Page 180 of Psycho Beasts

In a blink, the bear retreated as Jax shifted back.

I opened my mouth to admonish him for breaking the no-shifting rule, although I didn’t think the don knew what we did in our own house, but I stopped because of the intense expression on his face.

Ascher and Cobra flanked him on both sides as they stalked into the nest like avenging warriors.

Xerxes whimpered, and my instincts screamed at me to protect my omega.

I dragged myself off the floor, my joints creaking and popping, and I flung myself in front of his naked, crouched form.

“You’re scaring him,” I snarled at the alphas as I tried not to notice how pine, chestnuts, and frost mixed deliciously with cinnamon and sex.

They stopped moving, jaws falling open as they stared at us.

I covered my bits with my hands and tried to sound authoritative. “I’m sorry for what happened to him, but it was the heat, although I know that is no excuse for my actions. But you need to give him some space. He’s clearly hurting.”

My face burned with shame, and I looked away. “I hurt him.”

Three pairs of alpha eyes glowed with fury.

I deserved it.

No one moved.

The violence and tension ratcheted up.

A callused hand gently touched the back of my shoulder, and I turned around in surprise.

Long, patrician fingers—that had choked me mercilessly as I screamed, sobbed, and came—gently traced across my neck.

I swallowed thickly.

Xerxes whispered, “I’m not upset because you hurt me. I’m fucking gutted because of what I did to you.” The fingers on my neck trembled, and a lone tear trailed down his face.

My brow furrowed as I stared up at my dark prince. “But I loved it.”

I love you, hung heavy in the silence between us.

Xerxes shuddered and whispered, “Are you sure?”

I stepped closer.

My head was level with his chest, so I gently kissed a pair of deep teeth marks that dragged downward from where I’d scraped across his flesh.

“Yes. But are you sure?”

Callused fingers gently traced my jaw, and I moaned at the memory of what those fingers had done to me.

We both knew what we were talking about.

Xerxes bent down so his lips traced softly over mine. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.” He kissed me gently and pulled back with an arched brow. “Are you really okay, baby girl?”

I shivered and nodded.

Sure, there were a million issues we had to work through, and I still couldn’t bond with him, but I understood what he was asking.

A smile split my face, and I nodded. “My omega.”

Xerxes groaned and pulled me close, engulfing my lips in a proper kiss.

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