Page 29 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

King

The Federation soldier wasn’t in good condition.

A Shadow Warrior’s claw had left a deep wound in his leg.

The bandage around it was bloody. He glanced at me when I entered the cell, then tightly shut his eyes.

Trevor stood against the far wall, staring daggers at the man.

He’d asked Beck if he could stand guard, and Beck allowed it.

I wasn’t so sure. Trevor looked like a man out for blood.

Fury radiated off him as he fought to control his beast. I nodded at him, then adjusted the leather straps on my chest. “Look at me,” I told the prisoner.

His eyes opened a sliver, and my Beast exploded.

Gaining control so quickly after the change was a new phenomenon.

I wasn’t quite where Marinah was, but I was damn close.

I took three steps toward the man, lifted him by the collar of his shirt, and said, very distinctly, “You will tell me everything you know. I can make your death quick, or I can eat you from your feet up, and keep you alive through most of it.”

“Kill me,” he said. “I know little, and nothing I tell you will help. They have my family. My children. I had no choice.” He closed his eyes again.

A loud growl came from across the room. Trevor had been unable to stop his shift, and he was now in Beast form. His control would be erratic for up to an hour, and I didn’t want him killing the prisoner before it was time. I directed my stare at him and growled. He stayed where he was.

“Anything you say will help,” I said through elongated jaws with huge teeth that could easily circle the prisoner’s head.

“They are planning to attack soon. You have no chance. They will overwhelm your forces with hellhounds. They also made that thing from a Shadow Warrior. He bullies the hounds into going where he wants them to and they don’t fight back against him.

” Something in his eyes died. There was no fight left, only resignation and his entire body went limp.

“When are they coming?” I demanded.

“I do not know the exact time, but soon.”

“How many soldiers?”

He shrugged and I shook him.

“I don’t know.” He squeaked.

“Were you captured?”

“Yes.”

“From where?”

“Tully.”

“They took your family?”

“A large group of us were on our way to Outpost Three to trade with them. The soldiers captured us at the midway point. I did what they said, even though I knew they would not spare my family.” He lifted his chin slightly. “Kill me. I do not want to live.”

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Evan Pycos. It doesn’t matter, though. I want to die.”

“Why do you think your family is dead?”

He looked down, then back up. “They want as many hellhounds as possible for the fight against you. They are killing everyone they find and turning them into those monsters. They captured about twenty of us. Men, women, and children. Then they injected us with the hellhound evil. They told us what they wanted and asked for a volunteer. No one stepped forward, and they shot an entire family. That’s when I raised my hand.

They moved my family to the side and killed everyone else.

My children witnessed the slaughter.” He looked down again.

“They moved the dead into a huge cage, and an hour later, hellhounds rose. My daughter wouldn’t stop screaming, and a soldier backhanded her.

One of her baby teeth flew out and she didn’t move after that.

I should have let them kill me and my family immediately. ”

“Did you see them kill the other members of your family?”

“No, they were taken away, and I was told exactly what they expected from me. It was a suicide mission, and I knew it. That’s why I know my family is dead. The Federation didn’t expect me to survive.”

“How did you survive?”

“I dug a shallow hole and buried myself with sand until I heard the high-pitched sound from the submarine.”

“And?” I asked when he didn’t continue.

“I hit the detonation switch and released the hounds.”

“Even knowing your family was most likely dead?” I growled.

“Yes.” His eyes lifted to mine again. “I am a coward. You need to kill me.”

He wanted to suffer for what he’d done. He wanted to die because his family was dead, and he hadn’t been strong enough to watch them die or to die with them. He was a coward. He needed someone else to end his miserable life. I was very tempted.

“I have a better idea,” I told him. “You deserve the death you seek.”

He gulped.

“You will die on our front lines at the hands of the Federation when they attack.” I released him.

He collapsed to his knees. “Please end this. I can’t take it.” He began crying.

I wanted to strangle him. I turned to Trevor. “Guard him closely so he doesn’t kill himself.” I didn’t think he was capable of doing it, but I wanted to be sure. “Do not harm him in any way. Do you have enough control for this assignment?”

Trevor looked at the prisoner before momentarily meeting my eyes.

“Yes, King.”

If Trevor did kill him, his punishment wouldn’t be severe, but I didn’t say so.

I left the cell and returned to my wife and child. Marinah sat in the chair by the table, feeding our daughter again. For such a tiny thing, she enjoyed her food as much as her mother. Marinah slowly munched on food from a plate on the table.

“You should be in bed,” I said after kissing her on the cheek.

“My, what big teeth you have, oh great one.” She grinned, then shifted her attention to the baby. Her eyes grew soft, and a smile curved her lips. I would carry this picture in my head for the rest of my life. They were so incredibly beautiful.

I shifted to human form and knelt at Marinah’s knees. I ran one finger across the baby’s cheek. She was our future, and it was worth risking everything to know she would survive.

Marinah leaned forward and kissed the top of my head.

I straightened and looked up at her. “Your thoughts are in turmoil,” she said.

“We planned to take time after the birth and relax, even if for only a few days. That was unrealistic of us. We need to be fighting for a peaceful world she can grow up in.”

“My thoughts show so loudly?”

“You are my mate. We have the same thoughts.” She reached her hand out and ran her fingers over the stubble on my jaw. I took her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. I placed her hand over my heart. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

We gazed at each other for what seemed an eternity. I felt her deep inside me. Mates. I don’t know if our connection had ever been this powerful.

“What did the prisoner say?” Marinah finally asked.

I stood, adjusted my chest straps and took the chair beside her. I recounted the man’s story.

“Do you think they killed his family?” Marinah asked.

“Most likely. Putting him in battle is risky because he might kill one of us. Killing him instantly was too good for him.”

“We’ll think about our options,” she said.

“Do we wait for the attack, or do we preempt it?” I asked.

Someone knocked on the door. I opened it with a growl, upset that our time together was being interrupted. Beck stood there.

“There’s a ship in the citadel harbor.”

“Just one ship?”

“Yes, it’s filled with women. They want to see Nikayla.”

“Who?”

“Your child, though they said Marinah’s child. They claim to be Shadow.”