Page 83 of Beast

I’ll be able to find Kaja no matter where she is, but that’snot the point. “You want me to climb thirty stories up a ventilation shaft?Tell me something, Meg. Does it have ladders?”

She bites into her bottom lip, looking so much like herhuman counterpart when she has to tell her warrior husband something she knowshe won’t like. “Not exactly. Um, I’ve always used a hover lift. I probablyshould have mentioned that. I have one at home. We could go get it.”

Kaja is dying now. I don’t have time to find a hover lift.And a hover lift will only take one of us up at a time.

Suddenly, I know. I have the strength to do this. Kaja gaveit to me. I have the strength to save her.

“Fuck that.” I open the door to the hovercar. Even with theinertial dampeners, the car sways slightly. I pull open the access door. It’sbig enough for me to crouch in. My eyes adjust to the darkness. Strange. I cansee in the dark. More than that, I can smell. Kaja. She’s here in thisbuilding. She’s holding on. “Roan, if you can’t follow me, then get to thecops. I need a couple of minutes to get up there and protect her, but then sendthem all in.”

“What are you talking about? You can’t make it up therewithout a lift. Look, I’ve got some mag gloves that will let me climb, butthat’s a long way up.” Roan is directly behind me. “Dellacourt, you aren’ttrained for anything like this. Let me go.”

Roan might be trained, but he doesn’t love Kaja. And hedoesn’t have Kaja’s blood flowing through his system.

“Like I said, Roan, try to keep up.” The edge of the openingis small, but I feel an odd grace come to my limbs. I stop fighting myinstincts. I allow Kaja’s blood to take over.

My claws pop through my skin, but I welcome the pain.Longer. I need them longer, and they push through another inch. My claws arelong and thick, wickedly sharp on the end. They’re made to rip and tear, butnow they will carry me.

I leap across the few feet that leads to the opposite sideof the shaft. My claws slide into the metal as though they belong there. Idangle for a moment, all of my weight being held by my hands.

And I know. I can do it. I will do it. And I will win.

“Dellacourt? Are you insane?”

I pull my left hand out and pull up with my right arm. I getup another couple of feet and dig in again. Easy as pie. I’m not even winded.“Nope. I’m on werewolf blood. She likes to be called a werewolf. I’ve neverbeen this strong. If you’re coming with me, you better get going.”

I swing up again, finding a rhythm.

Nothing is going to keep me from my consort. Though I knowshe’s shielding, I send out the message anyway.

I’m coming, Kaj.

ChapterThirty-One

Kaja

I try to bring my head up, but I am so weary. Thepain is past recognition. I feel it always now. I cannot remember a time whenit was not a part of my bones. It seems like hours or days passed since I feltsomething other than pain.

No. I know pleasure and passion. I know my lover’s cockdiving deep and the feel of his fangs penetrating. I know what it feels like tofeed him, to love him, and to be loved in return.

A bit of strength flares. Stay alive. That is all Ihave to do. Dante will take care of the rest.

Except I want to help. I want to be there when these peoplego down. They will go down, because Dante will not allow them to live.

“How much more can she take?” The one named Palgrave tookoff his suit coat. He holds a stick in his hand. It is an odd stick. It is darkcolored, and fire shoots from it. He touched it to my flesh, and I burned.

“Why can’t you leave her alone? She’s not going to change.”Amanda stood back the whole time. I sense her reluctance. Amanda even shed atear or two, but I do not care. The blonde still stands there. Her tears didnot save me a moment’s pain. They did not give me strength. Amanda’s compassionis a useless, weak thing. Amanda obviously has not figured out what I have.Compassion means it is time to act.

Compassion means it is time to risk.

Palgrave sighs. “If she isn’t willing to do what we want,then maybe we should change the game a bit. Do you have any thoughts, Doctor? Iadmit, I’m getting bored watching her shake.”

The man in the white coat regards me. I growl at him,satisfied when he moves back a bit.

“She’s feisty for what we’ve put her through. Her vitals arestill incredibly strong. Watch them.” He gestures to a small panel at the backof the cage. Numbers play there in red colors.

“She gets stronger every moment we don’t inflict pain. Sheheals at an incredible rate.” Palgrave stares at the monitor. “What do youthink causes that? If we could isolate the gene that gives her that healingability, we could make a fortune. Do you have any idea what peasants and royalswithout a consort would pay for that?”

“I need to take some samples. I’m sure I can isolate it witha bit of work.” White Coat turns around and begins gathering materials. I tryto shrink back.