Page 11

King

Once we were clean, we pulled out our sleeping bags and settled in for a few hours. I hadn’t planned on this delay, but I changed my mind so Marinah could get some rest. She wasn’t speaking to anyone, and the men smiled every time her back was turned. They’d let up eventually, and Marinah never stayed silent for long.

I couldn’t help but imagine what I must have looked like to them with Marinah perched on my shoulders. The thought was so absurd it amused me, and for once, it didn’t trigger the mating rage. We needed the downtime, and humor helped. I’d learned early in the hellhound invasion that you couldn’t live on the edge of life and death without taking a break now and then. At least, I understood it for my men. For me, it had been different. My anger toward humans after the Federation killed my uncle had been all-consuming. Humor was the last thing I thought I needed.

And then Marinah happened.

I had smiled and laughed more since she came into my life than I could ever remember. I glanced at her now, curled on her side and pointedly not touching me. She let out a small huff, and I took a chance, sliding my arm around her waist. When she didn’t pull away, I hoped her sulking was over. I drew her closer, and she sighed softly, slipping into a deeper sleep.

Axel was on guard duty, moving quietly, shifting his head in all directions. I was tired, but my thoughts wouldn’t stop reeling. The same questions about the Federation churned through my mind, driving me crazy. What were they really up to? What was their endgame?

The thoughts circled endlessly, getting me nowhere. Eventually, I settled against Marinah, letting her steady presence calm me, and I closed my eyes. Sleep came quickly after that.

∞∞∞

A few hours later, we made quick work of breaking camp and marched on in silence through the afternoon. Running wasn’t an option. We were too close now, and every step forward required heightened vigilance.

We finally left the forest behind and reached the outer edge of the city. Most of the area was demolished, but a clear path had been worn through the rubble, and we followed it. Broken glass from the destroyed buildings caught the fading light, sparkling eerily. The glittering effect made the quiet city feel even more unnatural.

During my fighting days with the Federation, I’d entered cities like this one. Even now, it was hard to comprehend the scale of destruction that had brought us to this point. Over two million people had died here at the start of the hellhound war. The smell of death was long gone, but skeletal remains still appeared here and there, stark reminders of life’s cruelty. When millions die, burying the dead becomes a luxury for the survivors left fighting for their lives.

The thought of what the genetically modified formaldehyde might do if it reached these skeletons crossed my mind. We’d never seen evidence of them infecting skeletons but I wasn’t the only one thinking about it. Beck silently drew his sword and decapitated the nearest skull. Without needing to speak, the rest of us followed his lead, pulling our swords and doing the same as we walked. The bones were brittle, and our swords made little noise as we worked.

Two hours after entering the city, the faint ring of metal on metal clanged in the distance. I lifted my arm, signaling everyone to stop. My rage spiked as I thought about the slaughter the Federation soldiers had delivered to the outpost. Beast stirred, shooting extra K-5 into my system, pushing me toward the edge. I held him back, forcing myself to stay focused. I needed a clear head until I knew exactly what we were up against. Soon, I promised him silently.

Pointing to Labyrinth, I sent him ahead with a series of hand signals. We took cover in a building partially buried under debris and waited in silence. The sun was nearly gone by the time he returned; his massive form shadowed by the dying light. He held up ten clawed fingers and flashed them five times. Fifty soldiers.

He pointed further into the city, gesturing toward a cluster of half-demolished skyscrapers. Without a word, he took the lead, guiding us to a new location.

It took twenty minutes of climbing over debris to reach a tall building that looked slightly more stable than the others. Carefully, we entered and made our way to the stair shaft. Following Labyrinth, we headed upward. Near the top, the stairs were blocked by large beams.

“I climbed through earlier and found a good defensive position at the top,” Labyrinth said. “We’ll be able to see the city from there.”

Garret struggled with the stairwell. When I turned and saw him lagging behind, his expression told me he was about to tell us to leave him again. I nodded at Axel, who moved to assist him through the maze of rubble.

Garret had impressed me so far. He’d kept up without complaint, fought hellhounds alongside us, and even encouraged me to leave him when he thought he couldn’t go on. Still, I was reserving my final judgment. Whether or not he earned my trust would depend on if he made it out alive.

With Axel’s help, Garret reached the top soon after the rest of us. The space had once been a massive office. Now, it was unrecognizable. Cubicles lay torn apart, most likely from the original bomb blasts when the military had tried to take out the hellhounds after realizing the city was lost. Desks were overturned, paper was scattered everywhere, and shards of glass glittered across the floor like jagged stars.

Labyrinth walked to a far wall with a short set of stairs. “It leads to the roof,” he said. We followed him outside and looked over the city. He pointed north. “They’ve got at least fifty soldiers and three railcars holding hellhounds. Two more had their doors open and are empty. I’m guessing they’re meant for the hounds that separated from the main group.” He shrugged in frustration, clearly wanting answers as much as the rest of us. “I didn’t know what the railcars were for at first, but then a guard banged on the side of one. The hounds inside went nuts. I’d estimate about fifty hellhounds per car, one fifty total.”

He scanned our group, his gaze lingering on Marinah. Beast stirred when their eyes met, but I pushed him back, forcing myself to focus. Labyrinth continued. “The soldiers are fully armed and probably have heavier weaponry in one of the tents they’ve set up. Their camp is in a cluster of metal warehouse buildings on low ground. It’s been there for a while.”

I took a moment to visualize everything he’d said and to analyze our strategy. Five of us against fifty soldiers and one hundred and fifty hellhounds. Garret might be able to fight, but he was human. If more than a few hellhounds attacked him, he wouldn’t make it.

Marinah touched my arm, drawing my attention. “If we can lure the soldiers away from the hounds, we’ll only need to deal with them,” she said.

Her idea had merit. “How would we do it?”

She tilted her head slightly, and even in Warrior form, her expression told me I wasn’t going to like her plan. “Bait. More specifically, me—”

I tried to stop her, but she raised a hand, cutting me off. “I’ll shift to my human form, let them think I’m a spy, and run for it. Unless someone there recognizes me, they’ll have no idea I’m a Warrior.”

Of course, her plan would place her in danger. I turned to Labyrinth. “Did you see anyone you know?”

Marinah cut in before I could respond. “I can unbraid my hair. If we play this right, it won’t matter if someone eventually recognizes me.” She stubbornly crossed her arms, her stance defiant.

“They’re led by General Smythe,” Labyrinth said.

Marinah slowly turned to him, then back to me. A slow, evil grin crossed her face, and I could see the effort it took for her to keep her beast under control.

Axel broke the tension. “I don’t think seeing a lone woman would send the entire camp in pursuit.”

Marinah answered with a wave of her hand. “It would if I killed one or several of them. I can establish high ground and use my rifle. In fact, I can set up multiple shooting positions and draw them as far from the hellhounds as possible.”

“What if they release the hounds?” Labyrinth asked.

Her eyes flashed. “I can outrun hellhounds and soldiers.”

“Any one of us could draw them away using your tactic,” I said. Marinah’s plan wasn’t happening. My mate would not be bait for the general.

∞∞∞

We decided to scout their camp to finalize our plan. Garret stayed behind after I made it clear we’d be moving fast, and his presence would slow us down if we were spotted.

Labyrinth led us to a vantage point where we could see most of the camp’s layout. As he’d described, it was well-established, using several large metal industrial buildings to house the soldiers. The buildings had massive rolling hangar doors, most of them open, allowing us to see inside with our Warrior night vision. Scattered around the perimeter were several large tents, but we couldn’t see inside those.

We didn’t spot General Smythe, but the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I scanned the camp. If Smythe was here, he wouldn’t be leaving alive.

The railcars were arranged in a horseshoe shape beside the solid wall of one of the barracks. We moved farther north, circling the camp. On the northern side, we discovered a recently cleared path. The tracks told a story. Large machinery had passed through here not long ago. Most likely, the vehicles were used to transport the railcars and had since been moved elsewhere or were parked inside one of the warehouses. The tents weren’t large enough to hold them.

Continuing around to the other side, we caught the unmistakable stench of a latrine and gave it a wide berth, along with the two sentries stationed nearby. The Federation’s security was lax, and we’d use that to our advantage.

“I didn’t see Smythe,” Marinah said once we were far enough away.

“Neither did I,” I replied. “But they’ve been here for a while. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are more camps like this one. They could be systematically taking out the outposts, attacking, regrouping, and scouting the next target.”

“We need to end them.”

She was right. We did.

Once we returned to camp, I determined we’d need food and sleep before holding our meeting to solidify the plan. A small squeak caught my attention, and I turned to see Beck holding up a mouse, a rare grin on his face.

“Sorry, not enough to share, and I’m eating meat tonight,” Beck said, holding up his prize.

“Jerk,” Marinah muttered under her breath. I couldn’t help but smile.

“The last time I suggested you try mouse, you nearly killed me with your glare,” I said teasingly. “What’s changed?”

“MREs,” she snarled, her disdain evident.

Leaning close, I whispered huskily in her ear, “I’ll find you warm food. That’s one of my jobs as your mate.”

She licked her lips, her sharp teeth just barely visible. “And what’s my job?”

“To eat it.”

She gulped and nodded. “You catch it, I’ll eat it.”

It took me about fifteen minutes, but I returned with three dead rodents. Tossing one her way, I half-expected her to jump up and run. Instead, with a quick turn of her head and a snap of her jaws, the mouse was gone.

I didn’t laugh, though her wide-eyed expression almost broke me. Instead, I offered her another.

“You eat them,” she said, holding up a hand. “I want to be sure this one stays down. I think I’ve finally discovered something that isn’t great about being a Shadow Warrior.” She shuddered. “I ate a mouse.”

Her tone was so pathetic I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face. “You’ll live, and I promise it’ll get easier.”

“I don’t think I want it to get easier,” she groaned.

I popped the other two mice into my mouth and crunched down. The sound was loud, deliberate, and satisfying. Her glare as I licked my fingers only added to my amusement.

“You don’t play fair,” she accused.

“No, I don’t.” Stepping closer, I nuzzled my jaw against hers. “You need sleep.”

“You’re right,” she admitted grudgingly. “And the mouse wasn’t enough. I’ll settle for an MRE and maybe try another mouse tomorrow. Maybe.”

After eating enough to keep hunger at bay, we cleared a space through the debris and set up a bed in the corner of the office, rearranging some cubicles to our liking. Marinah had second watch tonight, and she needed rest before Labyrinth woke her. We spread out our sleeping bags and curled into each other. Her clawed hand landed on my arm, and she carefully ran her palm over my skin.

“I can lead the soldiers away from the hellhounds,” she said softly. “You and the men can ambush them.”

My jaw tightened. She wasn’t letting this go. “They have no problem killing women,” I growled.

“You know I’m right,” she countered. “I’m a Shadow Warrior, and I’m a good shot. Or have you forgotten?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten. Are you going to rest or argue with me until morning?”

Surprisingly, she curled into my side, making herself comfortable. “Stubborn jerk,” she whispered before going quiet.

There she was, the woman I loved.