Page 118 of Beautiful Beast

If he does anything?—

I KNOW. Grief poured from his mind into mine. I know.

It was Aeghi who sealed our fate. You will not resist them. Then, to the humans. Take them.

I turned to Lena as the humans surged forward, grabbing her face. I love you, mate.

“No.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t.”

Don’t fight them. Stay alive. Whatever you have to. Because we will find you. I promise.

“Sirrus.”

I captured her sob with my kiss, feeling her heart break inside my own. Every bit of willpower I had was spent not letting her feel my devastation. I love you.

Hands grabbed my arms, and the command wouldn’t allow me to fight them. I still tried though, drawing their attention to me. Keep it on me and not on Lena.

I love you.

A cloth pressed over my nose and mouth, darkness swirling in. My last sight was my mate’s tear-streaked face.

I love you.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

________

KATALENA

Sirrus was already gone and they were taking Zovai. “Stop.” I clawed at his hands, trying to pull him back, but I wasn’t strong enough.

Zovai squeezed my hand and turned his eyes to his beast, letting the gold shine through. I felt what he was telling me without words. He’d first laid eyes on me just like this, and he would never regret it.

I couldn’t let it happen. Arms circled me before I lunged for him. Endre. He turned me and looked at me, so different from the male who’d entered my cell that night. I’m sorry. Even the words in my mind were a whisper.

“I can’t.” My fingers dug into his shirt even as the soldiers tried to pull him away from me. I held on. I would keep hanging on until I couldn’t anymore. “I can’t let them take you.”

Endre’s mouth slammed down on mine. How he held the others back, I didn’t know. But I was in his arms, and this kiss could have set the world on fire. I would have done it had I known how.

You are mine, Lena. And we have always been yours.

“Please,” I begged. “What do I do?”

Stay alive. Then, softer. We do what we can.

They tore him out of my hands, the fabric of his shirt ripping. Pain cracked through my chest and I didn’t know if it was mine or theirs. It didn’t matter. Sirrus’s limp body was on the back of a drayg, and Zovai, too, was slung like cargo.

Endre didn’t look away from me. I couldn’t say the words. Didn’t want Andaros to hear them, so I pushed my love through our connection. This was not the end. It wouldn’t be the end. They’d been through too much, and we hadn’t had enough time.

I love you.

My sob burst through as they covered his face with that fucking cloth, and my mate went boneless, the connection between us fading to nothing but gray.

Andaros laughed. A full sound that echoed over the circlet. He strode toward me, smug hatred in his gaze. “When they told me you were alive, I had hoped to find you. Rescue you. Imagine my surprise. You wouldn’t take me to your bed even though we were to be wed, but you spread your legs for three beasts.”

I fought the hands that grabbed my arms, using every move I knew, but there were too many and I was too broken, my world awash with tears.

They had me on my knees.

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