Page 128 of Her Psycho Beasts

Underneath the sick and morbid grey, the American eagle’s aura is fiery for an avian. He has strength enough to live on andplot revenge for his flock. There is no fell spot of grey indicating deception or falsehood in him.

“It will take some time to set up his demise,” I warn. “Taking down a crime lord this big takes considerable effort.”

“However long it takes,” Beak says, his fists clenched. “I can hold out for years if it means at the end of this, Charles Halfeather is completely destroyed.”

“Swear to me.” I take my cigarette case from my pocket. “Swear your allegiance to me, stay undercover at Halfeather’s, and I will see your revenge done.”

“You have my loyalty,” Beak says ferociously, dropping to his knees and holding out his tanned, untattooed hand. “And I’ll pretend to remain loyal to him.”

I decide then that I will find Beak a new regina. A bird of prey who is missing her flock that he could learn to love and cherish like he did his real regina. A woman worthy of him and his strength.

Chapter 65

Aurelia

That afternoon, Scythe stalks into the pack dorms where I’m spending time with Minnie and asks to see me privately.

My heart pounds as it always does when he fixes his gaze upon me.

“I’ve instructed Theresa to take Sabrina to The Lily Sanctuary, with Blade and Blair as a security escort. Have you heard of it?”

“Of course,” I blurt out. Everyone knows about The Lily Sanctuary. It’s the state’s premier mental health facility for animalia. A state-of-the-art complex with the best health professionals and rehabilitation programs. There was huge buzz about it when it was first built less than a year ago.

He nods. “It’s…mine.”

“Pardon?” I choke.

An unexpected, very male smirk just manages to curve the edges of his perfect mouth. I feel so lucky that I get to see it. “Yes, ma’am.”

If he calls me ma’am again I might come. And because my brain is truly frazzled, I repeat my words in staccato like a complete idiot. “It’s. Yours?”

“I want to show you what I built. Would that be okay?”

He wants to show me what he built. By the ever-loving gods. The Lily Sanctuary. He’d named it after his mother. Why didn’t I pick up on that before?

“Yes!” I blurt out loudly. Clearing my throat, I say a much quieter, “Yes.”

He pretends not to notice me losing it. “Sabrina will leave by car this evening, but I want you on dragon-back in half an hour.”

Every word out of his mouth is like honey to my eardrums. I try not to look like I’m melting onto the floor when I nod and we head back to our suite to get warm clothes.

After dark, we meet on the roof of the animus dorms. After making us wait yet again, Xander stalks up there like a beast ready for murder. Smoke streams from his nostrils as he explodes into his dragon-form, making me jump back in fright. Scythe shoulders a backpack as he helps me up the wooden ladder to Xander’s back, before setting it aside and disappearing. I panic for a moment before feeling a cold wave of energy behind me as he walks up Xander’s back and settles himself behind me. Wrapping his arms around my upper stomach, just under the underwire of my bra, he pulls me close.

“Sleep if you need to,” he says into my ear.

My toes curl from the tingles wracking my body. From theneed.“Not a chance. I like seeing the v?—”

Xander leaps up into the air in powerful thrust and my sentence ends in a blood-curdling scream. It’s only once we soar through the protective dome and level out that I can breathe again.

“Asshole!” I scream, slapping his hard, black scales and, of course, hurting my hand in the process.

And he probably didn’t even notice.

Scythe leans his chin lightly on the crown of my head and it suddenly makes everything seem better.

Two hours later, I’m admiring the lights of the city when The Lily Sanctuary comes into view. It’s the size of a big hospital: a complex with multiple levels, wings, and a helipad painted with a black dragon. Red and blue flashing lights mark ambulances sitting stationary at one of the entrances.

So they even have an emergency department.

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