Page 34 of Her Tortured Beasts

I exhale heavily in irritation before tearing away from his unrelenting stare. “Fine.”

The wolves are prowling out of the house now, ready with their cargo. Savage points at the nature strip. There, the other wolves carry the wooden pole, tied to which is the dead, bloodied body of the serpent, ready for display.

We may not have permission to rescue our regina, but wecanslaughter our way through Mace Naga’s court until he has no choice but to surrender her back to us.

Chapter 19

Xander

9 to 5 — Dolly Parton

Ifold the newspaper and set it beside my empty breakfast plate.

“My lord.” The family butler stands at my side, bowing over a silver tray, holding an A5 black envelope.

I would recognise that scent anywhere, in any life. My magical sight tells me Savage has left me a present in that envelope. Something nasty.

My own nasty smile grows on my lips as I take the envelope. Rising from my chair, I excuse myself and take the thing outside. Sissy casts a worried look my way, but Father merely continues reading his newspaper, and Mother sips at her usual health tonic. The thing smells disgusting, but if it helps her as my music does, she needs to keep drinking it.

I stride as far away from the parlour room as possible before impatience gets the better of me and I tear it open.

Inside are photos printed with great care on glossy photo paper. There’s dried blood smeared on some of them and the remnants of a thumbprint, which I can tell is Savage’s. Thephotos were also taken by Savage because they focus on just the right things. I hope he cleaned his phone afterward, but know full well that he didn’t.

A cracked open skull here, the loop of a small bowel there. Serpents stuck on a wooden pike right on the nature strip of various suburban streets.

If my ex-brothers had learned anything from me, it was old school dramatics. The message, the threat, is clear.

You’re next.

None of this had madeAnimalia Today,or any news outlet of course, and no doubt the Council of Beasts retrieval teams are stalking at a distance, taking down the bodies before any humans spot them and ring their own police. But these beastswantto create havoc. They want to destroy and maim. Everything in their blood is telling them to do so.

I pocket the photos before getting out my phone and doing my hourly on the various security cameras around the estate, including the closed-circuit ones. The last one makes my lip twitch in disgust. The Spawn is in its dark cell, gnawing at her own arm with two long fangs. It bleeds freely from the wound. I’ve been watching it daily, and until now, it hasn’t done anything I’d consider mad.

With great annoyance, because I have a great many other things to do, including planning a wedding, I storm down there, where the basilisk is no doubt wreaking hell.

When I arrive, the team of reptilian scientists are indeed swarming, while the basilisk lord sits in a chair too small for him, leaning back with his hands behind his head as if he’s on a beach holiday.

“You’ve ruined her,” I snarl.

“Not yet, my lord,” Solomon says in a resigned voice. “She is proving stubborn to our attempts.”

“Take her out,” I command.

Ghoul finally turns his head to regard me. “No.” And then into my head, he says,“She started a heat yesterday and we tried an experimental drug. It’s enhanced her natural heat. Take her out now and you risk chaos in this place.”

It’s annoying hearing his voice in my head. We may no longer be bond-brothers but we are still mythic shifters that have telepathy. But I have to fight fire with fire so reply in same.“I thought you had a fetish for chaos.”

Ghoul smirks, flashing his fangs, knowing he has me. Spawn’s heat scent would send all the unmated males into a frenzy. With our bond in tatters, I have no idea what effect that would have on me, but I’m guessing I would be subjected to the same heat scent as every other unmated male.

“She has the power to conceal her scent,”I mentally remind him. Out loud, I say, “I don’t care what drugs or games you’re playing. You are not damaging my property.”

“Think about it, though,” Ghoul says loudly. “If she’s slightly”—he pinches his fingers together—“insane, she’ll be easy to breed. That’s how the pros do it.”

Solomon shrugs with a nod, as if he agrees. “It would be easier if she were compliant with all things. The conception ritual, for example.”

I stare at them before sneering, “Oh, and that worked with Athena Boneweaver, did it?”

Solomon’s neck turns red.

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