Page 15 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

King

While Marinah handled the children, I checked in with the Citadel’s watch.

The number of hellhounds that had attacked us at the airport gnawed at me.

It had worried Marinah too. Before she headed to the training facility, I told her my plans, and she agreed that we needed to understand the battle we’d just had.

I climbed our highest tower in search of Eagle.

“Alden reported a large sighting of hellhounds near the shipyard,” Eagle reported when I approached.

He was our best sniper, steady under pressure, and reliable in a fight.

He’d stepped up and been invaluable since Labyrinth’s death.

He would make a solid addition to Marinah’s guard, though I kept that thought to myself.

Marinah had to choose her own people. She’d make the right decision. I just hoped it was soon.

“Alden sent the message about twenty minutes ago,” he continued.

We kept telegraphs in key locations throughout the island.

Hellhounds were attracted to electronic devices, so the early telegraph machines were a less dangerous option due to the smaller amount of electricity they needed.

They still caused trouble, but not as much as pre-hellhound electronics or devices that worked wirelessly.

“We ran into twelve at the airport,” I told him. “Now there are a dozen less to worry about. Feel like taking a ride?”

Eagle glanced around, his expression shifting curiously. “Where’s Beck?”

Usually, I couldn’t get rid of Beck. He was always a step behind me, watching my six while I watched Marinah’s.

“He’s helping his mate with the children we retrieved,” I said.

Eagle blinked, then let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. Even he had trouble picturing Beck in that role.

“It happens to the best of us,” I told him with a knowing smile.

Eagle grimaced, but I didn’t call him on it. One day, he’d understand.

We took the motorbikes.

Riding felt like freedom. Like an escape. But now that Marinah ran things, I didn’t feel the same pull to the open road. I’d rather be at her side than chasing the wind. Unfortunately, duty kept us apart most days, though even when I wasn’t with her, I felt her.

It was something in our mate bond, a steady hum beneath my skin, always letting me know where she was. If we were miles apart, the connection wasn’t as strong, but at the citadel, it was constant. I could sense when she was happy or agitated.

Since she became pregnant, the bond had deepened. Maybe "tether" was a better word for it. We were tied together by something unexplainable.

I pushed the thoughts aside and let myself enjoy the ride. The steady thrum of the motorbike beneath me, the wind slicing past. It was a fleeting moment of sanity before reality crashed back.

We pulled into the shipyard.

Alden stood with a group of Shadow Warriors, all in their beast forms, their postures tense, their watchful eyes scanning the area. As soon as Alden spotted us, he strode toward me.

“I have something strange to report,” he said.

I waited, but when he didn’t immediately continue, I prompted, “Report.”

His gaze flicked to the others before settling back on me. “There were thirty in this group of hounds.”

I exhaled sharply. “That’s larger than the pack that attacked us at the airport.”

“That’s not the strange part.” He hesitated, something uneasy flickering across his expression. “One of them was big. Really big and he looked different. He seemed to have control over the others. They obeyed him.”

I stilled. “Obeyed?”

Alden nodded grimly. “Yes. Not in a way we fully understood. More like grunts and gestures. But the group split off, and only half of them attacked us. It was coordinated. The big one got away.”

My stomach tightened. That wasn’t just bad news; it was hell of dangerous.

“How big?” I asked.

“As big as one of us in Shadow Warrior form.”

Fuck me.

“What direction did they go?”

“We aren’t sure. That’s what we were discussing when you arrived. The hellhounds made a tactical attack. They knew what they were doing and allowed the others to escape. We’ve never seen them behave like this. No one around with whistles but us. When we tried the whistles, they did nothing.”

The implications settled inside me. The Federation had somehow nullified the whistles, which was bad news. A creature leading the hellhounds could be catastrophic.

“Are the fifteen dead?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I nodded. “We need one alive. Next time, keep that in mind.”

Alden gave a sharp nod. “Understood.”

“Injuries?”

“A few scratches and bites. We took the antivenom this morning. It’s still working.”

He hesitated.

“What else?” I pressed.

His expression darkened. “The strange one had blue eyes.”

Fuck me twice. Shadow Warriors had blue eyes and hellhounds always had black eyes.

As large as a Shadow Warrior and with the same eye color. This smelled like rotten fish.

“Eagle, set up here until Alden returns.” Eagle pulled his rifle off his bike. I turned my attention back to Alden. “Take five Warriors and track the hellhounds. Do not engage unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Got it.”

I had to speak with Marinah about going on high alert and canceling leave for the Warriors.

Most Warriors headed to the southern part of the island to see their families or relax with single friends.

If they stayed at the citadel, they invariably got roped into work.

This was another change Marinah had imposed.

She wanted them to have time away. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t place the same parameters on herself.

Funny how I never minded the constant grind of leadership until it fell on her shoulders.

I returned to the bike and drove the curves at top speed. Marinah needed this information immediately. She also needed sleep. I had a feeling my news would ruin that.

I worried about Marinah and our child constantly. Control had been my foundation since I accepted that I was a Shadow Warrior. I had no control over her pregnancy. The baby could arrive at any time. There could be complications. Marinah could die in childbirth.

The thought seized my chest, and it felt like a heavy weight took my breath. If I let myself dwell on the what-ifs, I spiraled and had a harder time handling Beast. Marinah was essentially my heart. I needed her in order to breathe.

Mate , Beast grumbled softly.

When I reached our room, I found Marinah sleeping on top of the bedspread. Two covered trays rested on the small table on the other side of the room. Our dinner. It was unlike her to pass up food, even for sleep. It showed how tired she was.

I decided to eat and let her rest for another hour. She’d be pissed when I woke her, but she needed the down time.

I watched her while I ate. She’d called me creepy for doing it before, but I’d caught her doing the same thing. The truth was, we were happiest when we shared the same space. We didn’t care if we were making love or fighting hellhounds. Being close was what mattered.

While I watched her, my thoughts circled back to Alden’s report.

We had always wondered what would happen if a Shadow Warrior became a hellhound. We kept tight control of our numbers, and there was only one Warrior unaccounted for.

Knet.