Page 56 of Beast

My gut hurts. I can’t give up Meg.

“I’m here.”

Damn it. Meg walks into the circle.

“Your Highness.” Roan nods. “I promise, I will see to yoursafety. I had it written into my contract that you are to come to no harm.”

“Very nice of you,” Meg says with a wry smile. I want toshake her. She really should be more afraid. “So, you’re going to kill myhusbands and I’m supposed to thank you for leaving me alone in a faery forest?Let me tell you, buddy, no one will thank you for that. Faery forests arefreaky. There’s a ton of shit out there, and it’s all waiting to eat you.”

Yep. Meg has lost her damn mind. “Meg, get behind me.”

She shakes her head. “So they can kill you first?”

Roan gently lays Kaja on the ground. “Your Highness, thisisn’t necessary. I have no intentions of leaving you to fend for yourself. Oncethe renegade kings have been captured, my men will be more than willing to seeto your every comfort. We’ll take care of both you and Kaja.”

Meg’s eyes roll. “Yeah, I’ll bet you’ll take care of us. Ican imagine what kind of care we’ll get. Don’t worry about it. I think Cianwill be here soon, and he’ll have a few things to say.”

Roan frowns. “What about the warrior king?”

Meg shrugs. “He’s busy. That or Ci drew the short straw. Iknow they weren’t playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Cian always wins that becauseBeck always picks rock. There’s a reason Cian’s the intellectual half, if youknow what I mean.”

Roan laughs. “Well, I suppose then I shall have double thereason for the warrior king to come to me. This is good. We can easily kill theintellectual half, and then the warrior will be vulnerable.”

It’s Meg’s turn to smile. “You go on and try that, buddy.You just try to kill my Ci.”

I kind of wish they were both on their way. And I don’t seewhat Cian is going to do. Cian is good with plants. Is he going to have theflowers attack or something?

“Don’t worry yourself, Your Highness,” Roan promises, hismen standing stalwartly behind him. I do a quick count. It looks like he hasten well-armed vampires with him. “As I told you, I will make sure you areunharmed.”

One of the goblins moves toward Meg, yellow teeth gleaming.“I won’t. I’m being paid double to take you down, Your Highness.”

I take off, my feet moving faster than ever. I won’t letthem take Meg. I can’t. I attack, letting my claws sink into the goblin’sflesh.

“Dante, don’t,” Meg calls out.

Two other goblins jump me. I roar as I feel goblin teethbite at the flesh of my shoulder. I wince and try not to think about how nastya goblin mouth is. Dude probably doesn’t floss. I throw my elbow out and catchthe fucker in the chin. The goblin falls off my back with a thud.

Meg is busy slapping at goblin hands as the vampiressurround her, pulling the goblins off. All the soldiers concentrate on savingthe consort. No one seems eager to help me. I hit the grass as a goblin shovesa fist in my belly. Goblins are squat but so strong. The goblin is on me in aninstant. I put my hands up, shoulder aching, but I manage to keep the goblinfrom tearing out my neck.

Black eyes stare down at me, and sharp teeth gnash. “Torinwill have your head.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll have your balls, asshole.” I bring my kneeup, viciously catching the fucker’s balls. Goblin, sidhe, vamp, orhuman. It doesn’t matter. If it’s male, it doesn’t like having its ballsbusted.

The goblin howls, and I’m able to roll him off. I spring tomy feet. Meg is surrounded by vampires now. They form a phalanx around her,keeping the goblins at bay.

I punch out at the goblin who comes at me. I look back atRoan. “You’re so trustworthy.”

Roan Tases one of the goblins. The sickening smell ofburning flesh hits the air. Cold iron. The mercenaries tipped the darts withcold iron. They’re prepared to kill Beck and Cian.

Roan turns my way. “This was not my plan. Bloody hell! Youbetter get your consort, Dellacourt. I don’t dare leave the queen unguarded.”

I turn, and Kaja is getting to her feet. She’s unsteady, butshe reaches for a rock. There’s a goblin running straight for me, a wicked,curved blade in his hand. Kaja is weak and obviously disoriented, but shethrows the rock at the goblin’s head. It hits him, and he turns, growling athis new prey.

Not going to happen. With a burst of speed I didn’tthink myself capable of, I cross the distance between me and Kaja as the goblinlashes out. It catches me across the chest, opening a gash in my skin. I hissat the pain. That blade went deep, but I would rather take it than it hit her.Kaja screams as the goblin raises the blade again. Her hands pull at me, asthough she wants to take my place and the blade for me.

My brave, sweet Kaja.

I don’t have time to avoid the blade. I shove Kaja back andtake it straight in the gut. The pain burns, an agonizing fire in my flesh. I’mclose, so close to the goblin.