If I'm lucky, she will remember every word tomorrow. I watch her sleep, and within a few minutes she begins softly snoring. While she's out, I do something I've wanted to try since discovering Beast's aversion to her. I allow him to come to the forefront without transforming. It's not easy to do and I must keep a tight leash in order to keep him from taking over completely. Beast leans over and sniffs her bare leg. He doesn't touch. Kill the woman, pops into my head.Why? I ask.Dangerous, he replies.Slowly I extend my hand and touch her leg again. Beast growls deep in my chest. Dangerous how? I press.Deadly.I don't see it. Her stumbling bumbling routine can't be a hoax. Beast leans over and licks her leg where I'm touching. He tastes her, but so do I. It's strange. I've been with women and none have tasted like her. It's an untamed wild flavor that makes me wonder if she's not quite human. Who the hell knows what other creatures roam this planet. Shadow Warriors, hellhounds,
The pounding in my head wakes me, and nausea makes me run for the bathroom. The liquor comes up and the vile taste of vomit almost makes it impossible to hold my guts inside my stomach. How I wish I could remove them.Never again, I think to myself as I lean against the toilet holding on to the cool porcelain for dear life. Of course, I've said the exact same thing before even if it has been years.About five minutes later, I walk from the bathroom feeling somewhat reborn after my purge and search the bedroom for signs of King. Though I threw back the covers when I ran to the bathroom, there's still an indent where King sat on the bed last night. It wasn't a dream.Darn, that's not good.I think I asked him to have sex with me.I think I need to dig a very big hole and bury myself in it.Instead, I grab clothes from my closet and head to the shower. The sooner I see King and face the consequences of my actions, the better. Really what can he do? I'll just pretend I don't remember
"Did they kill the two hellhounds you have?" I ask Axel, hoping my wish came true.He crosses his arms. "King told you about the two we hold?" "King did more than tell me, he showed me. Alcohol didn't numb the sight of them or the smell." I can't help the revulsion running over my skin and I shiver.Axel's fingers are steepled and he softly thrums them together. "Did he explain what they are?"He's being careful. He must know if I find out certain things my life is forfeit. And that sounds as stupid as it is. "Yes, I know we're really fighting hellhumans and not hounds."He gives a relieved sigh. "We still call them hounds. Makes it easier than thinking of them as once being humans."I get that and feel the same. Something's been bothering me since King explained what they learned, though at the time I was too afraid of the answer. "I never saw my father's body. Is he one of those... things now?" I dread the answer and thinking in these terms about my mother is too hard and real
My shoulder hurts, my head aches, and a raging hard-on is making me exceedingly uncomfortable. Even after battling hellhounds, getting bit, and fighting the poison all night she gets to me. The man, not the beast, which is a problem. Beast refusing not to react when she stares in my eyes is perplexing. Hell, everything about the woman and Beast is perplexing.I crawl out of bed, rebuffing doctor's orders. I refuse to lie around all day. Axel is a mother hen when it comes to his patients and he needs to relax a little. When I stand, the pain in my shoulder makes it difficult to draw a full breath. Along with our remedy for hellhound bites, Axel must cut the dead tissue from the wound. The area around the bite begins to putrefy immediately. It's only our healing ability that gives us time for the antidote to work or I would be dead ten times over by now.I pull on my pants slowly, fighting a groan, while hoping Axel doesn't arrive to argue with me. After I'm dressed below the waist, I
Cabel puts his sword down and walks toward me. "I didn't expect you back so soon," he says as way of greeting."I didn't expect to be. It's good to see you training." I leave the bike idling unsure why I'm here.He wipes sweat from his brow. "It's hotter than usual today. I'll give the men a break if you'd like to come inside."I turn off the ignition and lift my leg over the bike's engine. I look around while we walk the hundred or so yards to his front door. Mary, his mate, is standing at the kitchen stove stirring something in a large pot. She glares at me as I take a seat at their table. Beast rumbles at her audacity and I pull him back.Cabel tries to smooth things over. "It's okay, Mar. It was only a small love tap. He wouldn't hurt me." He gives her a quick hug and kiss on her cheek.I know when to keep my mouth shut and head down. I steady my eyes on the table and do everything I can not to incite Cabel's Beast. The mating rage is hard enough to deal with and we all walk o
I arrive at the training room followed by my ever-present guards. Boot isn't here, so I begin warm-ups and stretches. I struggle though because I feel like all my muscles have turned to bricks. My head has stopped pounding and my stomach is under control at the moment. It doesn't mean I'm ready for today's torture. I stretch, teetering to keep my balance, and I know I look like a fool while doing it. A giggle from a small cabinet in the corner alerts me that I'm being watched.My guards remain outside the open door and they're not looking in. I slowly walk to the cabinet and peek inside. The large brown eyes that peer back at me seem to sparkle in that "naughty boy I've been caught" kind of way. His brown hair comes to mid shoulder and there's a smudge of dirt beneath one eye. His skin is light burnished brown, from his mother's Cuban heritage. I lift my finger to my lips giving the age old "quiet" signal."You shouldn't be in here, Che," I whisper, taking a guess who my young spy is
It's been four weeks since Marinah arrived. We eat dinner together most nights and play an interesting game of cat and mouse. My half-grunt answers infuriate her. She's picked up the same habit when I ask her a question she doesn't want to answer, which means she's learning to play the political game.On the nights I go without her company, Beast acts up strangely and before I know it, I'm having food for two delivered to my room. It's like he can't live with her or without her and his grumbling reminds me of a whiny baby. Tonight is one of those times.A freshly showered, wet-haired Marinah, who is wearing jeans and a white tee, drags herself into my room and collapses in the chair. She's worn out from the training she's been putting in and that pleases me. I can actually go a step further and say I'm proud of her commitment.The sexual awareness I have when she's near adds to my overall enjoyment of having her with me. I'm even becoming accustomed to Beast grumbling at the sight o
"You've had this the entire time?" Marinah asks in disbelief as she stares at the silk."You needed to unwind a bit and the only way to do that was to get you on the road.""You are so aggravating," she grinds out in frustration. She wiggles on the back of the bike, wrapping the scarf around her head and securing it. Her thighs squeeze my legs and Beast takes notice.I can't think of a female I've met who's more aggravating than Marinah. Maybe Beast and I have finally met our match. I rev the throttle so she'll hurry and it does the trick. I have a spot picked out where I'd like to eat lunch. It will take another hour to get there. She wraps her arms around my waist again and we're off. This time it's her laugh that makes me push speed."I loved it," she says an hour later after I pull over. "I should learn to drive.""Walking and running first. Riding a motorcycle last." Her tongue slips out and more than anything I want to kiss her. I grab our lunch from the saddlebags instead a
Marinah is working with Ruth, who's making incredible progress. There hasn't been a complaint about the child in weeks. She follows Marinah around like she's her personal guard. The sword Marinah gave her always on her hip and her hand on the pommel daring anyone to threaten her instructor."King," Beck calls. "We have urgent news from the northern outpost."Here we go. It's been too quiet. "I'll grab Marinah. Have the men join us in the conference room in five." I don't ask what the news is because it's Marinah's job. Beck should have gone to her first, but that's something she needs to deal with. Eventually things will fall into place. When I took over after my uncle's death, it was the same way. Shadow Warriors expect a leader and sometimes knocking heads is the best way to lead them.I enter the gym, and Ruth is holding her sword with trembling arms, sweat rolling down her brow, and a stubborn set to her jaw which reminds me of Marinah's determination when she first trained. The
They were laughing at me, and I don't blame them.I simply can't lead hundreds of men, scratch that, Shadow Warriors. I have no idea what I'm doing. I replay the entire meeting in my head. They're like children, and I can't believe I need to point them in a direction and tell them what to do.Stupid.And King's gone through this for years.Labyrinth mentioned Cosway, and it reminded me I need to check on her. I begin my search and eventually give up and ask one of the door guards. He points me to the outside courtyard. I find her there, playing with the kittens."Pretty butterfly," she says when she notices me.She's a rather pretty butterfly herself now. Soap, water, and good food make her look younger. Someone also took a chisel to her teeth. I'd place her in her mid-twenties. "Hi, Cosway. Do you mind if I join you and play with the kittens?"She pushes the calico in my direction, and I grab him before he scampers off. "He likes the pretty butterfly.""I like him," I say, cra
Marinah's avoidance doesn't bother me. She needs time to think this through. What she doesn't understand is, she's a leader and she's strong enough to lead the Shadow Warriors. I remember my doubts in the beginning. They ate me alive. The difference is Marinah has me at her side. I won't let her flounder.Axel begins testing the whistles after I give him Marinah's orders. I inform my guard that Marinah doesn't have meetings or training planned for today."You told her?" asks Beck."She took it as well as expected.""That bad?""It could have been worse." And the earthquake that took down San Francisco in 1906 could have been worse too."You want us twiddling our thumbs?" asks Labyrinth.The man's a lummox and I don't count dexterity as one of his pluses so I doubt he could. "Until we have our orders, go for it."He nods, lifts his hands, and twiddles those monstrous thumbs. That's when Marinah walks into the conference room. The men come to attention immediately, and it hits me
She handles it better than I expected. It's been three days, and she refuses to mention a word about it. Like I said, better than expected. Before coming here, Beck asked if she understood what's happened. He laughed when I asked if he was planning to tell her. His exact words were, "Throw me in a pit of hellhounds first."Wise man.It's four incredible days of bliss before she decides to voice her concerns. We're in bed in the early afternoon, after enjoying uninterrupted adult time. "I can't be a leader," she says with her head lying on my chest and her body half on mine. "I've just commanded my first unit. Leaders need experience.""They do.""How the heck do I gain experience? No, wait. I don't want that kind of experience. They're your men, King. Don't do this to me. You can't." Her fingers dig into my hip.Very softly, I tell her the truth, "They're your men now.""It won't work." She slams her fists on the bed beside me. I fight a smile. Now is not the time. "You can't pos
It took hours to get everything in place. I enter our room, and Marinah is sleeping. I quickly pack a bag for us both. She sleeps through it. I'm tired, but nothing will keep my alone time with Marinah from happening.Beck is attending the funerals in my absence. It's the only thing that made me hesitate with this mad scheme.Beck put me straight. "You take this time with your mate. You have more problems than simple mating rage. When you come back, you get the hellspawn, and I'm taking Missy away."I hope Marinah will forgive me when she misses Ryan's funeral. His loss hit her hard. I still remember the first Shadow Warrior who died under my command. It doesn't get easier.I collect everything we need and wake her. "Remember I told you I'm kidnapping you," I say when I'm sure she's awake."I think," she mumbles groggily.I scoop her into my arms. "It's happening."With the two bags tossed over my shoulder, and my mate in my arms, we leave the room. "I need clothes," she finally
King places his arm around my shoulders, and we walk back to the outpost together. He tells me none of the humans in the outpost died, so I know Ruth and Missy are okay. But Ryan. He took my place and died because of it. Was he right? Should I have gone instead? I'll never know that answer, and it will haunt me forever.This is what King deals with. He takes every Shadow Warrior life personally. Now I know what it feels like. I lift my shoulders. It won't be easy, but I'll learn to live with it. We walk through the outpost gates, and Ruth spots me and starts running.Two feet away, she comes to a dead stop. "You're... huge. And bloody, cool."From beautiful to huge. This isn't looking good. "Yeah, I guess I am.""Are you meaner?"Oh, this child. "I hope not."Her lips curve downward and her eyes go stubborn. "Then it's not that cool.""She stabbed the general with her claws until there was nothing left of his face," Labyrinth tells the unimpressed child."You did?"I hope the
I lose track of Marinah after she takes off for the vehicles holding the rotary guns. She figured out what Smythe had planned. My men are ready to enter the fight. We circle the area where Marinah is taking on the rotary guns and leave our position. We've flanked the enemy on all sides. Many begin running toward Marinah, trying to get away, but I don't have time to think about the danger she's in. Beck's men are inside the outpost now, holding back the hellhounds. There are a few stragglers, and my men draw their swords and cut them down.The Federation soldiers realize they aren't winning and begin laying down their weapons. A hellhound about twenty feet from me grabs one stupid man. His muffled screams stop when the hound chews his face off. I charge three hounds with my sword, cutting them down as I run. Half my men point their rifles at the surrendering soldiers who have decided being shot is a quicker way to die than being eaten by hounds. They are no longer placing their weapons
I lift my glasses again. Now I can see Beck and Cabel moving. I turn to the outpost and for the first time see General Smythe. I lick my lips. He won't be getting away this time. To hell with questioning him. If given the chance, I'll take his throat.Humans are stationed along the high wall on the inside of the outpost. The hellhounds will easily go up and over. Missy will have those unable to fight secured underground in one of their bunkers. Beck and his men will go against the hellhounds to stop them. Labyrinth's job is to take on the Federation soldiers.Knowing some Federation soldiers are here by force unsettles me.Kill, Ms. Beast whispers at my reticence. Yes, kill. If they are willing to kill civilians, including women and children, they won't be leaving here alive. My resolve is set, and I'm impatient to fight. Everyone is in place, and nothing is going on that I can see.The Federation waits ten more minutes, and then everything happens at once. The hellhounds are unl
Cabel meets us outside the outpost walls and leads us to a large group of Warriors. The tension in the air is thick. Missy told us that more than a thousand soldiers have joined the Federation camp about two miles away. This morning, the soldiers began collecting their belongings. They are leaving or attacking, and the former doesn't seem likely.King speaks in hushed tones so our voices don't carry in the still night. There isn't a breeze, but it's chilly. I prefer warmth. It's times like this that I really miss our island. Pushing the thought aside, I listen to King. I need my head clear and thinking of home won't help.We have close to four hundred warriors versus a thousand Federation soldiers. If it weren't for the hellhounds, this would be a piece of cake. There's no way Smythe isn't leading this force. Is he unaware the Shadow Warriors have aligned with the outposts? Spying in the new world isn't as it once was. You need eyes now, not satellites. The Federation is building up