Page 48 of Her Feral Beasts

The primal part of me wants to steal my regina away and keep her safe from death. But the logical part of me says that this is needed. That her power over us is a special kind of danger.

I want to kill someone. Break something. Throttle Mace Naga until he’s lifeless in my hands. But I have his magic in me now and the deal is fixed. There’s no going back from the moment she rejected us.

There’s only one thing standing in our way and that is the fact that this institution is near impossible to breach. The lion who runs the academy will never allow her—or any of the students, for that matter—to be taken out of the school. This is supposed to be a safe house where all the orders have a truce. He took great pains to make it that way. It’s his life’s work. I respect that in a beast, but this time it goes against my own agenda.

Every previous attempt to steal someone out of Animus Academy has failed. But now I’m here.

“I’ll need seventy-two hours and it’ll be done.”

Savage stiffens, but nods in acceptance. “Friday then.”

Chapter21

Aurelia

When I arrive back at our dorm, Minnie is outside, shrieking at the guards, her pink hair wild as she tears at it.

“I’m telling you! She’s been—”

One of the guards point at me and Minnie whirls around, her face crumpled in distress. She sees me and her dark brows fly up into her hairline. “Lia?” She rushes up to me, but I shake my head at her in warning. She must see something on my face because she silently follows me as I swipe my card and jog up the stairs.

My body is shaking, vibrating as I fall apart at the seams. I storm back into our dorm, stand back to let Minnie in, then slam the door shut.

“Fuck!” I scream to the walls. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Sitting down on my bed, I bury my face in my hands, my tears falling hard and fast. Henry quivers, flush against my neck and I feel Gertie landing next to him, cooing softly like she’s trying to help.

A man was killed before my very eyes, mauled to death by Savage, who was nothing more than a violent, vicious creature who seemed to kill andenjoyit.

I knew they weren’t good men, but seeing Savage like that? Seeing what they are capable of? Beak’s parting words haunt my mind.

This is what they are. This is what you’re dealing with.

“Lia.” Minnie’s voice is a whisper as she comes to sit next to me. “We were sitting at dinner when the three crazies just got up and stormed out. Something clearly alerted them and you weren’t back and I just knew it was you! Please don’t tell me you did something insane!”

“Ididdo something.” My voice is muffled as I try to suffocate my words like it’ll quash the memory of me thinking I could just walk into their dorm and get away with it. “And I fucking didn’t achieve anything.” One man is dead, and for all I know, that rooster is up next.

Minnie groans. “Lia! I thought you were a goner. You can’t fuck around with people this dangerous.”

Finally, I raise my head and look at her. I must really look awful because her face softens, and she reaches for my hand. “Lia,” she says seriously. “You don’t really know who these people are, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

She smacks herself on the head. “Wait a second.” She leaves the dorm, and I hear her banging on Raquel and Sabrina’s door. Within seconds, Minnie returns, dragging Raquel in by their hand. “Tell her!” Minnie says to Raquel. “Tell her what we’ve heard about the Slaughter Brothers!”

“W-What did you do, p-pup?” Raquel asks, brown eyes wide. I shake my head and the wolf says, “Stupid h-hatchling. Scythe K-Kharkourous is a m-mob boss. His wolf b-brother is an enforcer. A h-hitman. They b-blackmail, extort, k-kill people in the u-underworld.”

“What?” I ask, horrified. But suddenly this isn’t a surprise.

Raquel and Minnie roll their eyes at me as if I’m a naïve idiot. “Iknowwhat goes on in the underground fighting rings,” I cry. “I’ve heard people making deals. Hell, my father is one of these people! I knew all of this, but it’s just… I’m at a loss for words because…”

Because I’d just dreamed this entire time that my mates were alright people.

“Because what?” Minnie asks.

I gulp because I can’t say anything. But perhaps I can tell them something that will make them understand why I have to leave. So I say, “They’re after me.”

Raquel’s eyes almost bug out of their head. “Is t-that why S-Savage j-jumped you?”

“He’s come in here to muck with our stuff too,” Minnie breathes.

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