Page 79 of Psycho Shifters

“I can’t, so stop saying it.” Everything hurt so badly that I didn’t even care about being rude.

“Fine, fine. It’s really not bad. Just try to relax.” Aran chuckled casually.

I punched Aran in the throat. For his own sake. He had lost his mind and was spewing bullshit.

Aran gagged, but kept laughing as he ran. I was going to kill him.

I started to reach for the numb. At the last minute, I stopped myself.

It was my strongest weapon, so I couldn’t waste it on training exercises when at any moment I might need it for battle against the fae. I had used it after the alphas fucked, and I was trying to be more responsible.

Which meant I was dying from cruel and unusual punishment.

My feet burned as I tried to place one foot in front of the other to keep running forward. It was fucking bullshit.

The little shadow snake zinged across my spine and offered me encouragement. The snake spent most of the time on my lower back, slithering in circles and giving off positive vibes.

I was appreciative of its help, but right now I was one stomach cramp away from saying “fuck all” and activating the numb.

Dying in battle would be less painful than this shit.

“Fifty more laps,” Cobra alpha-barked as he easily jogged at the front of the group.

I fantasized about breaking off one of my wooden bed legs and shoving it up his ass as he slept. It would be less painful than this shit.

Air filtered through my lungs roughly. I wondered if I should fall to the ground and pretend to pass out. At least then I would get to stop moving.

It didn’t even make sense. Why the hell did I have to practice running as a person when I would fight the fae as a beast? I had asked Cobra at the beginning of the run, and he had calmly responded, “Builds character.”

I wanted to tell him he could shove my character up his ass and I would have if I weren’t terrified of the gorgeous alpha. I wasn’t 100 percent sure that he wouldn’t shove something up my ass in retaliation, so I suffered in silence.

I hoped the fae invaded right this very moment. Although, even with the numb, I would be completely useless. My body was spent.

“I used to go for long runs every day for pleasure.” Aran had a big smile on his face as he jogged easily beside me and tried to make conversation.

Where had he run for fun? The entire shifter realm was freezing.

“I used to walk”—gasp—“five minutes to school”—gasp—“and back to the bar every day.” I struggled to inflate my collapsed lungs. “Never had anywhere else to go.”

Because I’d been a lowly servant, Dick had made it clear that if I tried to escape, I wouldn’t survive the brutally cold shifter realm. I had always thought he was full of shit. He was. But, since I was now being tortured at a training facility for war, he hadn’t been completely wrong.

We ran in the very back of the group. I had a feeling Aran would be running at the front if it weren’t for me.

If it weren’t for him, I would have keeled over and given up thirty laps ago.

John, the red-haired beta, had started the death march running beside us. He was nice, and I appreciated his easygoing nature, but Aran had insulted him until he’d gotten the hint and jogged ahead with everyone else.

I would have been mad at Aran, but I was too busy trying to stay alive.

“Just try to focus on relaxing your arms and driving with your legs.” Aran demonstrated by shaking his arms loose.

I tried to follow his advice, but my chicken legs burned and my neck started to cramp from holding my arms at weird angles.

Maybe I did need to lift heavier in the gym. I was pathetic.

We were a few steps away from the end of the group, and I forced myself to keep pace. Far ahead, at the very front, Ascher, Jax, and Cobra ran without breaking a sweat.

It was unnatural. Such large, muscular men should not be able to run so fast. It was also highly annoying.

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