Page 88 of Beast

Meg’s eyes narrow.

Vampire Meg pales. “Or not.”

“And they call you the smart one,” Beck huffs under hisbreath.

Taggart nods my way. “I’ve got the other two in a hovercaron their way here, and Roan is in place. We’re ready when you are.”

Kaja comes to my side, and she slips her hand into mine.Just touching her brings a feeling of peace. I kiss her hair and pray I neverrun into her twin. One Kaja is all I can handle. “Vampire Meg has agreed topose as the queen. We found a set of vampire twins with the proper coloring. Inthirty minutes, they are going to flee the building. Shortly after that, Beck,Cian, and Meg will leave quietly from the ground. We have a hovercar and agroup of soldiers waiting to take us to the west door. It will be guarded, butWilliam Roan assures me he’ll kill anyone who tries to stop us.”

Beck turns to me. “It sounds dangerous.”

“Everything is dangerous from here on out, cos. You know theway this will go.” I squeeze Kaja’s hand.

Cian puts a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Yes. There is noother path, brother. I know you wanted to live peacefully, but Torin won’tallow it. And you know what he’s doing. If he has his way, he’ll purge theSeelie plane of undesirables, and then he will go after the other planes. Wecan’t duck this fight anymore. It’s time to stand. It’s time to claim what isours.”

Beck seems to grow taller. He takes his place at Meg’s side,the three connected in ways most people can’t dream of. “Then we’ll go. We’llmeet with Fergus and see what happens.”

My mother hugs all three of them. “We’ll work from here.We’ll do everything we can.”

Cian shakes his head. “You have to be careful, Aunt Alana.You can’t let them know you’re helping. If it comes to it, you have to renounceus.”

My father takes my mother’s hand and pulls her into acomforting embrace. Susan and Colin stand.

“It won’t come to that,” Susan says. “We have power, Ci.Once the Council realizes what our sunscreen can do, they will back off. Wewon’t be able to openly defy them, but we’ll have their balls in our hands, ifyou know what I mean.”

That’s my sister, a ballbuster to the end.

I’m going to miss her.

“We need to move out soon. I want to be on our way theminute the decoys leave.” I had a bag packed for both of us, but we won’t betaking much. I’ll learn to travel light.

The room erupts into chaos as my parents and sister begin toargue. I listen to all the reasons I shouldn’t go with a patient ear. This iswhy I didn’t mention this part of the plan until now. Meg starts in on how it’stoo dangerous, and Cian tells me to stay behind as well.

“Stop!” Beck’s command has everyone taking a step back. Theroom quiets. The warrior king of the Seelie Fae looks at Dante. “You know whatyou’re giving up, cos?”

Everything. And nothing. I’m giving up everything Iknow—money, power, luxury. It’s nothing compared to what I gain. A cause worthfighting for. A real place for Kaja.

“I know.”

Kaja’s hand finds my chest, and those brilliant blue eyesstare up at me. “Dante, you cannot leave your home. I know why you’re doingthis. Please. I will fit in. I will adjust.”

I don’t want her to adjust. I want my wolf. And she iswholly mistaken. “This is what I need. I didn’t understand it before. I’m awarrior. I’m a beast, and this is my cause. Come with me. Fight with me. Andthis isn’t my home, Kaja. You are my home.”

She wraps her arms around me, her answer rolling across mybrain.

Yes.

Beck nods. “You’re more than welcome, cos. You are needed.”

I find myself surrounded by my family. They form a tightcircle.

“I love you, brother,” Susan says. “You come home to ussomeday.”

“My baby.” My mother weeps unashamedly. “I’m so proud ofyou.”

They walk away one by one, each doing his or her part to getready. My father looks at me.

“Do you understand what you’re doing?”