Page 55 of Beast

I can feel Meg running to keep up. When the pixie stops, Iturn to Meg.

“You hide. You watch. You wait for Cian. He can get Beck,and he can save Kaja if I can’t.” I stare at her, letting her feel my will.

Meg frowns but does as I ask. She places herself behind anenormous oak tree. I feel better when the tree’s branches seem to move toconceal her. She disappears, masked by green vines and leaves.

Cian is here, even if he isn’t a physical presence. He willwatch after his wife. It’s time for me to take care of mine.

There’s nothing for it. I’m alone. I have no weapon but one.I have to turn myself in and hope they’ll let Kaja go.

They want me.

I walk into the open.

“Mr. Dellacourt,” a very upper-crust voice says. “How niceof you to join us.”

I’m surrounded. They move quickly to encircle me, thevampire mercenary unit proving how well trained it is. Discipline marks theirevery move.

The impulse is there. I want to fight. I want to tear intothese men and feel my claws rip through flesh. I’ll feast on their blood. Itwill fill my belly when I take my consort back. What happened to me? Thethought is barbaric. Only primitives feed on their enemies. But I want to.

One thing holds me back. The sight of Kaja in Roan’s arms.The soldier holds her, her human body naked and limp. Her beautiful brown hairtrails down toward the ground. Her skin is pale, but her chest rises and fallswith her breath. A strange feeling grips my heart. Kaja. She’s alive. That’swhat matters.

“Let her go,” I say.

The man who holds her tightens his arms around her body.It’s a distinctly possessive stance. “I think I have the upper hand, Mr.Dellacourt.”

I really hate this guy. “I can cause a lot of trouble.”

The mercenary looks down at Kaja. I can’t miss the way hiseyes soften. William Roan doesn’t even try to hide the soft spot he has forKaja. Of course, now that she’s in her human form, she can’t hide her glow. Anyroyal with a soul will be soft toward her. I might be able to play on that.

“She might be worth a bit of trouble,” Roan says. “I wasrather surprised. When I hit her with the Taser, she changed forms and becameone of the loveliest females I’ve ever seen. Look at that glow. She would haveevery vampire with the money to enter a tournament after her. In the old days,we would have fought wars over her. How did you end up with such a gorgeousconsort?”

Because other people were too stupid to see how amazing sheis. “Just lucky, I guess. I won’t let you have her.”

“No, I suppose you won’t. It’s going to tear apart ourplane, you know that, right?” He pulls Kaja close to his chest. His fuckinghead rubs against hers as though he enjoys the contact. “I’m one of thegreatest warriors of my time. I can’t find a consort. I’m aging. It isn’tright. I could kill anyone in battle, but there are no battles to be had. Ihave to steal one if I want a consort.”

The fucker isn’t going to steal my consort. “Shewon’t go with you. We’re bonded.”

Roan shrugs. “Perhaps she can bond again. The bond sheshares with you would be broken with your death. Someone wants you dead, Mr.Dellacourt. Someone wants your cousins dead so trade can flow and we don’t haveto tear each other apart over what should be our right.”

“She doesn’t belong to you.” I have to force the words frommy mouth. My fangs seem far too large for my head. “She’s mine.”

Roan sneers my way. “You didn’t fight for her. I saw therecords. There was no tourney. Just a simple sale. How much can you buy withmoney? When do you have to prove yourself?”

I am asking myself that question a lot lately. If Roan wantsa fight, I can provide it. “Is that all you want? You and me, asshole. Let’s gonow.”

Roan’s fangs are out. “If only it were that simple. I wouldlove to kill you and properly claim the consort, but I can’t let you go soeasily. I signed a contract to bring you in alive. Your death will have towait.”

Torin. It has to be Torin. “What about my Kaja?”

Roan’s eyes become hooded with suspicion. “I believe myemployer might be somewhat cruel toward her. It’s better I keep her.”

“Or, you can let her go. I won’t fight if you let her go.”

But the beast inside is desperate to fight. It wants tokill. I’m stronger than that instinct. If I can save Kaja, it will be worth it.I haven’t done much with my life anyway.

Kaja is the best thing I’ve done.

Roan looks down at her as though considering it. “I might bepersuaded, but you have to tell me where the queen is.”