Page 160 of Her Rabid Beasts

“I know you do,” Lyle says evenly. “So do I. They’ve had enough time.”

The door to my left opens a crack and I scent leopard and wolf, as well as wet hair and shampoo.

“We’re coming too!” Sabrina says, stomping out of her dorm.

They’ve been taking turns cuddling with Minnie in bed. But we don’t talk about it because it makes Yeti punch the wall to hear of his regina being shared with others, even if they’re animas. Stacey made a glittery, colour-coded roster and stuck it on the dorm door so we can all see whose turn it is to be with Minnie while the others sleep and eat. They haven’t been going to classes, which Lyle isn’t happy about, but he lets it slide.

Lets it slide because this has never happened in his academy before. I also jump to my feet, pumped to finally see my regina again.

Chapter 68

Aurelia

Eugene’s future-warning squawk from Minnie’s purple armchair wakes me from my doze. I check on Minnie, who’s nestled safely in my arms, when a soft but commanding knock comes at the door. They don’t wait before opening it.

Light from the corridor spills into the darkened room. We’ve had the curtains closed the entire time because Minnie cringes whenever we open them.

“Let her grieve!” I bark hoarsely when I recognise the large figures outside.

Gertie and Henry chirp in agreement where they sit on the pillow above my head.

“It’s been three days,” Lyle says patiently as he stalks inside. His mating mark gleams through the dark and his scent fills my nose like perfume. “Minnie needs to eat. Her kidneys need water.”

“Theresa and I have been monitoring that,” I mutter, stroking Minnie’s hair off her forehead where she rests against my chest. In truth, Iamworried. Minnie won’t drink water and her kidney function is starting to show signs of being affected. She hardly has any urine in her bladder.

“Then you know,” Lyle says. “She needs to get up. That she needs her mate.”

Something in my stomach lurches. Lyle told us all that Yeti is Minnie’s mate. That whatever power suppressing Minnie’s mating mark meant Yeti couldn’t see it as well. The moment I took off Minnie’s secret mating mark shield, Yeti knew. And then went through subsequent hell.

‘Whatever power’ being me and my good-for-nothing ass. I’m responsible for Yeti’s torment, too. I owe him… Is an apology even good enough? No. It never will be. Nothing I can say will fix this mess I’ve made.

I deserve to rot in hell. I deserve the pain life has dealt me so far.

But Minnie stirs then. “Yeti?” Her coarse whisper almost breaks me.

It aches to hear her voice sound so fragile. She’s been speaking in single words for the past day and I’m hoping that means she’s almost ready to get up.

“I’m here!” Yeti calls. His deep voice sounds frantic and desperate, completely the opposite of the beast who escorted us for trial at Scythe’s court. “Minnie!”

“Don’t bring him in here,” I call. “Until Minnie says.”

“I can speak for myself now.” Minnie’s voice is barely a breath. She clears her throat. “Let us clean up,” she says to Lyle, rubbing her eyes. “We will be out shortly.”

Lyle nods and turns back around. The door clicks shut and I swear I hear more than one sigh of relief.

“Well, I’m impressed,” I say, carefully extracting myself from Minnie’s bed. “I would’ve—well, I don’t even know what I would’ve done.”

Minnie smiles without humour. “I need help with my hair. I… I want to look nice. Can you call Sabrina?”

“Girlfriend,” I say gently, “you can have whatever the fuck you want. Let’s call the team and we’ll get right to it.”

“Not you.”

I freeze, cold fingers raking through my stomach. Through my spine. Through my world. “What?”

“You heard me,” Minnie says quietly, not meeting my eye. “I know what you did. To me.”

The backs of my eyes burn as I register Minnie’s stiff shoulders, the darkness beneath her eyes. The darkness in her voice.

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