Page 87 of Beast

I manage to nod. I am whole and happy to be alive.

ChapterThirty-Two

Dante

“It’s official.” My father lays his tablet down withan audible thud. The silence in the room is utterly oppressive.

Dante looks between his cousins as they stand in my father’soffice.

Beck pales at the news. “We’re renegades?”

I force myself to speak. My cousins need to understand howdeeply fucked they are. “Every mercenary on the plane will be after you.”

My heart seizes even though I was expecting the news sinceJulian told me what’s going on only hours before. I know I should be in bed,holding my wife while she recovers, but this can’t wait.

I’m surrounded by family. My mother and sister are crying.Colin looks grim but keeps holding Susan’s hand. Kaja places a hand on Meg’sshoulder. My wife looks tired but resolute.

Beck and Cian are silent for a long moment, somethingunspoken passing between them. Meg sits beside Kaja, her eyes tearing up, buther chin settles into a stubborn lift. She wears casual clothes, but there’s nomistaking who Megan Finn is. She is a queen.

“Can you get Meggie off this plane and back to the Earthplane?” Beck asks, his shoulders squaring as though he knows he’s in for afight.

Meg appears ready to give him one. She stands and goes toeto toe with her warrior husband. “I’m not going anywhere, Beckett Finn. Do youhear me?”

Cian gets up and lends his strength to Beck. “Meggie, youcan’t stay.”

“Try to get rid of me. I know the way home. You can dump mesomewhere, but I’ll be back.” Meg grabs fistfuls of both her husbands’ shirts.“I won’t stop. I’ll fight. I’ll fight to my dying breath.”

Beck’s face is a mask of pain. It’s mirrored by his twin’s.“That’s what we’re afraid of, love. We can’t lose you.”

“Well, man up. This is war, and I won’t be left behind.” Meglets go, her hands shaking.

My father steps in. “None of you can stay. The Council votedtwenty minutes ago. The Vampire plane has aligned with Torin. I have guards atevery access point, but by morning they will have warrants to extradite youboth to the Seelie plane. We don’t have much time to get you out of here.”

Beck shakes his head. “You can’t get us out. They’ll be onus the minute we leave the Dellacourt building. You can’t save us, Uncle Don.It’s fate that we came back here just as this happened.”

Cian’s mouth turns down. “Save Meg. Beck and I will find away. Torin will wait to kill us. He’ll want to make it public.”

My mother stands and grasps my father’s hand. “Please, Don.You have to help them. We can’t turn them over. They’re all I have left of mysister.”

My father looks down at Mom, love shining in his eyes. Gods,I love my parents. I turn to Kaja and send out my own love. My parents taughtme how to love. I always thought their wealth and position was the greatestgift they gave me, but now I see things differently. My parents’ passioninforms my own. Kaja is a song in my soul.

“I would never turn them over, wife. They’re my blood, too.Dante and I have been talking to Mr. Taggart. We’ve come up with a plan.” Dadwaves to the servants.

The door opens and Taggart escorts a petite female inside.Vampire Meg walks in, and all eyes shift her way.

“I found our brat and she’s agreed to help us,” Taggartannounces.

“Holy shit, that’s me.” Meg looks at the mirrorlike versionof herself.

“That’s so cool,” they both say in unison.

“There are two of them,” Cian breathes as he and Beck stepup. “Will you look at that, brother? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Beck slaps at his brother’s chest. “No. I know what you’rethinking. And you’re crazy if you think she’s going to do that. I’m thinkingthat’s twice the trouble.”

Real Meg turns, her face in a perfectly outraged mask. “CianFinn. That is not happening.”

Vampire Meg smiles at the brothers. “I don’t know. Thatmight be fun.”