Page 35 of Beast

“Does the First believe we will flee without him?” Kajaasks, her hands sliding over Meg’s, massaging her wrists back to life.

“He’s not very smart,” Meg replies. “You watched how theyput those things on him?”

Kaja smiles brightly. “Of course. Their First did notrealize what I am. He allowed me access to many things he should not have. Healso fed me a lovely thing called beef jerky. The mercenaries have severalpets. They tried to fight me for the jerky, but they fled after I growled. Ienjoyed it.”

Kaja knows how to get me out of here? My cock can wait. Iwould rather live. Damn, I finally found the thing I would rather do than havesex. “Oh, lover, I am going to buy you all the jerky you can handle once youget me out of here.”

Kaja kneels behind me and with a few twists, my hands comefree. Kaja moves in front of me, but before she can reach my feet, I catch her.I let my hands sink into her silky mass of hair and draw her close. I let hersweet scent fill my senses. I can hear her pulse, feel the softness of her skinagainst mine.

“Thank you, Kaja.” I press my lips to hers.

The smile on her face lights up my whole fucking world. “Youare welcome, Dante.”

Kaja kneels back down, and my feet come free. I’m not boundanymore, but I wonder if I just became her prisoner.

ChapterFourteen

Kaja

I turn my face up to the starlit sky. The black nightis illuminated with more stars than any wolf can count. The moon is smallerhere. A pale silvery presence in the sky, this moon is oddly curved. It isn’tas full and round as the one at home. It does not dominate the sky. The sun, itseems, holds sway here, with the moon only an afterthought.

I hear Meg moving behind me. She’s been working since themoment that Dante told us it was safe to stop. I simply sit, staring at theforest in wonder.

Everything is different here. There is no snow, and thestars make different patterns in the sky. Water falls from above in a greatsheet that flows into a crystalline pool. I have never seen anything like it.Dante calls it a waterfall, but Meg mentioned something called paradise.

I look out at Dante, who is bathing in the pool. He shed hisclothes almost the instant he made the decision to stop and walked into thepond. The urge to follow him in is tempered by the fact that he isn’t using atub. I was comfortable in the bathing tub, but the pond is something different.This water is deep. Dante went under several times, each time making my heartskip a beat until he resurfaces.

The sounds are different here, too. There is the whoosh ofthe water as it hits the pond, and the whisper of the wind in the trees.Beneath it all, I hear something shuffling under the brush behind me. Prey.And yet I find myself more curious than hungry.

Everything about this world makes me curious. EspeciallyDante.

I stare as he emerges from the pool, water dripping from hisform. He is so beautiful. His skin is perfect and smooth. Every muscle ripples,from his broad shoulders to his strong thighs. He shakes the water off of him.His hair looks different now. It is longer without the “product” he spoke of.The water washed it away leaving only his silky strands behind. It makes himlook younger, with his gold and red hair brushing his ears. I allow my gaze todrift down. I cannot help but look at how his long, thick male part juts up.Heavy balls swing below. I wonder what it would feel like to cup them, to runmy hands along his…cock. He calls it a cock.

My eyes meet with his. I have the sudden urge to go to him.

“Whoa!” Meg yells from our little camp. “Dante, I did notneed to see that!”

I turn, the odd moment gone, and see Meg is hiding her eyes.

“Everyone’s seen it, Meg. I’ve been caught naked by everyphotographer in the States. This body was named ‘hottest royal bod’ four yearsin a row. Everyone wants a piece of this.” Dante grins and motions up and down,indicating his perfect form.

Meg sounds as though she is sick. “Gross.”

I bite my lip. Not all things are good in this place. Istill do not understand half the things Meg and Dante say to each other. I knowthe words, but not the intentions behind them. Since that moment when the threeof us snuck from the camp, I have been a bit lost. The words they speak at eachother do not match the tone. They do a lot of a thing they called joking. Itinvolves insulting each other in a manner that would have made them outcastfrom the pack were they pack members speaking to their betters.

I almost liked it better when we were silent, prowlingthrough the forest to get away from the men who captured us. Dante ordered meto return to my wolf form after he kissed me. That was a moment I loved. Hismouth played across mine, lighting up my skin. It felt like he needed me inthat moment.

He does not need me anymore.

We seem to be safe in this part of the forest. Perhaps thetime is here and I should explore on my own. I can sense that these woods aredeep. I can lose myself here and never be found.

“Kaja.” Dante’s voice adopts that slightly hard tone he useswhen he is taking control. That deep tone forces me to turn my focus on him. Heis knee-deep in the water. He holds his hand out. “Come with me. Take off theshirt, and we’ll get you clean before we bed down.”

This is not a good idea. Though my heart races at the sightof him, it would be smarter to leave. He is playing some sort of game. He wantsto be with me, but not forever. Wolves mate for life. I never expected I wouldhave a true mate, but even a mistress has a role in the pack. I am not surewhat Dante believes my place to be. He signed the important things calledpapers that made me his, but then talks about where he will put me when ourmating is done.

I am not sure of anything.

I shake my head. “I do not like the water. I am cleanenough.”