Page 105 of Court of Beasts

It’s a feral chant that I give into as I leap at them.

My jaws close around a feral’s shoulder, but he bucks me off. I roll over him, hitting my side, but I’m back up on my paws, and as he turns, I catch his tail and bite down. He yelps, but I’m barrelled into by another and knocked down. Claws rake down my side, making me howl, but I kick out, knowing better than to let them near my belly.

I give into my instincts and just move.

Lucien roars in victory, and I glance over to see him coated in blood with a wolf under his paw, its neck ripped open as his head tips back in a triumphant howl. Snarling, I leap at the feral and pin it. It tries to flip us, but I bite down on its neck.

I taste blood, and I yank my head away, feeling it rip out, and then I glance at the other feral who is backing away.

Spitting blood through the bars at the horrified hunters, I prowl left while Lucien stalks right. We work silently as a team, pursuing the feral. It’s only a matter of time before I’ll taste its blood. It hunkers down, ready to run.

Only, it flings itself at me in a last-ditch effort to survive.

We roll, and I nip at Lucien as he tries to help. My claws dig into the feral as it whimpers and cries out, and I tear through its skin, feeling blood hit my fur as we continue to roll until it’s under me. Its back leg manages to get free, and it kicks me off.

Lucien bites its tail, dragging it, and then he throws it at the bars. I watch the hunters scatter away as I get to my feet.

I’m pissed now, and my wolf is furious it got away from me.

I want its blood.

I want its death.

Growling in warning, I stalk it around the cage. Blood trails behind it as it limps away from me. When it stumbles over the body of its friend, I pounce.

I use my weight to knock it against the bars and rip into its side with my teeth as it yelps. Claws rake against me, but I ignore the pain and keep ripping through his body.

I tear through its bone and muscle, gripping its heart in my teeth before biting down as its body jerks and then dies. Tugging my muzzle free of the gore, I lift my head and give the hunters a grin as I press my paw down, kicking the body as I watch them.

They are next.

My eyes lock on the wolf sneaking up behind them, and I laugh.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Vale and Lucien are destroying the ferals.

As I watch them, shock, awe, and desire curl through me. They move faster than I anticipated, like they have been wolves their entire lives. Their instincts are strong, and they are better fighters than most of my pack. The hunter at my cage is distracted, so I drag my gaze away as they tear through the ferals. No matter how much I want to watch them, I have a job to do. I wink at Jai as I wrap my arm around the man’s throat from behind. He is unable to scream, but he struggles.

I drag him back and laugh in his ear. “They can’t hear you. They are watching the fight. They don’t care that you’re going to die,” I hiss, and then I snap his neck, dropping my other hand down his body to grab the keys. I slide them back through the bars and dance over to the gate.

Unlocking it and opening the cell, I step out and turn to Jai. I unlock his door and then crack my neck.

“Get them out when they are done. The hunters are mine,” I snarl, and then I turn and run. I leap into the air and change, landing on all fours as I sprint at them.

Vale is giving me a wolfy grin from in the ring, and a hunter who is farther back turns—the one who tortured Vale. He yells,trying to bring his gun up, but it’s too late. I land on him, taking us down to the floor as I tear out his throat with my teeth. I leave him there, choking on his own blood, as I race towards the others. They are screaming and scrambling, unsure where to go. A few guns go off, but I dart out of the way, avoiding their clumsy bullets since they weren’t on guard.

I hit two like a bowling pin, knocking them down before digging my claws into each, ripping into their stomachs as they scream. I glance over my shoulder to see Jai head-butt a hunter and grab his gun, blowing out his brains before blowing me a kiss.

“Stupid fucking mutt!” the commander calls, stomping my way with his gun raised.

I snarl and lean back, ready to attack, but there’s a click, and then he grunts.

Eyes widening, he stumbles back and looks down at the bleeding hole in his shoulder. We both turn to look as Jai steps up next to me with a deadly expression. “That was a warning shot. Don’t fuck with my girl.” He lifts it and fires again, hitting his other shoulder as the man shouts. “That’s for messing with my brothers.”

He fires again, hitting his left leg, and the commander crumples to his knees. “That is for corrupting hunters’ values.” Another shot to his other leg. “That’s for daring to hurt us.”

He raises the gun and aims at his head. “And this is for her father.” He looks at me. “He’s all yours, beautiful.”