

Until their faces had hardened and they’d sworn viciously as they remembered it was the day of the second trial and they’d used my body all night.

Cobra had shoved food into my mouth, while Jax and Ascher had massaged my tired limbs.

Even Xerxes, who’d slept on the chair all night, had freaked out and made me drink a bunch of water.

They were equally annoying and cute.

Now Molly’s voice was calm, but she looked worried. “Winning means you just have to survive one hundred fights. Each fight is ten minutes. All you have to do is not tap out or be passed out when the round ends. Your defense is your key.”

I nodded absently as I focused on slowing my breathing.

“It usually lasts about seventeen hours. There are only about three thousand alphas in this entire city, and about ten percent of them have shown up to fight today.” She paused and breathed deeply, like she was trying to calm herself.

“They will cycle among fighting each of you and will get tired themselves. You just have to hang in there. The worst part will be the end,” Molly pleaded, like she was begging me to survive.

She’d trained with me for these past four days, but she didn’t truly know me.

I didn’t bother to correct her. I had to conserve my energy.

My foot tapped faster.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held the numb for seventeen hours.

If the numb wore off, the worst part was definitely going to be the end.

The gym was purposefully darker today, and neon-red lights glowed like menacing eyes, cigarette and cigar smoke heavy in the air.

It was quiet with anticipation.

Molly pushed a mouth guard between my teeth.

Unlike usual, alphas didn’t mill around shirtless, lifting weights and shooting the shit. The only people in the fighting rings were the seven initiates.

We all stood still and waited.

Each of us had an alpha coach in the corner with water and a towel.

Z had explained that they were in charge of keeping us hydrated and helping with bleeding wounds.

I tapped my foot harder.

The anticipation gnawed at me.

Across the gym, Cobra’s jewels glinted as he stared at me. “You better not give up,” he mouthed with a scowl.

I rolled my eyes. He was so dramatic.

The memory of him whispering that he’d never stopped owning me, made my stomach flutter. I pushed the emotions aside.

Ascher gave me a thumbs-up, and Jax nodded at me.

Xerxes just kept staring.

I stretched my arms and breathed deeply as I pushed the memory of last night deep into the back of my mind and focused on inner peace.

Z’s voice was loud as he shouted, “One hundred fights will begin now! Let in the alphas!”

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