Page 36 of Beast

When we bed down for the night, I will sneak away. He willnot hear me. He will not look for me. I will watch over both Dante and Meg. Iwill stay in wolf form, and they will never know that I follow them. When I amsure they are safe, I will disappear. I can stay in these woods and never leavemy wolf form. My two-legged nature will fade after some time, and the wolf willbe all that is left. It will be easier. The wolf feels, but not as much as mywoman self. The wolf never cries.

I turn to aid Meg in her preparations. Meg is creating asmall nest in which to rest. She gathered leaves and vines to make a bed. I donot need such comforts. I will change and be perfectly fine, but Meg obviouslywant some softness. After the day she had, she deserves it.

I am about to lean over and gather leaves from the ground ofthe forest when a damp hand reaches out and grabs my elbow. I turn and lookedup into stern eyes the color of the forest. Dante’s jaw is set in a firm lineas he towers over me. He is so beautiful it hurts my heart to look at him.

“It wasn’t a question, Kaja.”

I try to pull away, but he holds tight. “I’m tired. I wishto rest.”

It would be easy to refuse, to run, if he didn’t move me ina way I never felt before. I was sure he would not come after me when I went tosave my gnome captor. I stared up at the ogre and realized that death was therefor me. I planned to go down fighting, but I knew I would go down.

And then Dante was there, yelling at me, his face contortedin rage and some strange worry. For me. He was so much smaller thanthe creature, and he only had me to distract the ogre, yet Dante triumphed. Theogre fell.

It took a piece of magic to force Dante to his knees.

That was the moment—when Dante was struck with the nightmaremagic that caused his big, beautiful body to shake—when I knew I should leave.I felt the howl in my throat. It stuck there because I forced my jaw to stayclosed, but the mating howl is inside me, and it is only for this man.

I can howl all I like. He will not answer. He will not evenunderstand what it means, and if I explain it to him, his eyes will get thatsoft haze that tells me I am an object of pity.

“Please, Kaja.” His gaze is softer now. “I’ll take care ofyou. We’ll bed down close to Meg, but I want to spend time with my consort.This is our bonding time. I don’t care that we’re not alone. Meg can ignore itif she doesn’t like it.”

“There aren’t enough earplugs in the world,” Meg complains.Her hands rest on her hips as she stares at Dante, obviously trying to keep hereyes on his face. “Now isn’t the time to bond. Like I don’t know what thatmeans. Just lay your ass down and get some sleep. Beck and Cian will be heresoon. Then you can paw the poor girl.”

The growl that comes from Dante’s throat does all kinds ofthings to my woman’s parts. Pussy. Dante wants me to call it a pussy.His fangs grow long. He moves toward Meg, never letting go of my arm.

“And when your husbands return, I will have a longdiscussion with the warrior half about the way his wife places herself betweenme and my consort. We will discuss why you think you have rights over myconsort and your definition of respect.”

Meg’s mouth drops open, and I cannot miss the way her eyesslide away. “Wow, way to Dom a girl, Dante.”

Dante relaxes slightly, his arm curling around my waist. Hepulls me into the hard plane of his body. He brushes my hair with his nose,breathing deeply as though my scent can bring him comfort. “Vampires getpossessive of their consorts. Rather like Fae warriors and their bondmates. Youshould get used to me being a bit more dominant than I was before. And I’mhungry.”

A thrill of fear goes through me. Dante is hungry. He needsblood. My blood.

“Dante, I didn’t even think about that,” Meg says. “Kaja andI ate, but you don’t have any meal pills.”

I do not miss the way his chest hitches or the feel of hiscock against my thigh. He covers the lower portion of his body with mine. Hiscock lengthens and hardens and caresses my backside.

“I have a consort. That’s all I need.” His nose runs alongmy hair. He speaks to Meg, but all of his attention seems to be on me. I neverfelt so attended to, so fixated upon. It is like I am his prey, but he is notgoing to kill me. That is not his intent. He does not want me dead, merelywilling to feed his hunger.

He saved my life. I owe him a bit of blood. Without hisintervention, I would still be in my cage when the ogre came. I would have diedthere. I would never have known what it feels like to be pressed againstanother body, scents mingling until I cannot tell where I end and Dante begins.

“I will feed you,” I say quietly. I am going back on what Iknow is right, but I seem to take every opportunity to stay close to him. Icannot seem to help myself. I will pay for this intimacy, but I will have it.

Meg nods. “There’s some space behind the waterfall. It’snice, and the moon filters in so you can see. The grass is soft. I found itwhen I bathed earlier. I’ll stay out here and get some sleep.”

“Come, Kaja.” The command is still there in Dante’s voice,but there is a smoothness now as well.

Still, I hesitate. The pond is so much bigger than the tub.“I can feed you here on land.”

“That’s not what I want, Kaja,” he growls. He places hisforehead to mine and takes a long breath. “I’m on edge, sweetheart. Pleaseforgive me. It’s been a long day. I’ll try to explain it to you. This firsttime is important. I’ve never fed from a woman before. I want it to bespecial.”

Special. I understand the word, but now I also feel it. Henever fed from a woman before. I never felt so close to a man before. He is theone to give me this feeling. He made me feel included. When he commands me, Ifeel safe and wanted. He seems to know all of my weaknesses.

Now he says a word that tugs at me.

“Please, Kaja. Come with me. Trust me. I’ll take care ofyou.”

No one ever says please to me. I place my hand inhis.