“Something is definitely wrong with her. The man has been trying to offload her onto me for three months. If you were a good beta, you’d take her.” I look at him expectantly.
“No.”
I grumble, but I don’t push. It’s not up to me to decide who he wants to take as a mate. And he’s a friend. In a way. Sure, I don’t tell him everything I’m thinking, but who does? I eat a few more bites. “The feral. Is it begging for its life?”
By now they’re sobbing, screaming, ramming their heads against the cage, or yelling at ear-piercing levels. On the rare occasion, we have one or two do all the above.
The ones that make it to the cage, that is. Not all do.
Some don’t even make it out of the meeting room.
But this one…
This one feels different. Don’t know why yet, but I intend to get to the bottom of it.
“Not quite.”
I scowl at my beta. “You’re being diplomatic. You know how I feel about that. Is the feral begging for its life yet?”
“Uh, not exactly.”
My eyes narrow. “What do you mean, not exactly?”
“She seems quite calm, considering.”
Finan and I don’t see ferals the same way. He still views them in terms of gender. I no longer do. I’ve seen what they’re capable of and they are more animals than people.
“So it’s pretending to play it cool so I will let it live?” I scoff. “As if that will save it.”
“I asked her what she was doing sitting with her legs crossed in the middle of the cage,” Finan says.
“And the feral’s response was?”
“Meditating. She says the campus is very loud and one of her dorm mates likes to have her boyfriend over. Sleep is impossible when someone is having loud sex against the wall next to yours. She appreciates the quiet.”
I stare at him, incredulous. “Sheappreciatesthe quiet?”
Finan nods.
I get up, taking my plate and the remains of my dinner with me because I’m not about to let a feral ruin my meal. Marisa calls out to me as I leave.
“Later.” I stalk out of the dining room, still eating as Finan trails me.
The muffled sound of vibration makes me swallow a growl of annoyance.
“Tagge is ringing again,” he calls after me.
“Hang up,” I order.
Something just became my new priority.
Finding out what the fuck this feral is doing.
8
KAT
I’ve had years to get used to the needs of my wolf. Her growls, chuffs, and whimpers to the things she likes and does not like have long since become a pattern of my days.