Page 124 of Her Rabid Beasts

“Go in,”I say telepathically.“We haven’t got long. I’ll guard at the door.”

Sabrina nods and slips inside Titus’ room.

“Please don’t, my lord!” the wolf begs, whining without shame. “I’ll tidy them up into neat piles and?—”

Light erupts from the room as the wolf shouts in dismay. There’s a crackling, whooshing sound. An awful burnt smell hits my nose and I almost gag, but it’s gone in seconds, replaced by only the scent of burning.

“Done,” Xander snaps. “No point crying about it, wolf. Clean this up or I’m torching your ass next. Savage, we have an eavesdropper.”

My heart drops into my nether regions, and for a full second, I contemplate turning around and purely running. But my anima firmly refuses. The regina in me straight outrefusesto run from my mates and that tone of contempt Xander just used.

So when Xander and Savage stalk out of the room right at the end—guess which one has a malevolent sneer and which one is beaming?—I cross my arms and drop my invisibility.

“How did you know I was here?” I snap at Xander.

Although I can’t tell where exactly his glowing white eyes are focused at any one time, I just know the dragon is looking at me suspiciously up and down. I don’t care, I just need to give Sabrina time to find that laptop and leave at the same time as I do. I can’t put a shield precisely around her if I can’t see her.

It’s Savage who whoops with joy and jogs up to me, explaining, “Dragon-magic. Xander can do all sorts of nifty things.”

“Sorts of things I don’t like known,” Xander says disapprovingly as Savage bends down to wrap his arms around my waist. He straightens, bringing me up with him so my feet dangle and the length of my body is pressed right up against his rock hard one. I press my lips against his, half because I need to hide my grimace of pain, and half because I’m delaying to give Sabrina time.

“Are you here for me?” Savage asks, not letting me go and swinging me back and forth. “I missed you too.”

Inconveniently, Xander lingers, looking down at us with disapproval. His hair is loose today, the silken lengths hanging over both shoulders, the cords of his headphones just peeking through.

“Actually, no!” I say loudly, hoping Sabrina can hear me.

Savage grimaces and puts me down, sticking a finger in his ear and wiggling it around. “My hearing is very good, you know.”

“Sorry,” I say. “I’m looking for Minnie actually.”

“I’m not surprised she’s hiding from you with all your neediness,” Xander says snidely. “She’s not here anyway. Get out of the animus dorm.”

My heart drops a little at his swift dismissal, but I have to give it right back to him. “Animas are allowed in these dorms, Xander Drakos, though I’m sure none of them are here for the likes of your scaled ass. I’ve always meant to ask you about that actually.”

Savage intervenes just as Xander opens his mouth. “Ask him what?”

“If his ass is scaled,” I say smoothly. “Maybe that’s why nobody wants to see it, you know? They’re scared it’s super weird looking. Sort of like psoriasis.”

“They throw themselves at my feet,” Xander says, almost in disgust. “All fucking day and night. Both animas and animuses.”

I suddenly do remember the girl he set on fire when we first got to the academy. “The ones into sadists, maybe?” I shrug. “It’s the only plausible explanation.”

Xander leans down to get closer to me and growls with restrained anger, “You ever heard the phrase, ‘don’t poke the dragon?’”

“You ever heard the phrase, ‘don’t be a cunt?’”

Xander’s eyes flicker red for a moment before Savage chuckles and grabs my hand, tugging me down the corridor. “That’s a rude word coming from a princess.”

The dragon stalks after us, his mouth twisted in annoyance, his shoulders stiff.

“I know plenty more if you want to hear them,” I say sweetly. “Lots of dirty words in my repertoire.”

“Is that because you frequent unsavoury sort of places?” Xander drawls. “You’d fit right in with the bottom dwellers of this school, serpent girl.”

“So would you, pretty boy.” I smile at him and my silly anima preens her feathers.

The dragon makes a rude noise as we pass Titus’ door.

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