Page 207 of Psycho Beasts

I remembered the horror on his face when he was worried he’d bitten me too hard.

How he’d trembled to hold himself back, terrified of driving me away with his intensity.

The shame etched onto his face.

Rage bubbled in my throat.

The fucking Black Wolves hadn’t just hurt him physically. Emotional scars went deep.

With flames casting shadows across his almost too-pretty features, long blond hair flowing around his waist, Xerxes’s purple eyes hardened into chips of amethyst. “I can do it.”

I said quietly, “You shouldn’t have to. It’s not fair to you.”

He clenched his jaw. “Life isn’t fair.”

Cobra hissed, “We will do thissss to destroy the cowardssss that hurt him. We will tear them limb from limb and sssshow them what happenssss when you hurt our pack.”

Xerxes looked over at Cobra, his lips parting slightly, like he hadn’t expected him to care so much about his well-being.

Xerxes looked away. “You don’t need to do this for my sake. We can just take out the Ortega brothers and ignore the wolves. I don’t expect everyone to put themselves in danger for me. I know the circumstances of our pack were forced.”

Cobra hissed, and Ascher’s horns expanded.

It was Jax who laid a hand on Xerxes’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter how it came to be. We are a pack, and you are one of us now. We look out for each other.”

Ascher shifted uncomfortably. “Besides my idiocy in the past, what Jax says is true. We’re a pack, and you’re our omega. I wouldn’t want to stand beside anyone else.”

Cobra nodded. “From what we’ve learned, omegas are usually weak, simpering fools who can’t defend themselves from harm.” He shivered, like the thought disgusted him. “You’re the only omega I’d want in our pack.”

Panic bubbled in my throat at the reminder that the don still expected them to find a female omega.

Xerxes stared at the alphas, a sheen across his eyes, and when he spoke, his smooth voice was uncharacteristically rough. “I wouldn’t want any other alphas.” He paused. “Besides Sadie, of course.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Don’t let me ruin the moment. And seriously, Xerxes, you belong with us—them, I mean. Anyone can see it.”

“Kitten’s right,” Cobra confirmed as he leaned over and slammed his fist into Xerxes’s arm.

From anyone else, it would have looked like Cobra was attacking Xerxes.

At the contact, a massive grin split Xerxes’s face, and he slammed his fist back into Cobra’s bicep. “You’re not so bad, for an alpha.”

Ascher chuckled. “Just give it a year. You’ll want to kill him.”

Jax wrapped his arm around Cobra’s neck and ruffled his dark hair. “He’s an acquired taste. Like whiskey.”

Cobra’s canines lengthened, and he bit down on Jax’s forearm.

Jax didn’t flinch.

“He’s definitely vodka,” I said, thinking about how Cobra’s alpha scent resembled frostbite.

“How very touching,” Aran said dryly as she chewed her nails. “The only problem with the plan is the Black Wolves themselves. We don’t know what they know, and they could have a contingency plan, or be expecting us.”

I looked at her in confusion. “How would they have a plan when we just decided to try to get to them? We weren’t even going to go after them until the don gave us a hint.”

Ascher shook his head. “I think your plan is sound, Aran. You don’t need to worry.”

Jax and Cobra nodded in agreement.

---