Page 162 of Her Rabid Beasts

Lyle asks in a tight voice that makes me stare at him, “Canyou control your powers, Aurelia?”

I see it in his eyes. He’s thinking about his school. His other students. If I’m a danger to them. If he will have to protect them fromme.

When everything I’ve done was to protect my friends, the unfairness of it tears at my heart. The wet wounds on my stomach burn incessantly like an echo of my mad efforts.

“What?” I step away from Savage. “Yes, Yes, I can. Of course. I’ve been in control this entire time.”

Xander snorts. “Have you? Then what was that you did to your so-called best friend?”

My words get stuck in my throat. I’d used my mating mark shield to protect myself from the very males standing before me.

Savage steps forward “She just needs to learn?—”

“She needs a fucking muzzle!” Xander cries.

“Shut the fuck up, Xander,” Savage growls, stepping in front of me like he can defend me from the rest of them. “I love her the way she is. Dangerous and all.”

Xander moves his head like he’s rolling his eyes and leans back into the armchair.

“I didn’t mean to do that to Minnie,” I say firmly. “I don’t care if you don’t believe me, Lyle. I don’t fucking care ifanyof you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you, regina,” Savage says helpfully.

“I believe you about your intentions,” Lyle sighs. “But others might not be so understanding. I’ve spoken to Minnie, and she wants space. She wants to get to know Yeti better and come to terms with all of this.”

I swallow against the memory of Minnie’s face. “I understand. She told me to leave the dorm.”

Savage sighs, putting his arm around me and resting his chin on my head. “Come and stay with me, regina. I’ve wanted you with me forever.”

“I’ve allocated Minnie and Yeti a room in the pack-dorms,” Lyle says. “That way, she’s far from Titus.”

“And far from me,” I complete for him.

It makes me want to curl up into a ball and hide at the way asking this question makes me feel, but I do it anyway. “Can’t I stay here?”

Lyle straightens, a small crease forming between his brows, and my heart stutters. I know the answer. I’ve always known it.

“No.” It’s firm and strong and made of something stronger than steel. And then he continues in that way of his, unyielding. unbreakable. “We’ve done this for too long. We’ve had our fun. Now it’s time to go back to normal.”

“Ourfun?” I repeat with disgust. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“You should not have come here and you know it. Have you forgotten that youstillhave an order out for your execution? That atanymoment, the council can decide to overrule the injunction?”

It’s a low blow and by the way Savage growls, he thinks so too.

I blink at him, my fists clenching as I try with every ounce of willpower not to let the tears spill. “Where else would I have gone?” My voice rises to a shrill cry, “Where the fuck else would I have gone where people don’t want to kill me at everyfuckingturn?”

Savage’s arms tighten around me, like he can hold me together with his strength.

“Where any other student would have gone, Miss Aquinas,” Lyle grits out, stepping towards me. “To Sabrina and Raquel’s room, or to Stacey’s room.”

I stand there, staring at him, my body still, my bones rattling. This is really him kicking me out of here.

Kicking me out of his life. Forever.

It stings like a hot barb pressed into my chest. But I will not buckle before him. I refuse.

“So that’s it then?” I ask, breathing heavily against the oncoming storm that’s about to wrack my body.

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