Page 95 of Her Feral Beasts

But I point blankrefuseto see my plans foiled yet again.

My war is with the king wolf and no one else. I sidle up to the buffet, fully aware of the three monsters already seated at their usual table.

“He’s s-seen you,” Raquel mutters. “The look on his f-face is actually s-scary.”

My heart leaps in my chest. “It’s alright,” I say mostly to myself, focusing on ladeling maple syrup onto my pancakes.

I don’t even get to the end of the buffet line when someone clears his throat behind me. I turn around to see a pimply-faced wolf no older than eighteen. He’s in double denim with an eyebrow ring and nervously looks at his own feet.

“Um, Miss Aquinas?” he says to the floor. “Mr Fengari says you have to come sit by him now.”

My eyes flick up to Savage.

He’s brutally handsome with his fresh fade, the almost-black curls at the top of his head arranged perfectly. He’s wearing a black singlet, which shows off all his tattoos and muscles, completed with a heavy gold chain. He’s never looked more like a cage fighter, so it looks like he came in ready for battle. The scariest thing is on his face, though: a wolfish grin that shows all his teeth and tells me he’sthatfurious.

“Well, you can tellMr Fengarithat I cordially decline.” I turn away from the boy and proceed to saunter to my table with the animas close behind me.

Raquel mutters expletives while Minnie gives a small, “You tell him, Lia!”

Connor joins us with a nervous laugh, and he’s wearing shiny red heels and black hot pants, making his long legs look amazing.

I feel Savage in my head before he speaks, and it’s like a mean black cloud of shadow looming over me.“Oh, my regina.”His laugh is cruel.“I’m going to make your life hell.”

The challenge makes something definitely not human in me claw at my insides. Maybe it’s the fact that I have a tribunal in less than two weeks that’s sending me batshit crazy, or the collective, feral smell of arousal in the air, but I decide that I’ve had enough. He thinkshehas power?

I’ll show him fucking power.

I slam down my scent shield with abang.

The girls sense the change first and glance at me warily, but it’s only Minnie who asks, “Lia, what just happened?”

Okay, so I might have forgotten that my friends can smell me now too. Oh well, mess is made.

“It’s all right, Min.” I’m trying to sound confident so they don’t question me as we sit down.

It takes a minute for my scent to get all the way to the other side of the hall, but I know when it hits them. Scythe turns around to stare at me first, his gaze narrowed. Xander’s dark brows furrow over his closed eyes, then his face morphs into something that resembles pain.

But it’s Savage who shoots to his feet, eyes trained viciously on me. I stiffen and realise that maybe I’ve made a mistake in playing this game. The beasts around him visibly flinch away and I’m surprised when I hear his dark voice in my head.

“Come here, regina.”There’s power behind that command and it makes me gulp.

I also can’t believe he’s calling me that name now, so I just ignore him and focus on my pancakes with the determination of a soldier in the trenches.

“Um, Lia?” Minnie says quickly, clearly panicking.

“Yeah?”

“They’re coming over. Like, all of them.”

My head whips up. Sure enough, theirentiregroup is stalking over to us, the three monsters, plus their team of wolves and felines. My heart turns to ice, and that’s when the real panic sets in. I look around and suddenly realise the only two guards here are the two bears. Their employees.

The nimpins start clucking with worry.

“We need to go!” Raquel hisses.

“Let them come,” Sabrina says breezily. “I like the look of one of the wolves.”

I nod stiffly.

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