Page 187 of Psycho Beasts

I nodded, warmth infusing my chest as my anxiety drained from me.

Jax wrapped me in a bear hug and held me tight, pressing gentle kisses to the top of my head. “I love you,” he breathed quietly in my ear.

“Love you too,” I whispered as I relaxed into his warmth. “You’re right,” I sighed. Chestnuts really were a superior nut.

He said quietly against my hair, “You’re our sweet alpha. We’ll figure everything out, love. We just need to trust one another.”

Cuddled against his chest, I said, “Trust has to be earned.”

Jax smoothed a hand across my forehead and pressed another soft kiss there like I was a delicate flower that might break. “It will be. We’re not giving you up, Sadie.”

Frost nipped at my skin as Cobra stepped close to us and whispered in my ear, “Oh, and Kitten. I will tease you until I decide you’re ready.” He smirked down at me. “Perfection takes time.”

I couldn’t help the shiver that trembled through me, and I mumbled, “Don’t press your luck, you psycho.”

Cobra’s tongue traced the shell of my ear. “You will tell me you love me too, Kitten. Or I will do things to your body that will make your time with Xerxes seem tame.”

I gulped and leaned forward, cold air nipping at my exposed chest as I whispered back to Cobra, “Is that a threat or a promise?”

Cobra hissed. “Oh, Kitten, it’s a fucking threat.”

I squeezed my legs tighter together and tried to ignore the emerald gaze that was slowly trailing over my exposed body.

Xerxes groaned, “We need to get her proper clothes.”

Ascher snapped back at him, “I still don’t get why you had to bite her so many times. Sun god’s tits, your fucking handprints are wrapped around her throat.”

“Jealous much?” Xerxes’s honeyed accent was a smooth drawl.

Cobra snarled, “She was my fucking kitten first. I don’t care what happened here. I want to make it clear to everyone that she is mine.”

I rolled my eyes at his petulant tone. “I’m not anyone’s.”

“YOU’RE MINE!” Cobra screamed and whirled around, slamming his fist against the wall.

“Don’t be rude to her,” Xerxes growled.

“Well, violently fucking Sadie against a wall as you took her virginity was rude,” Ascher snarled back.

“My kitten. Give me her. Now.” Cobra tugged at my arm and tried to pull me out of Jax’s arms. He’d lost whatever pretenses of civility he’d pretended to have.

Jax and I sighed heavily at the same time.

I pushed out of his grip. “Moment’s over, you’re all drama queens, and Cobra, you’re joining Aran and me in therapy.”

Cobra snarled, “I’m not talking to some quack doctor about the fact that I own my kitten.”

I clapped my hands in his face. “I’m choosing to ignore that, so I don’t stab you. Also, I’m going to find Aran right now so I can talk shit about you.”

“Well, I’m going to talk shit about you with Jax,” Cobra taunted back.

I rolled my eyes.

“Remember that I fucking owned you first, Kitten. If you forget, you will pay.”

What. The. Sun. God. Was wrong with him?

I curled my hands into fists and counted to ten.

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