Page 15 of Her Vicious Beasts: The Beginning (Her Vicious Beasts)

Aurelia

T he satisfaction at perhaps the best healing job I’ve ever done barely registers, because as I get to my feet, I know I won’t be back tomorrow.

I know this is the last time I will ever lay eyes on my mates.

I shouldn’t do it, but the wild, primitive anima part of me steps between Xander and Savage’s cells to take one last look at them both.

Xander’s mouth scowls at me and I wish, just for a moment, that I could see his face properly. But he’ll just have to stay as a shadow in my imagination.

Savage’s hazel gaze is searching as he stands half a foot away from me, and I can almost feel the heat of his animus. If my shields were down, I would have been able to scent him, too.

Alas, I will never know what he really smells like. That is the worst thing of all. But it is a safety thing, and it’s smart for me to keep it that way.

I could, in theory, touch him. He must think this too because he pushes one large hand between the bars, palm up like a peace offering.

I stare at it for a long, long time, and he stares back at me in silence. Something inside of me breaks a little as I close my eyes and turn away from him. My anima whines in sorrow.

“Lia.” Savage’s voice is surprised, like he doesn’t understand what’s going on. I want to say that I’m sorry. That I wish things were different. That if I were a different beast, I would be running into his arms right now, kissing him, rescuing him from his prison, taking him home with me.

But for both his and my safety, I can’t reveal anything. I’m passing Scythe’s cell before I know it and against my will, my head turns to look at him.

He glares at me as I force my feet to keep moving, and it’s the coldest thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t read his expression because there’s literally nothing there. His face has been hewn from ice and all I can feel from him is that he hates me.

I didn’t know my soul could feel so much pain until this moment.

When Beak opens the door for me, it’s like I’ve surfaced from deep water. The heaviness around me suddenly dissipates, and I take a fresh breath.

“Are you alright?” Beak says, briefly putting his hand on the small of my back. I look up at him and smile at his kindness. I’ll miss that too.

“I’m just happy because I’m done with the patient,” I say. “I don’t have to go down to that awful place ever again.”

He nods as if he understands, but he doesn’t smile back as I expected. “That’s really great,” he murmurs quietly.

Maybe he likes me after all and is thinking about how he’ll miss me, too.

Back in Halfeather’s office, the old eagle is dragging his eyes up my bare legs and I’m very grateful this is the last time I ever have to see him.

“I’ve done what I can for him, Mr. Halfeather,” I say quickly. “It’s up to him and his power to have him wake up now.”

“Indeed?” he says slowly, eyes stuck like glue on me. “Well, I must say it pleases me greatly that this is not the last time we will be seeing one another.”

My brows shoot up as I register what he is insinuating.

“Mr. Halfeather,” I say, as if this is all a pleasant joke. “I’m the consummate professional. I take it my father’s debt is paid as we discussed?”

The corners of his mouth turn down. “Ah, that’s the thing, Aurelia. Your father did not just sell me your services, my dear.”

A chill consumes me as I suddenly realise there have been no signs that Mr. Halfeather has a mate. That is unusual for a wealthy male such as him—usually they are a rex for a group of mates, bonded by fate or not.

My voice drops an octave as a deadly stillness falls over me. “What were the terms exactly, Mr. Halfeather?”

A smile creeps over his mouth and he skulks towards me, his black robe swishing limply. “A bride contract. A princess of the Serpent Court. A worthy union, do you not think?”

I become stone. This whole thing is made worse by what had happened last night and the fact that three parts of my soul sit in a cell below me, so close that my body can still feel them.

A distant whistling sounds outside and I frown, because who the hell is whistling in this place? Halfeather is not the type of employer who would allow that. But no one responds to it.

It’s then that the blue-grey astral form of Savage strolls into the room with his hands in his pockets, whistling that happy tune, closely followed by a see-through Scythe, wearing nothing but track pants and a murderous expression, and a transparent Xander looking around with the strangest eyes I’ve ever seen.

I stare in horror at the three of them, this being the first time I can see Scythe and Xander properly.

Even in their ghostly astral forms, I can tell that all of them are apex predators of the highest orders.

They’re all tall, and the three of them dwarf the room. Scythe, with silvery hair that brushes his shoulders, a wide, square jaw and high cheekbones. Marine animalia all share an impossible, cold, out-of-this-world beauty, and Scythe is no exception.

Xander’s arrogant posture has him looking like he owns the place, and knowing he’s a dragon, I guess that his own house is probably even bigger than this one.

But one thing is clear and confusing to me: he’s blind.

Both eyes are silver all the way through, telling me that his physical eyes don’t work.

They glow with preternatural force, meaning he’s seeing with his power.

I can tell he’s looking at me, and even sneering, his dragon’s features are stunning.

His torso is bare and there’s tribal dragon markings in a full sleeve down his left arm.

He has a black nose ring and a matching dangling cross earring on his left ear.

I’m aroused immediately.

The ghosts look around the room, then come to stand next to Halfeather, crowding around him as if they want to kill him. Savage sticks a hand through Halfeather’s head and it goes right through. Halfeather, nor Beak or Scuff, show any sign of seeing them.

Savage gives a dramatic sigh. “Looks like we can’t murder him right now, princess.”

“Don’t react to this,” Xander sneers. “They’ll think you’re mad.”

“I think I am mad,” I blurt out.

Halfeather’s brows shoot into his hairline as behind him Savage and Xander burst out laughing. But they’re not nice laughs. Scythe simply glowers at me, probably taking offence, as most of his relatives probably do have the dreaded land-psychosis.

I swear inwardly, realising I need to ignore whatever is happening with these males in ghost form right now, because a very wealthy and powerful eagle is telling me something that is about to change the entire trajectory of my life.

It’s also not lost on me that eagles and other birds of prey eat snakes.

I manage to unstick my lips and find my voice. “I mean to say, I’m afraid to disappoint you, Mr Halfeather, but I am not a serpent princess. I have never pledged to my father’s court, nor has he graced me with any titles. Nor am I, actually, a snake. I take after my mother, an Aquinas.”

My surname is another lie. And the biggest one of all.

Savage and Xander suddenly stop laughing.

“And that is why this union is an excellent idea,” says Halfeather, not perturbed by my speech. “We are both of the same order!”

Savage growls and I shoot him a look, but he only has eyes for Halfeather.

I stare at the old eagle, then glance around, more than aware of Beak and Scuff at the door, likely listening closely.

Will they try and keep me here? Will they stop me if I try to leave?

The thought of Beak tackling me down and dragging me back in here gives me the shivers and not in the sexy way.

My three ghosts won’t be able to do a thing to help me, either.

“I’m afraid there’s been a mistake, Mr Halfeather, I—” I am very aware that if I deny this powerful man, there will be consequences. I need to make nice as much as it irks me. “I… must talk to my father about the particulars.”

“You’re kidding!” Savage exclaims. “You can’t marry this cunt!”

“Of course, of course,” Halfeather says smoothly, stepping back and bowing. “We must abide by the Old Laws, naturally.”

“Motherfucker!” Savage exclaims, aiming a kick to Halfeather’s legs, but of course, it sails right through.

I stiffen as Halfeather frowns down at his legs as if he feels the whisper of something. The Old Laws say that females are to marry as they are told to by senior males of the family, if they have no mates of their own. I plaster a smile on my face. “Indeed. I will get back to you, Mr. Halfeather.”

“I would expect no less.”

What an asshole. I turn on my heel and make for the door. Beak and Scuff hastily let me pass, their faces carefully blank, but I know that they are used to strange and unethical conversations in this office.

I all but storm back to the security desk, snatching my handbag when Beak holds it out. I stomp back to my car and gun the engine. I wonder why my three mates are suddenly able to move about in the mansion in their astral forms, and a dark feeling slides through me.

As soon as I’m past the boom gate and back on the road, I slap my steering wheel in anger.

Who the fuck does my father think he is, selling me like this?

As the King of Serpents, he can do as he pleases with me and no one will question it.

No one will care. I am actually powerless here.

I was so close to going to college, so close to freedom!

Angry tears trickle down my cheeks and I aggressively swipe them away.

I’ve been terribly na?ve thinking my father wouldn’t sell me at the first chance. I need to get as far away from here possible—far from my mates, from my father.

I’d fantasised about running away ever since he’d kicked me out.

I’d planned the movements in my head, thought about the best places to go to hide from him.

I’d just never had the gall to actually do it.

But now? Now things are slipping out of my control so badly I’m thinking I have no other choice. If I want to take my life in my own?—

“You’re angry,” comes a male voice.

I almost run my car off the road.

“Fucking genius, do you know that, Sav?” comes Xander’s voice.

In my rear-view mirror are the astral forms of the three males, sitting there like we’re going on a school field trip.

“Fuck!” I choke out, indicating, then carefully navigating onto the gravel shoulder on the side of the road.

I pull up my handbrake and swing around to glare at them.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” I cry.

Savage gives me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, princess, but I think you only have yourself to blame for this one. I think it’s because of last night that?—”

“What?” I exclaim. “You think just because you had your fingers in me you can just follow me around now?”

All three men glower at me.

“Well,” says Savage, running a hand through his dark waves. “I did make you come.”

“Just barely,” I snap. “Get out of my car.”

They all scowl in unison like they’re triplets. Three, murderous, scary as all hell triplets.

“Leave!” I gesture to the doors.

“But this is too much fun, snake girl,” Xander deadpans. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell us what you’re hiding from your mates.”

Oh, so I wasn’t ‘hatchling’ anymore. That stings more than it should. I turn back to face the front window and pinch the bridge of my nose, sighing deeply. Things couldn’t get any worse. How am I supposed to run away with these three following me around?

My phone pings and I pull it out of my handbag to see a message from my father’s assistant.