Page 104 of Beyond the Darkness

When they finally reached home, the house was dark, and they retired to their room immediately.

LATER THAT night, as they lay together in bed after making love, Connie snuggled closer to his mates. The room was silent except for their synchronized breathing and the distant sound of night creatures singing in the darkness outside.

He traced the dragon on Hudson’s wrist, feeling the raised lines of ink and magic blended into skin. He could almosthear the faintest thrum of power, a symphony of ancient spells woven through their veins.

“Feels like we’re part of something bigger now,” Connie whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Hudson kissed the top of his head, agreement silent but palpable between them.

Kit stared up at the ceiling. “I think we’re beyond the darkness now.”

“Beyond the darkness,” Connie mused, turning the words over in his head. “Yeah, that feels right.”

Connie listened to his mates drift off to sleep. Outside, the world continued on, oblivious to the love they shared, and that was okay. They knew.

THE HAPPY chirps of birds woke Connie. For a moment he lay there, content, admiring his tattoo once more. Soon there would be a gold band on the ring finger of his other hand.

“Good morning, love,” Kit said sleepily. “Whatcha looking at?”

Connie slid his arm against Kit’s, their tattoos lining up next to each other. “This.”

“They really are beautiful,” Hudson said, resting his arm across Connie’s chest.

“Yes, they really are,” Kit said. Then his stomach growled angrily.

“And that’s our cue to get up,” Connie joked.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. They shared their new tattoos with the dragons who showed up for the communal breakfast. There were a lot of questions and even more people who wanted to know who had done such beautiful artwork.

As they prepared for the day, pulling on clothes and gathering their things, Connie paused at the doorway and looked back at Hudson and Kit, who were waiting for him.

They stepped out into the new day without the dark cloud of Lennox or Knox hanging over them. Beckett met Kit, and together they headed off to the bookstore, while Hudson and Connie also went into the city to take care of business.

As Connie drove, he occasionally glanced at his wrist. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hudson doing the same. Even though Kit wasn’t in the same vehicle as them, Connie would bet his most expensive piece of art Kit was doing the same.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT – KIT

PEACE WAS a precious gift. Of course, Kit couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the impending wedding, which was only a few months away. Had the days suddenly lost a few hours? Because it certainly felt that way.

He was as prepared as he could be, but there were still so many tasks left to complete. And one of the tasks on their to-do list was to find costumes for the Halloween Bash that Raven was hosting at Club Nomadic.

They’d decided to keep their costumes a secret until the night of the party. Kit had chosen to go as Harley Quinn, specifically the version fromSuicide Squad. He was determined to find the perfect outfit for this character… while also searching for a tuxedo that would fit his ideal image for the wedding. It was quite the contrast!

The peace he mentioned stemmed from the fact that Lennox was dead. And if that made him a horrible person, oh well. He could live with that.

They’d taken a day and hit the high-end shops searching for Hudson’s and Connie’s tuxedos. Hudson couldn’t stop grumbling about not being able to see Kit’s outfit or even catch a glimpse of him until their wedding day. His grumpy dragon was being grumpy about it, which amused Kit to no end.

Confidence radiated from Hudson as he confidently strode through the store. After only a few minutes of browsing, he’d found the perfect suit. The tie and pants were a bold, fieryred, matching the intricate brocade design on his vest. Even his dress shoes were a vibrant shade of crimson.

But it was the duster that truly caught the eye, effortlessly flowing behind him in a crisp white fabric. As Hudson tried on the outfit, Kit knew without a doubt that this was the one. His mate would make a statement at any event in this striking ensemble.

Kit had teared up when Hudson had produced the design of their tattoos and demanded red scrollwork be added along the lapels in this design. There was also a white top hat that would have matching scrollwork on it.

Connie’s suit was just as striking in a pure white, with tails that swayed gracefully as he walked. Every piece of his attire, from his shirt to his tie to his shoes, was a matching shade of white.

He too wanted the same dragon scrollwork in the same fiery hue, but it would wind its way up and down the front and back of his pants, as well as along the sleeves and front of his suit jacket, so the suit was no longer just white in color. The absence of a top hat on his head only added to the sleek, modern feel of his ensemble. He looked as sexy as Hudson.

The suits were ordered, and Kit scheduled a separate appointment to choose his wedding tuxedo alone. He already knew what he wanted—he just needed to find it. Taking a deep breath, he couldn’t wait to see it all come together on the big day. The excitement bubbled in his chest as he eagerly anticipated his solo trip back to the store.

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