Page 7 of Her Psycho Beasts

“The crime lords deal with our own business. We do not involve the council. You should know that.”

Shit. Yes, I should. “Right. So then what?”

“Leave it with me.”

I stare at him blankly. He stares right back. I suddenly realise I’ve been on my knees before his towering form for the last minute. Hastily, I get up. “What about Savage? We need to do something about him too.”

The corner of his mouth twitches—actually twitches like he’s about to smirk. “I’m sure my little brother is having the time of his life.”

Chapter 3

Savage

I’d like to think I’m a positive sort of person. Xander calls me delusional, but Scythe calls me spirited.

Whatever it is, it’s the only thing that helps me now, as I’m speeding away from the best thing in my life. My regina. Aurelia Boneweaver.

The armoured truck rumbles beneath my bare feet, a monster made of metal, specially built to hold monsters made of flesh, just like me.

I’m bound to an upright gurney, tied down Hannibal Lecter style, with obsidian chains so tight that I have zero wiggle room. I have a muzzle on and a spit hood over that. I can’t see much beyond the hood, but I can sure feel them.

My new guards.

They’d been waiting in the nearby town. Ruben and the council had called them to stand by so it wouldn’t rouse Lyle’s suspicion. Once I’d let the academy guards take me into the prison transport vehicle, they’d rumbled off only to stop in town and swap the guards over.

Six beasts in tactical gear now surround me, their rifles pointing at my chest and head. I’d once called the academy guards, with their gaiters and cattle prods, cute.TheseareBlackwater Penitentiary guards, with all the pretty bells and whistles to deal with unhinged monsters.

I’d sort of missed the drama of it, you know? Theseriousness. The laser-pointing rifles, the claw-proof uniforms…the slam of a baton against your skull.

I flex my toes in excitement, because that’s the only part of my body I can move, while humming the new song I’m making for my sweet regina.

“My regina, with teeth so sharp, is better than yours,

My regina, with her leathery skin, is better than paws,

She’s a sweety chompy-pie,

For her, I’d gladly die…”

“Will someone shut him up?” says one guard.

The rear end of a rifle slams into my gut and I let out an “Oof.”

But it can’t ruin my mood.

You see, the cinematic vision of Aurelia shifting from a tiny bird into her saltwater croc form is playing on a loop in my mind. What a stunning perfect beast she is inanyform.

I’d told her that you sometimes need to walk right into danger to get what you want. Well, a good animus leads by example for his regina.

I want to show her just what me and my brothers are capable of.

Eight hours later, we drive into Blackwater Federal Penitentiary for Naughty Beasts. We stopped every two hours for the guards to pee, according to their rules, but because I’m not allowed to move,I’vehad to pee into a bottle each time.

Barbaric people, these guards.

Eventually, the convoy of three trucks trundles through all five gates, right into the bowels of the place that reeks deliciously of feral male, violence, and blood. A perfume for my own heart.

Creaking to a stop, everyone gets out to prepare for my entry.

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