Page 58 of Beast

“Please, Dante,” Kaja begs. She puts her wrist to my mouth.

Oh, I want to, but I’m not sure I’m strong enough to stop.Instinct tells me Roan is right. Kaja’s blood can save me. Fuck. Ican’t risk her. It’s better to die than to live without my Kaja.

I lean back against her. “No, baby. I could hurt you.”

Cian and Meg are suddenly in front of us.

Cian stares down at me, taking in my wounds. “You’re worsefor the wear, cos.”

Ci’s good at stating the obvious. “Yep. You suck, man. Nexttime, give me the heads-up that you’re leaving.”

“Will do.” Cian’s gaze turns to Kaja. “I heard the assholewho I intend to kill say that you could save Dante.”

“Don’t,” I warn.

“Yes, but he needs to feed. He won’t feed.” Kaja’s voiceholds all her fear.

Cian smiles. “I think I can fix that.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, Ci.” There’s a knife in Cian’shand.

Cian Finn neatly slices a small hole in Kaja’s wrist. Notmuch, but enough to get the blood flowing, and my instinct takes over when shepresses it to my mouth. Sweet, rich blood flows and I can’t help it. My fangssink in, and I drink.

Velvety warmth flows into my mouth, and I can feel my bodyhealing.

She invades my system. Her memories, her hopes, her dreamsassail me. She’s so sweet, so strong. She’s been battered, but her heart iswhole, and she offers it up.

“That’s unbelievable,” Cian breathes.

“It’s working,” Meg says, relief obvious in her voice.

But I’m concentrating on Kaja. My defenses are down, and Ilet her flood me. I’m battered with her emotions. She wanted to die when shesaw me gutted. She wanted to lie down beside me and never get up. She wants tobear my child. She wants it so much.

She loves me.

I see myself as Kaja sees me.

I feel my skin knit together and force myself to stop.

Kaja slumps to the ground.

I touch her hair. She’s utterly exhausted, nothing more. Itook a bit too much, but I can sense she’ll be all right with rest and care. Istand and haul my lovely, brave bride into my arms. She curls against me.

Cian looks at me, a brow rising in challenge. “Stillthinking about setting her aside?”

“Never,” I say, and I walk from the forest with her in myarms.

I might not understand what happened, but I know one thing.

I will never let her go.

ChapterTwenty-One

Dante

I walk into my father’s office freshly showered,shaved, and utterly presentable.

So why does it feel like I don’t belong here? Everythingabout the office is perfectly normal. I know every nook and cranny of thisspace. I spent great portions of my childhood in this office. Now it feelsforeign. Everything feels alien and odd, even the clothes on my back.