Page 50 of Beast

She glances up, her face streaked with tears. She brushesthem away with the back of her hand. “I’m fine. It’s been a rough couple ofdays.”

I settle in beside her. “Talk to me. You can talk to me.”

She stares at her lap and takes a deep breath. “It’s reallyhappening.”

Torin. Yes, I’m feeling that, too. “It’s going tobe all right. Beck can handle anything Torin throws at him.”

“He sent a group of goblins to attack our village. Beck saidit was horrible. We lost some of our people, and they burned down our farm. Ourhome is gone.”

I reach for her hand, a strange mix of rage and sorrowfilling me. I love that village. Beck and Ci built it with their own hands. Iwas there, too. We were kids when Beck and Ci lost their throne. I just startedcollege. My father offered them asylum, but the kings chose to stay with theirpeople on the Refugee plane and build a world for themselves.

Beck and Ci were forced to grow up fast.

“I don’t want you to worry about a thing, Meg. You and Beckand Ci can come home with me and Kaja.”

“That won’t solve anything. It will only make things worsein the end. There was a reason Beck and Ci didn’t go down that road the firsttime. They have people depending on them.” Her hand tightens in his. “Torinisn’t going to leave us be, is he? He’ll try again.”

“Yes,” I reply. It’s a hard truth. No matter how much Beckand Cian want a peaceful existence, it isn’t going to happen. Torin has to killthe twins or he will never feel safe. He’ll never be able to open the planeagain. Torin was patient, but it appears his patience is at an end.

“Dante, I’m scared.”

I put an arm around her shoulders. We’ve been through a lottogether, Meg and I. It looks as though we’re going to go through much more.“Beck needs to get serious about alliances. My father has been working to movethe council toward repudiating Torin.”

“It hasn’t worked in thirteen years. The council is closerto acknowledging Torin than they are to repudiating him.”

“Only because we need the trade. Royal vampires needconsorts. If the council realized Beck and Ci were serious about taking thethrone back, I think they would change their minds. We need to talk to theUnseelie. King Fergus will never acknowledge Torin.”

“He knows what’s happening,” Meg mutters. “Torin isenslaving the non-sidhe on the Seelie plane. He believes the Unseelieare impure. If Torin gets strong, he will go after the Unseelie on their ownplane. Fergus doesn’t want that. But you know Fergus has sons, too.”

“Yes. I’ve heard the rumors,” I reply carefully.

“They aren’t rumors.”

Prickles of trepidation ride up my arms. The Unseelie keepto themselves for the most part. Their borders are heavily guarded. Tradeflows, but the king of the Unseelie never leaves the plane. It is said that hehas sons. Twin sons. “Are they symbiotic?”

Say no. Say no. I don’t want to think ofsuper-powerful Unseelie twins. Beck and Cian were raised in the light court. Ican’t imagine twins with their power raised by monsters.

Though I’m rapidly realizing sometimes monsters come in manyforms.

“Yes. Their names are Lachlan and Shim,” Meg explains. “Theyneed a bondmate. They aren’t as far gone as Beck and Ci were when they foundme, but it’s getting bad. It’s why Fergus reached out to us. He believesplacing Beck and Ci on the throne is the best shot he has at saving his sons.”

My mind is racing. Fergus would need to be dealt withcarefully. The Seelie and the Unseelie never exactly got along. The Unseeliesent an emissary thirteen years before, Fergus’s daughter, Gillian. She diedwhen Torin slaughtered the royal family. Fergus sent assassins after Torin buthad no luck getting to him. It’s said he won’t risk his sons in a war.

But what if Fergus blames all the Seelie? Will Beck and Cibe in danger if they walk into the Unseelie sithein? This is the breakwe’ve been waiting for but there’s much risk. After so much waiting, it’s allhappening fast. There’s a lot to consider. I should sit down and strategizewith Cian. If Torin is making his move, it’s time to get serious. Beck and Ciwon’t be allowed to hide anymore. They will win or they will die.

I intend to make certain they do not die.

And how will I do that from the desk of my lovely office?Who am I kidding? I got married to preserve my cushy future. I’m not about tothrow it all away to go to war. I’ll make certain my cousins have all the moneyI can throw at them, but I’m not a warrior.

Some odd emotion makes my chest feel far too tight. Thatbeast that Kaja always seems to bring out in me is right there, pounding at mywalls. I’m not a warrior.

But I could be.

“Dante, don’t worry about it,” Meg says with a sad smile, asthough she can read my thoughts. “You need to worry about Kaja right now. We’llfigure all this out.”

Gods, I’m sick of being treated like a kid. I’m thirty yearsold, and everyone acts like I’m a fucking teenage boy who doesn’t need thestress of real life.

Maybe if I start acting like an adult, they’ll treat me likeone.