Page 278 of Psycho Beasts

When we were all sated, we cuddled under the fluffy blankets, basking in the scents of cinnamon, frost, chestnuts, pine, and cranberries that filled our nest.

Alphas rumbled with contentment, and Xerxes shifted into his kitten form so he could lie on top of all of us and also purr.

The gold string strummed with love as we snuggled, and I marveled at how lucky I’d gotten.

The gold halo still hung around my wrist. The other day, a mirage of Dick had appeared in the center, informing me he would contact me in a few weeks.

I hadn’t discussed the revelation with anyone, and if they mentioned it, I played it off. Only Lucinda recognized the polished, winged version of Dick.

But she hadn’t pried.

I’d assured everyone that I would explain when it was time, and they respected my decision.

We’d had enough trauma to last a lifetime.

For now, we had time to just enjoy each other, to just enjoy the present, before we looked to the future.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Cobra stirred.

Aran hollered that she would get it.

I closed my eyes as I hugged my men tighter, and I pushed my concerns down into the abyss at the back of my mind because, for now, life was perfect. We fell asleep in a cocoon of love and support.

I woke up in the middle of the night to fingers around my neck.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I grumbled and slapped at icy hands.

Cobra snarled quietly. “You’re mine now. You will wear my collar.”

My eyes snapped open at his words, and I looked down. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust because only the soft glow from the fire lit the nest.

When they did, I gasped.

A leather choker was wrapped around my throat. Attached to it was a long silver pendant that hung between my scarred breasts, all the way to my waist.

I picked up the shiny gold heart at the end of the chain and brought it close so I could read the inscription. Two words were engraved on each side.

Cobra’s Property.

I flipped it over.

My Kitten.

“Absolutely not.”

“You’re my mate,” Cobra snarled back, like that made everything okay.

I raked my hands over my face tiredly. “Fuck you. Then why don’t you put a collar on all the men?”

“Because it’s different. They’re not my kitten like you are,” Cobra said in a “duh” voice like I was the one being dumb.

I growled and flung myself at him, not sure if my plan was to choke him or just beat him up.

Bodies groaned as we wrestled across them.

“Go back to sleep, you two,” Xerxes rumbled tiredly.

I hissed with annoyance, “Cobra is trying to make me wear a collar.”

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