Page 79 of Her Feral Beasts

I stiffen because how the fuck does he know that I don’t want to sit so close to him? What do I even say to that?

“I sit down all the time.”

He chooses to ignore that stupid, idiotic comment and gets to his feet. “Let’s go.” Grabbing a big black phone from his desk, he pockets it and nods to the door behind me. I turn and go right back out, heading towards the elevator, Henry making soothing sounds in my ear.

Ifeelhim behind me. Like the midday sun, his heat warms my back, his fresh paper and male musk scent wafting around me. I want to wrap myself in it like I’m a letter inside an envelope and if Lyle could lick me shut, I’d be the happiest woman on earth. My anima slinks around my body, extremely happy we’re going somewhere with this lion.

I realise I can’t even blame Georgia for having the hots for him.

We get into the elevator without the guards and I suddenly realise how huge this man is. He takes up the whole space and I press myself up against the steel side wall to avoid touching him and grab Henry from my shoulder just for something to do. The space between my legs throbs mournfully.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

It’s a chant, a prayer to the Wild Goddess for my sanity.

My anima is so desperate for my mates’ touch that it’s going off with a hair trigger at any man! Combine that with no underwear, and my labia are suddenly gliding along as I hurry out of the elevator.

I’m swearing so much internally that I don’t realise he’s asked me a question.

“Pardon?”

From his considerable height, he looks down at me in disapproval as he leads me outside. He opens the glass door with a flick of his telekinetic fingers, and holds it open for me as if the whole thing is dull.

He only pretends to be a gentleman. He’s a real barbarian underneath.

“How was your week?” he asks.

“Great. Lots of fun.” It’s not a lie because Minnie and my new friends are a hoot and successfully distract me from my awful plight. Lyle makes a sound of disapproval. Is he ever happy? Will his face split in two if he smiles? Hell, I’d probably split in two if he— I’m losing it, so I talk business. “I’d like to talk about what to expect at the trial.”

“We have time for that later,” he says dismissively. “I need to see the type of person you are. You need to prove yourself to me.”

These statements suddenly feel extremely intimate. Prove myself? I’ve spent the last seven years trying to prove to myself and my father that I didn’t deserve to be cast out. Bastard. I change the subject.

“I need access to the Village for emergency reasons.”

“And what is the nature of thisemergency?” I can actually hear the air quotes in his voice. His arrogance knows no bounds.

“Women’s issues.” That usually gets men to stop asking questions in movies. But apparently, Lyle is not a regular man—he has evenmoreaudacity.

“You can get sanitary products for free from the medical wing.”

“Ah, yes. I know. Great idea. Innovative.”

“So then, what is it?”

“I, um…”

He stops abruptly and turns to look at me. I actually pull to a stop and cross my arms. In the beast world, for a beast to do that is an antagonistic stance, indicating they are threatened, and remembering this, I uncross my arms, huffing at my misfortune.Wild Mother, help me.

“I need clothes.”

He pointedly looks at my dress.

I bite the bullet. “I need underwear. Mine are gone.”

Lyle stops breathing. I know, because a moment before, his shoulders moved dramatically up and down. After a second, his amber eyes seem to glow as he says, “What do you mean,gone?”

I shrug, avoiding his gaze, having no intention of telling him about my thief. “I seem to have lost them.”

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