Page 13 of Her Rabid Beasts

“Pipe down, mouse,” I command irritably. “But this is just what wefuckingneed.” I gesture to the lot of them, lying there, useless lumps of fur and teeth.

Minnie flinches at the anger and I can’t be bothered feeling bad about it.

“Let’s go,” I say to my brother. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

“I’m staying.”Savage plonks himself down on the stone floor like he’s keeping guard, his tail wagging as his eyes are fixed predatorily on the lioness who still hasn’t raised her head from her paws.

Thatsoundaround the Boneweaver girl is giving me a headache, audible even through my music.

“Fine,” I snap. “But don’t come crying to me when Lyle comes down here and starts barking orders.”

Annoyed bestial noises trail me as I climb back into the boat. I flip them all off and light a fresh joint with a finger flame.

Chapter 6

Savage

The next morning, I wake up to the annoying sound of the animas and nimpins squeaking, groaning, and yawning as they shift back into their human forms and rummage around for their clothes.

I keep my eyes closed because their complaining is traumatic enough without me seeing their naked bodies, too.

“Oh, I’m starving,” Stacey says through a yawn. “Let’s bring food down here next time.”

“And drinks,” Connor grumbles. “Preferably alcohol.”

“And pillows!” Minnie pipes. “Shit. I’ve done something to my neck.”

Raquel chuckles because us feral wolves are used to sleeping in groups like this in our beast forms. I crack open a lid to find my regina watching the other animas and nimpins as they get ready to leave. She didn’t sleep all that much last night. I know because I was watching her blinking eyes the entire time. Her power fizzles around the cavern, sort of like Coke shaken in a can. It tickles the inside of my nose.

“Is she safe with him here?” Sabrina jerks her chin at me as if I’m an unwanted parasite.

The growl that comes from my lungs is a knee-jerk reaction, and I don’t even feel bad when they give each other startled looks. All of them except for Minnie. The little tigress stares me down with narrowed eyes and then shakes her finger at me like a witch from a fairytale.

“Don’t youdaredo anything stupid while we’re gone, Savage.”

I blink my wolf eyes innocently at her.“Like what?”

“Like trying to blow up the building,” she snaps back. “Yeah, your broadcast reached us last night.”

I turn my head away from her dismissively because Iwon’tapologise for trying to get to my regina.

“Lia c-can h-handle herself,” says Raquel firmly.

We all swivel our heads to look at my feline princess.

I don’t realise that I’m crawling closer to her on my belly until she lets out a rumble of warning.

A thrill shoots through me and I want to defy her—push her limits and see what she does.

“She’s just been saved from a death sentence, Savage,” Minnie stresses at me. “She needs space and time to process all the shit that’s happened.” Then her voice turns accusatory. “Includingwhen you guys?—”

I’ve shifted to human form and am on my feet in an instant, snarling at Minnie. The animas all jump back and the nimpins flinch. “Don’t even say it!” I snarl. “This is between me and my regina and my pack. Get the fuck out of here and let me talk to her alone.”

But a sound of rabid aggression erupts from the nest. Lia is on her paws, her lioness’ body angled and snarling towards me. Her long white incisors are bared, her whiskers twitching. She takes a single step towards me.

The sound of her angry growl, her open threat towards me, shakes me to my core. I pant in shock, going still as she stares me down with those amazing blue eyes.

As shocked as I am that another beast dares to warn me, threaten me, my cock twitches at the sight of her.

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