Page 84 of Her Feral Beasts

Connor catches on immediately and pulls Minnie away. “We eat together,” he says hastily. “Another time, Ashy.”

Ashton frowns but says nothing more, stalking off back to his table where he’s met with stifled laughter.

“I like your hair,” comes another deep voice. This time, we turn to find three wolves eyeing us from their front-row table. They are all over six feet with five o’clock shadows in the way this pack likes to present themselves. The one who spoke has a nose ring and says, “Wait… Aurelia, right?”

I force a smile. “That’s me.”

They’re silent for a moment and I realise they’re having a telepathic conversation with each other. Then, abruptly, they turn back in their seats away from me. “Sorry, uh… nevermind.”

Sabrina makes a disgusted sound. “Pussies.”

The males freeze and my stomach drops in my gut as I fight the urge to smack the leopard. All three males immediately turn back around. “What did you just say?” The leader’s voice is low and dangerous.

“Ignore her,” Minnie says quickly. “She was talking to me.”

“No she fucking wasn’t.” His nostrils flare and he points a dirt-ridden finger at me. “Savage claimed you already. We’re not going anywhere near you.”

My mouth drops open as they get up and move away from us. “Wait, what?”

Minnie says. “No they didn’t!”

The wolves don’t say anything as they leave, heading to the far side of the dining hall.

Raquel, standing behind me, clears their throat. “Uh, you d-don’t remember w-when you were on the g-grass, naked, and Savage l-lay on top of you? In wolf-language, that’s a c-claiming. As far as all t-the wolves in this place are c-concerned, you’re the k-king wolf’s p-property.” They shrug. “We have a t-telepathic notice b-board.”

I stared at her for a moment as the memory of Savage’s giant, terrifying black wolf’s face hung over me, his powerful body warm on top of mine, his scent heady and intoxicating. Within the context of being kidnapped, I thought he was just detaining me. Apparently, I was wrong. Wolves are the most social order, and their unwritten social rules are followed by the book. Savage, being considered the strongest wolf here, means that no wolf is going to challenge his claim.

“Shit, I’ll have to up my game,” I mutter. So attention from the wolves is out, but screw them, there are plenty of other beasts here.

Raquel gives me an incredulous look, but I’m determined as all hell.

We get our breakfasts—bacon and eggs for me, Minnie gets an acai bowl—and we head to our table where Raquel sits down with their massive stack of pancakes.

“H-How are we going t-to get anything done with a-all this?” Raquel waves their fork to indicate the staring males on every side.

Minnie scopes out the hall. “They’renot here yet.”

“I-I’m sure we’ll know w-when they get h-here,” Raquel says darkly.

Sure enough, halfway through my scrambled eggs, I feel them. The proximity of my mates advances like a blazing fire sweeping through dry brush. It’s at once terrifying and alluring. And just like a bushfire, its smoke makes my breath seize in my throat.

My entire body shivers and I rub at my bare thighs. Minnie, sitting opposite me, notices right away and she nods at the entrance to the hall. Raquel, Minnie and Connor on the side of the table that can see the entrance, all stiffen.

“Don’t turn around,” Connor advises firmly. “Stay strong, Lia. They can’t hurt you.”

I nod gratefully at him, apparently the only one with any sense in our group because Sabrina and Stacey turn around to look.

The lioness swears and I breathe deeply to contain the butterflies flapping up a hurricane in my abdomen. Ilovemy outfit and they’re not going to ruin my day. In fact, their reactions willmakemy day. That’s one point for me and no points for them. I’m the top dog on this leaderboard.

Breathe. Just fucking breathe, Aurelia.

The dining hall falls quiet in the wake of their entrance. As if someone is turning down the volume knob and turning up the tension one. The room was positively rowdy just moments before, but now it’s reduced to a tense muttering as the male beasts avoid eye contact to be respectful.

Within moments, theycome into my view.

They walk down the centre aisle with a cloud of darkness shrouding them. I swear no one in the hall breathes or blinks as they make their way to their usual table with Scythe in the lead, prowling with his plate of raw fish. None of them so much as look my way, and I don’t look up from my food until they are well past our table.

But my anima, now a force greater than me, shoves my head up to look upon them: three of the other parts of my being.

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