Page 93 of Beyond the Darkness

Lennox suddenly jerked Kit forward, his grip tightening painfully around Kit’s wrist. “Move faster,” he hissed, glancing nervously over his shoulder. The echoes of the ongoing battle reverberated through the tunnels, a constant reminder of the chaos they were fleeing from.

Kit clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to fight back. He could feel the bond pulsing like a lifeline, a subtle warmth that grew stronger with every step they took. It was a silent beacon for Connie and Hudson, guiding them through the labyrinthine tunnels.

As they rounded a sharp bend, Lennox suddenly stopped, pulling Kit into a small alcove barely visible in the dim light. He pushed Kit against the cold wall, his face mere inches away. “We’re close to an exit. Once we’re out, we’re heading straight to the coast. There’s a boat waiting.”

Kit’s heart pounded in his chest as he tried to maintain his composure. “And then what?” he asked, hoping to glean more of Lennox’s plan.

“Then we disappear,” Lennox replied, his eyes cold and calculating. “It’s the only way.”

Before Kit could respond, a low growl echoed down the tunnel. Lennox snapped his head up, and his body tensed. Kit felt a surge of hope—could it be Connie and Hudson?

Lennox cursed under his breath and looked down at Kit with a menacing glare. “This changes nothing. Remember, I will shoot if I have to.” He dragged Kit out of the alcove just as Kit heard the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps and harsh breathing. It grew louder as Connie and Hudson burst into view. Their expressions were fierce, eyes alight with an intense fire.

“Let him go!” Connie roared as he charged toward them, with Hudson right beside him.

Lennox pushed Kit to his knees and then yanked his head to the side, exposing Kit’s throat. “Stop right there.”

Connie and Hudson stumbled to a stop, Hudson holding Connie back by his arm.

“You have two choices. I claim Kit as my mate, and he lives. Or I rip his throat out in front of you and he dies. Either way works for me because if I can’t have him, neither will you and Connie. What’s it going to be?”

“Let him go, and I will make your death quick. Otherwise, you will die screaming,” Hudson said. His voice was low, a dangerous rumble that echoed off the stone walls.

Lennox smirked, not at all perturbed by Hudson’s growing anger. “You are in no position to make threats.”

Connie stood next to Hudson, his fists clenched, growling softly.

“Live? Or die? Your choice,” Lennox snarled as he pressed his claws against Kit’s exposed neck. His grip on Kit was iron-tight, a clear message that he wasn’t bluffing.

Connie’s face twisted with rage and desperation. Hudson hovered beside him, muscles tensed like a coiled spring, ready to pounce at the slightest chance.

“Life, then. I was hoping that would be your choice,” Lennox declared. “I’ve waited too long and given up too much to let him slip through my fingers now. I claim him as mine. Watch me take your most prized possession!”

“If you do this, there will be no place on earth where you can hide from us. You know what we are capable of,” Hudson said slowly, his dragon speaking through him.

Lennox’s laugh was filled with a madness driven by obsession. “Then let the world burn,” he spat back. “But I swear he’ll be mine in every sense before it does.”

The stale air in the underground tunnels was thick with tension as Kit and Hudson faced each other, their eyes locking in a silent understanding. The distant echoes of chaos only added to the urgency of the moment. Kit’s heart raced, knowing what needed to be done. “Then burn it all down, Hudson.”

Lennox’s fangs had barely touched his skin, but repulsion swept through Kit. The bond between him and his mates pulsed stronger than ever. It was both a comfort and a torment knowing they had to watch this.

Hudson’s gaze hardened with resolve, the veins in his neck standing out as he let the transformation overtake him.

“Shit.Shit.” Connie scrambled back, putting as much room between them as he could, a grim expression on his face.

Kit watched as Hudson’s colossal form filled the cramped tunnels, his body expanding and stretching to its maximum size. The very walls seemed to quiver and groan under the weight and force of Hudson’s massive bulk, straining against their limits. Dust and debris rained down from above, dust filling the air.

Lennox jerked back from Kit. “What are you…?”

With a guttural cry that echoed off the tunnel walls, Hudson opened his mouth wide. A glow began deep within his throat, casting eerie shadows on the walls as he prepared to unleash his dragon fire.

“What are you…. No!” Lennox screamed, trying to shield himself with Kit’s body.

The dragon fire burst forth in a magnificent inferno, bright and wild. It enveloped Lennox, intense flames licking at his flesh. Yet miraculously, the dragon fire did not burn Kit. He could feel the heat. It was almost a soothing warmth compared to the ferocity that was unleashed upon Lennox.

Lennox collapsed next to him, his skin literally melting off his bones. The scent of burning skin filled the air as Lennox’s screams turned to gurgles and then silence. When the flames finally subsided, all that remained of Lennox was ash and charred earth where he once stood.

Kit slumped forward, gasping for air, feeling the adrenaline surge through his veins. Holy shit, he survived.

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