Page 99 of Her Psycho Beasts

A low stone ceiling replaces the open area we just dropped in and the cackling madman pursues us still.

Eugene’s crow is hoarse this time and he stutters, ending in a croak.

“I knew I should have brought the manuka honey!” Savage says angrily. “If only you could turn into a rooster, Lia!”

“I’m not that kind of Boneweaver!” Aurelia retorts. “Why don’tyougive it a go?”

“Don’t,” Scythe warns as Savage takes a deep, meaningful inhale.

“We need to stop this!” I cry angrily.

“Face us like a man!” Savage roars over his shoulder. “And let’s fucking see how well this turns out!”

“Tick, tock. Tick, tock,” a sinister voice resounds. “Time is running out.”

Aurelia stiffens in my arms as we come to a diverging path.

“Left!” Scythe shouts.

I oblige the shark’s instincts and push my human legs further while my body demands that I shift and deal with the threat. Just as I’m thinking it might be worth doing that, two ancient wooden doors appear ahead.

Doors.

Sprinting right through them, I shout out to my brothers, turning around. Savage runs through with Eugene, and when Scythe sprints inside, he slams the doors shut behind him as I skid to a stop. Aurelia jumps out of my arms and I fling out my hands to add telekinetic resistance to the door.

The wood shudders before rattling fiercely. The hinges creak and I grunt, holding my power steady against the powerful onslaught.

Rattling fills the air, louder and louder still, as the wooden door bows. My power strains in my grip, the opposing forces pushing, pushing, pushing harder still.

My match. He could very well?—

The door flinches, a long crack appearing in the middle. My telekinesis might hold up, but the old door won’t.

And then Aurelia screams, with all the rage of a woman who’s truly had enough. “STOP!”

The rattling abruptly and definitively, ceases.

We all stare at the door. Silence presses on my skin and the door remains still. A minute ticks by as we hold our breaths.

Finally, Savage sighs, sagging to the floor with a quivering Eugene.

Aurelia presses her hand to her ear again—no, not to her ear, I realise, but the side of her neck. She is sweating, visibly shaken, blinking hard at the floor.

“Angel,” I say, reaching for her.

“No.” She moves out of my reach, and a sharp pain pierces my primal core.

“I just need a second.”

She turns around, facing away from the three of us, her hands on her hips, breathing hard.It’s alright,I tell my beast,she just needs a moment to process this.

After a moment, Savage whispers, “Regina.”

“Eugene,” Aurelia says instead.

The bird immediately flies over to her and she catches him in her arms, holding him close to her chest, her head bowed. Jealousy tears through me and I close my eyes as I catch my breath, trying to focus on convincing my rabid lion to not tear this entire place down. Aurelia whispers something to Eugene that I can’t hear.

“Which way now?” Savage mutters, wiping at his forehead. “He’s probably led us in the completely wrong direction.”

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