Page 27 of Her Vicious Beasts: The Beginning
The silk of the dress is beautiful, with tiny, barely there straps and a swooping back that comes down low. In any othersituation, I would havelovedthis dress. It somehow hugs my curves in the most perfect way. It’s the nicest thing I’ve worn in seven years and makes me look like a real woman.
It’s as if it comes from a family who loves their daughter. Father is probably trying to create the illusion of it—of my value. Just for a moment, I stand in front of my mirror, look at myself, and can see someone else. Someone who is going to marry her mates in a dress given to her by loving parents. There’d be black and red roses on my side of the family and every colour of flowers under the sun for my mates. Wolves, sharks and dragons would be at my imagined wedding. There’d be an extraordinary variety of foods; raw fish for Scythe’s family and a spit roast for the wolves. Wealthy and respected members of the community would be excited to see the serpent bride and her five grooms.
Trixie makesoohingsounds, running her hand down the long train, and it snaps me back to reality.
Aunt Charlotte makes a noise in the back of her throat, her red lips twisting as she looks at me. My cheeks are wet and I hastily wipe at them. “Halfeather will be happy and that’s all that matters,” she says quietly, almost to herself. “Now, what should we do with all this unruly hair of yours?”
Chapter 18
Aurelia
We arrive at Halfeather’s mansion in the serpents’ Mercedes, with my hair in a fancy up-do and Trixie in a poofy flower girl’s dress complete with a slick ballerina bun. I hadn’t been allowed to bring my phone, nor my wallet, or anything at all. Charlotte had merely put a diamond choker—a gift from Halfeather—on me, shoved flats on my feet—Halfeather is too short for heels to be a good look—and pushed me inside the waiting car where Uncle Ron and Uncle Ben avoided my gaze.
I get out carefully, my nipples fully peaked and visible in the chill breeze, and I have to suppress the urge to rub them flat. What a fucking mess. My heart pounds in my ears as Trixie takes my hand, batting her eyelashes at me, thebride. In a mild panic, I search the mansion as if I’ll find friends here.
It’s as if I’m seeing the place for the first time and the polished Grecian pillars are now the ugly bars to the cage of matrimony. This is to be my new residence. My new prison.
Beak and Scuff greet us at the door with grim faces. Beak won’t look at me at all, and the tight leash I’ve been keeping on my fourth shield slips.
I might have done it on purpose, but I won’t let myself think of why. Savage appears at my side, bursting with questions. Scythe and Xander stride out of the mansion a second later, trying not to be obvious about their eyes taking me in from head to toe—or more likely, head to nipples. I work hard to ignore them all and focus on following Beak and my uncles inside.
“That’s a pretty dress, princess,” Savage drawls, but his voice is tight. “You were pretty rude shutting us out— Oh fucking hell.”
Savage notices my father waiting in the entrance hall.
The Serpent King stands, tall and menacing, an aura of dark power about his body, and barely looks at me. He kisses Charlotte on both cheeks and nods his satisfaction at her getting me here. Trixie skips up to him and he kisses her possessively on the head.
She is a princess of his court, of course she gets royal treatment. A spear of jealously hits me, and I’m immediately ashamed of being jealous of a child.
“Father,” I say in what I hope is a cold, imperious voice. “We need to talk.”
Savage and the males go quiet next to me and I can feel them there, almost flanking me like guards. But that was just my anima reaching—looking for people on my side when there aren’t any.
“We do not need to talk, Aurelia,” he replies coldly. His eyes flash in warning and a hint of shadow coils around his hand. “Your marriage to Halfeather happens now.” He’ll use his snake on me here, I know it. He won’t care if anyone sees. Obedience is all that matters to him, and back-talk can get me in serious trouble.
I think about it for a moment, my eyes darting around to see if I have any exits.
“Not so strong now, snake girl?” Xander’s snide voice comes in my ear and I want to cry. “You’re going to be a plaything forthis old eagle. I wonder if he’ll let you out of your cage a few times a year?”
Biting the inside of my cheek before I completely lose it, I stalk forward. My arms are still crossed because I don’t want Beak and every male beast in this room to see my nipples still taut from a chill that has nothing to do with the temperature of the room.
Silently, I follow the group, with Beak, Scuff, and my mates close behind me. My blood is pounding in my ears as we reach a new room, a sort of drawing room on the ground floor. We stop outside as my father strides in, followed by Charlotte, Uncle Ben, Uncle Ron, and Trixie, who skips through as if this is actually a wedding procession. My stomach churns, and I glance over my shoulder.
Savage, Xander and Scythe are silently glaring at me, as if they hate me for what is happening. As if it’s my fault. But Beak is giving me a look of warning—an order to get moving. I scowl at him and he has enough shame to look away.
I turn around and walk through the door as Savage says, “Want me to kill him for you, princess? I didn’t know you were arealprincess.”
“Your father doesn’t like you very much, does he, little snake?” Xander drawls. “I wonder what bad thing you did to make him hate you.”
Being born. That’s the bad thing I did.
I swallow my pride as I walk into the drawing room where everyone is waiting for me in position around a lacquered wooden table.
Halfeather stands there, his receding scalp extra shiny as if someone has polished it for him, just for today. His eyes greedily take in my body. I dully wonder if that’ll be one of my jobs as his wife, scalp polishing.
An older male I don’t know—a tiger, I think—wears a formal suit and holds a folder full of papers. Likely a Council member to witness our union. Tigers are favoured for such things because they are usually impartial loners.
Halfeather rushes forward to take both my hands, eagerly kissing both, and I feel a hint of tongue. I shudder as he looks up at me with shining brown eyes.
