Page 111 of Her Feral Beasts

“I can see it on your face,” he grits out. “You can’t do anything stupid. You need to go by the book with this.”

“My father will not go by the book, Mr Pardalia,” I say. “He has me by the balls and a fate worse than death is waiting for me.”

The venom in my tone makes surprise flashes across his face. “Miss Aquinas, I cannot help you if you don’t tell me—”

“You can’t fucking help me!” I’m on my feet before I realise it, gesturing madly at him. “Thiswhole timewith you has been a waste. I never had a chance, did I? You were never going to be able to stop this. I’ve been kidding myself this entire time!”

His jaw clenches and I’m so aware of every inch of his movements that I see it all. The nostrils flaring, the clench in his fists, the tension in his entire body. A dark feeling suddenly slithers through me for the first time. An ancient inkling. An intuition. But I brush that away because it doesn’t matter anymore.

“Mr Pardalia,” I announce formally. “We are done here. I wish you well. It was lovely to meet you. You’ve done rather well with your academy; you should be proud.”

I think I just needed to say that before my day of doom. Before I never seeanyof these beasts ever again. Storming out of the office, I slam the door open and see Georgia frowning at me. I stomp past her, then on second thought, turn to look at her.

“Georgia.”

Her perfectly laminated brows fly up.

“I think you’re really pretty and I hope you find your mating group because you’re wasting time with him.” I jerk my thumb towards Lyle’s office and her features darken as she knows at once what I mean. But I don’t give a shit because I’m being nice.

I stalk over to the elevator doors and angrily stab at the button as Henry clucks a soft reassurance in my ear. I don’t need Lyle. I need Minnie. I need my animas.

* * *

On Monday morning, I can’t stomach going down to breakfast, so I let Minnie go to breakfast with Sabrina, Stacey, Connor and Raquel. All five animas come to my dorm and give me hugs, and even Sabrina pats my shoulder and says, “You’ll do good, Lia.”

Minnie lingers as if she’s reluctant to leave me. “I really wish they’d let me come with you.”

“At least they let me keep Henry,” I say softly. We had to get special permission for an assistance animal as it was. When I approached Lyle about bringing Minnie with me, he looked at me like I was an idiot. Nothing new there, really.

She flings her arms around me. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back and we’ll debrief together.”

I cast them all what I hope is a confident smile as my stomach roils like the sea in a storm. Lyle told me to meet him outside my dorm, where he’ll drive me to the trial in the city. I dress carefully, putting on the dress Minnie and I thought was best last night, a high-necked, no-cleavage dress in the lightest blue to show that I’m a sophisticated and classy young woman and not the arsonist feral murderer my dad is trying to make me out to be. I have white ballet flats with little blue bows to match and nothing else. I stare at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath.

“You can do this, Lia. You’ll survive this. You’re a predator. You’re a—”

The cell door slams open and I jump, stumbling backwards as a furious Xander Drakos strides into my room.

Henry squeaks in shock.

“Xander, what the fuck—”

But a wave of pure dragon magic pummels into me like a hot storm. Charged and powerful. It locks me in place and all I can do is stare.

There is a teal paper bag clutched in one of his large fists and his eyes are glowing an unusual silver. But one thing makes my blood run cold. His headphones sit around his neck, not in his ears at all.

Xander dwarfs the room, cocking his head in a very animalistic way, and my own anima rears up in response.

“My regina.” His voice has turned into something guttural, scathing and hot. Like fiery chambers deep near the Earth’s core, and it falls upon my ears like a bloody furnace. Realisation shivers through me.

This is not Xander at all.

It’s his dragon.

“Fuck, Xander…” I don’t even know what to say as he prowls closer with a new sort of lethal, mythical grace and I can’t help but step backwards.

I’m backed up against the wall next to my dresser as Xander looms over me. He leans down to inhale the side of my neck, opposite to Henry’s side. My nimpin is quivering on my shoulder, but makes no noise. It’s then that I realise my shields are down and I don’t remember dropping them.

“Regina,” he says in that dragon-voice that’s even darker and rougher than Scythe’s.

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