Page 94 of Beyond the Darkness

Within seconds, Hudson switched back to his human façade and rushed to Kit’s side, dropping to his knees beside him and pulling him into a rough embrace. “Oh Gaura, oh Gaura, babe. My love. Gods, I-I have never been so fucking scared.”

Connie rushed forward, throwing himself at them. “Fuck, do either of you have any idea how fucking scared I was when I realized what Kit asked you to do?”

With tears in his eyes, Kit embraced Hudson and then Connie, their trembling bodies pressing against his. “I’m okay,” he reassured them, holding them tighter. “We’re okay.”

Hudson and Connie ran their hands all over Kit.

“Seriously, there’s not a single burn on me. And how the hell are my clothes not just ashes?”

“I have not idea, and I don’t care!” Their bond glowed for a moment, it’s strength evident as they clung to each other. His mates’ love and protection were palpable in their embrace.

The silence between them was thick and heavy as they clung to Kit. He wrapped his arms tightly around them. He couldonly imagine the pain and heartache that must’ve consumed them both.

“Never ask that of me again,” Hudson whispered, his voice trembling. “I was terrified, Kit. Absolutely terrified.”

“I know, because I felt the same way even though deep down, I knew everything would be okay. You see, I had a dream about this,” Kit said, still holding tightly to Hudson and Connie. “And remember when we encountered that baby dragon? His dragon fire didn’t harm me at all. Surely you both remember that?”

“But he was just a hatchling.” Connie’s voice was muffled as he buried his face in Kit’s neck.

“Would that make a difference?” Kit asked, pulling back to meet Hudson’s gaze.

Connie lifted his head. “Would it?”

Hudson slowly shook his head. “No. The temperature of dragon fire is constant, regardless of the individual’s size or age. However, younger dragons have less powerful streams of fire. And I am a fully grown dragon.”

“Yeah, that was a lot of damn fire coming at me.” Kit patted Hudson’s chest. “But I knew I would be okay.”

“Still, the idea of breathing dragon fire at my mate who was once human nearly broke me, Kit. My mind knew you could withstand it thanks to what happened with Miles, but my heart? It nearly broke,” Hudson said.

Kit could see the pain etched into Hudson’s features—it mirrored Connie’s. Kit’s heart ached as he embraced Hudson again. It looked like he wasn’t the only one who was going to end up with trauma thanks to Nox and Lennox.

Kit reached out to Connie, pulling him into a tight hug, feeling the tremors in his body. “I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been to stand there and watch that,” he whispered,knowing that they would all bear scars from this experience for a long time to come.

Connie nodded. “Like Hudson said, I never want to live through that again.”

They helped Kit stand, each supporting him by an arm. Together, they looked back at the path they had taken, the darkness seeming less oppressive now.

“We need to get out of here,” Hudson said after a moment of heavy silence. “I’m not sure how stable this tunnel is now.”

“We also need to see how things are going too. Maybe if the hunters know Lennox is now dead, they will retreat,” Connie said.

All three of them looked back at the pile of ash that was once Lennox.

“Does it make me a monster that I’m glad Nox and Lennox are both dead?” Kit asked.

“Not at all, because you were right. He never would’ve stopped,” Connie said as they walked up the tunnel. “They were the monsters, not you.”

“You could never be a monster, babe.” Hudson cleared his throat. “Okay, so, we’re going to go back where the main fighting was taking place, but Connie? Protect Kit at all costs.”

“Gladly,” Connie said.

They made their way back through the dark tunnel, and as they emerged into the main fighting area, they were met with the sight of a chaotic scene. The hunters were still coming in waves, but thanks to the combined efforts of everyone, they were slowly being defeated. Hudson let out a roar that echoed throughout the cavern and charged into the battle.

Kit gulped. Now he knew how Hudson and Connie felt, and they were much more indestructible than him.

Connie pulled him off to the side. “We’re just going to hang out here where it’s safe.”

Kit quickly scanned the area. Every dragon they had brought with them was accounted for, and he slowly relaxed. He didn’t know the vampires, but he did recognize Raven. He also saw Isadora and Kage.

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