Page 68 of Beast

“I am very good with a Frisbee. I catch it every time. I amalso good with rubber balls,” I add. Dante taught me several games. I likethem. They are fun. And they allow me to run when every other time I seem to beforced to walk.

“Dante! Don’t you dare do that with her,” Alana nearlyshouts. “What are you trying to do?”

Dante’s eyes narrow, and he sits back. “I’m trying to findour way. She isn’t a properly bred Fae consort. She’s different. I won’t forceher into some mold because that would make it easy. I like Kaja the way sheis.”

But the way I am will get us all in trouble. Even I can seethat. I learned enough about Dante’s home to know that personal lives affectthe stock market, and the stock market is the most important thing on thisplane. I still do not quite grasp how a list of valuations make the world goaround, but it seems to be the way here. I am going to cause Dante’s companytrouble.

“I will try harder.”

Dante holds out a hand. “Kaja, don’t listen to them. You’refine. And I won’t allow the press to define our marriage. Now, I got a callfrom Julian Lodge. I’m supposed to meet with him in an hour. It’s somethingsupersecret.”

Alana goes very still. “Have you done something youshouldn’t? Maybe we should send you in with a guard.”

Dante frowns. “Julian Lodge isn’t calling me in to have mekilled. He sends that Taggart fellow out for that sort of work. I have asuspicion it’s about Beck and Cian.”

“You’re leaving?” I only see him at night, and now I willnot even get that?

Dante’s expression shutters. “I won’t be gone for long.Well, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. And I should tell you now that I haveto leave for DC in a couple of days. It’s a business trip. A week or so.”

My heart feels too small for my chest. “I will go with you.”

I do not fit in here. I fit in even less if Dante is notaround at all.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dante says, his voicetight.

Alana pats my hand, a sympathetic look on her face. “Youdon’t want to go to stuffy old Washington. We’ll have fun, dear. We’ll goshopping and see a show. But for tonight, I’ll keep you company. Colin shouldbe here soon, and we can all have a nice dinner.”

More shopping. Less Dante.

I am an inconvenience. Like I was with the pack. Thesepeople might be nicer about it, but I am being relegated to the back of theroom again. It hurts even more this time since, for a while, I believed I mightbelong.

I will never belong here.

I stand. I know when to retreat. “Thank you, Alana. Ibelieve I will skip dinner this evening. I would rather go to my room.”

And figure out a way to contact Meg. Meg will be able totell me how to leave this place.

Dante is on my heels as I walk from the room. “You need toeat.”

I continue on my path. “I am fine.”

He grabs my elbow. “Kaja, go back to the dining room and eatyour supper.”

He is using that voice on me, the one that usually has mepanting after him. Now it simply makes me a bit angry. He is pushing me aside.He brought me to this place where I do not belong, and now he is leaving me tolanguish. He taught me what I want and then took it all away.

“I am going to my room. I will stay there. I will not leavethe house again. Now, let me go.” If he wants to leave me, then I do not haveto obey his commands. That is another thing I learned. I will not mindlesslyfollow someone else’s commands. I am the only one who will ever truly look outfor myself, so I am done being meek.

He takes me by the elbow and begins to walk with me. “Fine.We’ll go to our room. You seem to want a fight. We can do that in private.”

I dig my heels in, but he is so much bigger than I am. Hesimply hauls me along. “I am not trying to fight. I’m trying to be alone. Iwant my own room. You have enough rooms that I should be able to have my own.”

He turns on me, his face a mask of irritation. “Now you wantyour own room? Really? Just a couple of weeks ago we had far too much space.Now I’m encroaching on yours?”

A few weeks ago I thought life would be different. “It’sonly for a little while.”

His brows make a curious V on his forehead. “Whatis that supposed to mean? Is this some shanimal thing?”

And I hate that. I push away from him. “I am not a shanimal.I am Kaja. If you cannot use my fucking name, then don’t talk to me.”