Page 243 of Psycho Beasts

My blood slipped, burrowing deeper into the men, inches from the points of no return, where I’d completely take over their free will, but we needed them unaware.

There was only one option.

I flipped on the numb.

The world went cold.

Black and white.

Hold your power back. Concentrate.

I obeyed.

It had been like holding a rabid animal on a chain that was bucking further out of my grip, but now my arm was steel, my fingers paralyzed on the numb’s invisible leash.

It didn’t give.

Pay attention. This is a trap. One wrong move and you’re all dead.

I didn’t wonder what the numb meant or how we were at risk when I had control of the brothers, just held still and waited because I could taste the danger on my tongue.

A brother grunted as he found his pleasure and gestured lazily with his machine gun across the room.

The room had a false wall, and it slowly lifted up.

It revealed eight people.

Four girls and four men holding guns to their heads.

Even numb, I felt something close to fear.

Stay still. Don’t move.

Four ridiculously muscular men had darkness in their eyes and pressed the barrels to the heads of four teenage girls, who were sitting unconstrained in chairs.

Jinx, Lucinda, Jala, and Jess sat wide-eyed with fear.

Molly’s warning about the dangers of the beast realm echoed through my head: “Mind games and cunning are commonplace.”

The don had set us up.

Was this even the third trial?

Was it all a trap?

How were the girls being held in the backroom of a BDSM club? Nothing made sense.

Concentrate.

“We heard you were looking for us. How about a trade? Xerxes for these girls,” one of the wolves said, his voice a rough growl, green eyes glowing bright as he stared at my omega.

Guns cocked.

I took a step forward.

STAY STILL! the numb screamed at me, and I stopped.

Infect the men. Turn their guns.

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