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.It forced me to grow up.It made me abetter person.This is wonderful, Dante. It didn t feel wonderful.It felt terrifying.He should have foundanother way.He should have paid some fallen royal to marry him.She would have been reasonable.He wouldn t have been desperatefor some royal s blood and body.He wouldn t have formed this weirdconnection to some sad-sack royal.It would have been a neatexchange of money for a convenient, no-emotions-involved marriage.Dante wouldn t feel all twisted inside. I don t know how wonderful it s going to be.I m worried thatshe won t fit in. It had been the chief thing to recommend her in thebeginning.He had wanted to find a consort who would send his fatherrunning for the lawyers, but now he couldn t stand the idea that hisfather wouldn t like her. I think you ll be surprised, Meg said. I think Kaja is very smartand adaptable.And, if you re worried about your family acceptingher, I wouldn t.She s different, but there s a sweetness to Kaja that Ithink your family is going to find irresistible. The idea played around in his brain.What if it could work? Thethought of loving Kaja terrified him, but the idea of not having her 180 Sophie Oakaround caused his heart to knot.He was a mess.He wanted her.Hejust needed to accept it.He couldn t help the little smile that had his lips curling up.Megwas right.Kaja was sweet, and she tried so hard.Perhaps it wouldmake up for her lack of proper manners.It could work.His mother would view Kaja as a challenge, a sweet baby bird totake under her wing.Susan had always appreciated the odd creaturesof the planes.Despite her ridiculous adherence to parliamentaryprocedure in the boardroom, his sister was actually quite open-minded.But the rest of society would be hard on her.The press wouldfreak when they found out Kaja spent time on four legs.How was he going to protect her? Don t worry, Meg said. It really will work out.And it willwork out for me and Beck and Ci, too.I just have to have faith. Dante hoped faith was all he needed.* * * *Kaja came awake slowly, brushing away the small bug thatseemed to be intent on biting her.Her nose tickled.She wriggled it,trying to hold on to sleep.She was warm and happy.With Dantewrapped around her body, she d slept better than she had her wholelife.Her dreams had been sweet.She did not wish to leave them.But the small buzzing creature was insistent, and it seemed toKaja that it had brought some friends.Kaja opened her eyes and focused on the small thing that hadlanded on her nose.Bright blue wings fluttered, and Kaja was shocked to find it had aface.Her first instinct was to eat the little thing.It wouldn t be muchof a meal, but it might be tasty.And then she remembered Dante swords.She could not eat things that talked back. Hello, she said, hoping the little bug wouldn t talk back. Beast 181Its tiny hands flew up, and Kaja would have sworn that the thinglooked grateful.Its mouth opened and a rush of beeps and light,tinkling words rushed from its mouth.No meal for Kaja.She forced herself to sit up.The little creature took flight brieflybefore landing on Kaja s knee.The winged insect once again beganspeaking. Slowly, little one, Kaja said, remembering what Dante had toldher about the magic.The insect shook its head, words spewing from her mouth, butKaja was beginning to catch pieces of them now. Save& family& bad fae& eat. Kaja looked around.She was alone, but Dante s shirt was foldedbeside her on the ground they had slept on.Kaja breathed deeply.Shecould smell Dante and Meg.She opened her senses.They weren t faraway, and they seemed to be speaking quietly. Please to help.My babies.The pixies will be grateful always. Kaja couldn t turn that down.She nodded at the blue creature, thepixie. Where are your babies? The pixie took off, her wings flapping faster than Kaja s eyescould track.She darted away from the camp.Kaja thought aboutfinding her Dante, but then she would lose the pixie and the pixiebabies could be eaten.She raced to follow the flying pixie as shemoved through the forest.In and out of trees and bushes, the pixiedarted.Kaja leapt and feinted around a bramble brush.She could feelher feet being cut, but she feared the pixie would not allow her to helpif Kaja showed her the wolf.Then she stopped.There it was.It was soft at first.If she hadn tbeen listening for it, Kaja would have thought that it was just the playof the wind on the trees.A little mewling cry, so soft.Kaja movedforward, keeping her steps light.She didn t even think about the factthat she was naked.Clothes were something she d just beenintroduced to, and Dante seemed to shed his often enough. 182 Sophie OakThe little pixie landed on her shoulder. There.There. Kaja carefully pushed back a branch and took in the sight in frontof her.Strange green men stood around a big, black cooking pot.Thewater was beginning to boil.There were two men, both with squatbodies covered in corded muscle.Very little hair covered their heads.What they had was black and wiry, and these men did not smell at allgood, though they stood downwind.What she could smell was veryawful.One stood by the fire. Almost ready now. The second grinned, showing sharp teeth. Yes, I can tell that it is.These pretties will make an excellent soup.Sorry we didn t catch themum.She was a nice, fat one. Kaja felt a tiny foot stamp on her shoulder.Apparently fat was nota good thing to be.For a wolf, it was nice.It tended to mean a wolfcould survive the harsh winters, but the pixie seemed to take offense. All right, then, the First said. We ve waited longer than wepromised.It ain t our fault they aren t out here.If those buggers havea lick of sense, they found another plane to hide on. Kaja wasn t sure which bugs the being was talking about, but shefelt a need to save these.The little mother was very upset, and nowonder.Kaja could see the small pixies with their gossamer wingsbeing held in the cage.Her babies.The mother couldn t allow herbabies to be turned into some form of food.Kaja turned her head carefully.She put her finger to her mouth tolet the little pixie know she shouldn t shout out.In a blink, Kaja changed, her world moving from two-legged tofour.The pixie landed on her snout, looking seriously into Kaja seyes.If the pixie was frightened of Kaja s wolf, she didn t show it. Please. The pixie repeated her refrain.Kaja nodded, and the pixie took off, her wings flapping.On soft feet, Kaja burst through the bushes and attacked the firstgreen thing. Beast 183 Get the wolf! A man s voice shouted, and Kaja could feel whatshe should have sensed all along.She was surrounded, but they hadmasked their scents or stayed downwind.The soldiers from beforewere all around, and more green beings leapt from their hiding places.Too late.She realized the trap had been laid and baited. Don t hurt her, the leader said.He was the tall vampire who hadbeen kind to her and fed her treats.He seemed to only have a realproblem with Dante.Dante.He was going to be so angry with her.He was going topunish her, and maybe not in a nice way this time.Dante did not likeit when she risked her life.She turned and sought a way out.The littlepixie was trying so hard to get the cage open and let her babies free.At least she hadn t betrayed Kaja.There was nowhere to run, but she could do what she set out todo.Kaja leapt and pulled down the cage
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