Page 228 of Psycho Beasts

Their eyes swept over Hunter’s exposed dick, the gun on the floor, his busted face, and my bloodstained knuckles.

Faces hardened.

I’d thought I’d seen them angry before, but now I knew what true rage looked like.

They didn’t hiss or roar; they were dead silent.

They stalked past me, chestnuts, cinnamon, and frost spiking like they were on fire.

Ascher stopped beside me and wrapped his tattooed arm around my shoulders. He pulled me tight against him, alpha-purring as he held me close and tried to offer comfort.

“Princess, step away from the fucker,” Ascher whispered roughly as he dragged me away from Hunter.

I leaned against him, grateful for the support.

His tattooed hands trembled as they ran over every inch of my body, like he was desperate to make sure I was okay.

When he got to my busted knuckles, he hissed in air through his teeth.

“It’s fine,” I whispered. “I handled it.”

“No, Princess, it’s not fucking fine,” Ascher growled as he wrapped his arms tighter around me and held me.

I melted into him as we watched the other men.

Jax pulled Hunter’s hands behind his back.

The shadow snake slithered off his neck and back onto Cobra’s skin, and Hunter stopped convulsing with pain.

With Hunter missing half his teeth, with a busted face, his words were barely understandable. “How dare that whore touch me. How dare you put your hands on me again.”

Cobra hissed, “You dare call her names.” He slammed his fist into Hunter’s gory face with such force I was surprised the fucker didn’t lose his head.

“You touched my kitten.” Cobra said quietly, “You hurt what’s mine.”

Xerxes flicked open the sex knife.

“You’ll never get away with this.” Hunter’s skin rippled as he began to shift.

“Stop shifting!” Jax alpha-barked, the power in his voice stronger than anything I’d ever heard.

The walls rippled as he spoke.

For a split second, Hunter stilled.

Xerxes didn’t hesitate. He slashed the knife down Hunter’s torso, from neck to navel.

Cobra reached his hands inside the split skin and grabbed Hunter’s organs. “You dared to try to force yourself upon her.” He snarled.

“Pigs like you don’t deserve to live,” he unraveled his organs, pulling them out with impossible speed.

Hunter screamed.

Cobra disemboweled him.

Jax held the thrashing alpha immobile, his face ice-cold.

They were merciless.

---