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“That won’t happen, baby.” Dante could read her thoughts. He stood tall, his skin practically glowing. “I’m taking you out of here.”
Palgrave ran, and Dante was with him. They met in the middle, and there was a horrible crack as Dante punched at Palgrave’s chest. His fist met flesh and didn’t stop. Kaja managed to lift her head as Palgrave’s face took on a horrified blank look.
Dante pulled his hand out of his opponent’s chest. It didn’t come back empty. Palgrave’s heart was in Dante’s hand.
“That was for my consort.” Dante held the heart as it turned to dust and everything that was Chalen Palgrave become a pile of dirt on the floor.
Dante turned and raced to her. He got on his knees. “Baby. Gods, baby, tell me you’re all right.”
She was tired. So tired. She felt her body failing, but it was all right to go because Dante was safe. Dante was whole. The energy she’d sent him had healed and saved him. She wanted to hold him with two hands. Using the very last bit of strength she had, Kaja changed. She brought her hands up to touch his beautiful face. He was her magnificent beast.
She heard Dante curse. When she looked up, his eyes were still full green, but there was a sheen of tears in them. He clutched her with one hand, but drew his other to his mouth. “Don’t you leave me, Kaj. This has to work both ways.”
He gouged at his own flesh, and his blood began to flow. He put his wrist to her mouth. “Drink, baby. I’m full of you. Your blood, your energy, your strength. Take it all back. Please. I need you.”
Kaja felt the blood fill her mouth. Immediately she felt the healing begin.
“That’s right, baby. Take it. I can handle it. Drink.” He pressed his wrist to her mouth, cradling her head.
Kaja fell back the instant she knew she would be all right. She heard Roan groaning in the distance. Her body was laid across Dante’s, and she could feel his soul reaching for hers, brushing and touching. Safe.
But he was still a vampire. He pulled out his phone. “Hey, Susie. Yeah. Start a hostile takeover of Palgrave. No. He won’t fight back. Why? Because I just pulled his heart out of his body. Yes, I’m serious. I want half.”
Dante tossed his phone away and cuddled her against him as he stood.
“You all right, Kaja?”
She managed to nod. She was whole and happy to be alive.
Chapter Twenty
“It’s official.” Dante’s father laid his tablet down with an audible thud. The silence in the room was utterly oppressive.
Dante looked between his cousins as they stood in his father’s office.
Beck paled at the news. “We’re renegades?”
Dante forced himself to speak. His cousins needed to understand how deeply fucked they were. “Every mercenary on the plane will be after you.”
Dante’s own heart seized even though he’d been expecting the news since Julian had told him what was going on only hours before. Dante knew he should be in bed, holding his wife while she recovered, but this couldn’t wait.
His family surrounded him. His mother and sister were crying. Colin looked grim, but kept holding Susan’s hand. Kaja placed a hand on Meg’s shoulder. Kaja looked tired, but resolute.
Beck and Cian were silent for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them. Meg sat beside Kaja, her eyes tearing up, but her chin had settled into a stubborn lift. She wore casual clothes, but there was no mistaking who Megan Finn was. She was a queen.
“Can you get Meggie off this plane and back to the Earth plane?” Beck asked, his shoulders squaring as though he knew he was in for a fight.
Meg appeared ready to give him one. She stood and went toe to toe with her warrior husband. “I’m not going anywhere, Beckett Finn. Do you hear me?”
Cian got up and lent his strength to Beck. “Meggie, you can’t stay.”
“Try to get rid of me, Cian. I know the way home. You can dump me somewhere, but I’ll be back.” Meg’s hands separated and grabbed a fistful of both her husbands’ shirts. “I won’t stop. I’ll fight. I’ll fight to my dying breath.”
Beck’s face was a mask of pain. It was mirrored by his brother’s own face. “That’s what we’re afraid of, love. We can’t lose you.”
“Well, man up, Beck. This is war, and I won’t be left behind.” Meg let go, her hands shaking.
His father stepped in. “None of you can stay. The Council voted twenty minutes ago. The Vampire plane has aligned with Torin. I have guards at every access point, but by morning they will have warrants to extradite you both to the Seelie plane. We have very little time to get you out of here.”
