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King

The helicopter dropped us about a mile from the most populated housing area near the shore. We rappelled down, avoiding a landing to keep the chopper safe. Once our boots hit solid ground, Marinah took the lead, her deadly focus in overdrive as she moved us toward the fight. According to Beck’s intel, there were at least fifty Federation soldiers, fully armed, accompanied by a similar number of hellhounds.

Marinah’s worry for Che and Ruth showed as her jaw tightened further, and her eyes scanned the area. Fearing for the kids was a distraction she didn’t need while she was still finding her footing as a Warrior leader. Unfortunately, there was no stopping her from trying to save the world, and every good soul on it, even while managing the mundane matters on our small island. Her leadership style would settle with time, but for now, we had to endure her relentless drive to shoulder every burden.

We crept through the sand, using the jagged rocks along the shoreline as cover. One of the Warriors ahead of us gave a signal, and our attention snapped to the water. Five large rafts rested on the shore. Marinah gestured silently to one group of men, who moved to destroy them. Whoever had dared to invade our island would not be leaving the same way they came. Most wouldn’t leave at all. They’d die here; their bodies chopped up so they couldn’t return as hellhounds, then shoved into the ocean for a wet burial. No one attacked our people without paying the ultimate price.

The presence of the rafts told me they likely had an undetected ship offshore. Even with my enhanced Beast vision, I couldn’t see anything on the horizon, but it had to be sizable to transport this many humans and hellhounds.

The sound of steel clashing in the distance reached us. Marinah picked up speed, her braided hair flowing behind her as she ran. Our weapons were secured, making no noise as we moved silently toward the battle. Our team of fifteen would eventually be joined by others riding motorcycles to the fight. For now, our mission was to end this as quickly as possible or at least hold off the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

A loud pop echoed from a large building about a hundred yards ahead. We remained in the shadows, silent and unseen, the tension in the air electric. Marinah glanced back at us, her eyes glowing faintly, and signaled for us to fan out. No one would see us coming until it was too late.

Ahead of us lay a cleared area we needed to cross. Marinah raised her hand, signaling us to halt. Using the last outcropping of ocean rock for cover, we crouched in silence, waiting for her next command.

“We need a distraction,” she murmured. “Something to shift their focus.”

“I’ll go,” Beck volunteered immediately.

She turned to him. “A disruption only,” she emphasized. “We’ll find Ruth, I promise. But I’m not losing you before that happens.”

He nodded before he began climbing up the rocks. Less than three minutes passed, and a distant crackle of gunfire echoed through the night. It had to be Beck.

Marinah’s head lifted slightly, her nostrils flaring as she assessed the situation again. Then her lips curled into a grim smile. “It’s time to rock ‘n’ roll,” she said, her voice charged with fire. “We need someone alive, so don’t eat too much.”

Even with the weight of Ruth, Che, and the baby on her mind, she still managed to throw out a joke. If a Shadow Warrior had her sense of humor, I would have ended them long ago. Killing one’s mate, however, was generally frowned upon.

“Ready, big boy?” she teased, patting my arm.

I scowled down at her, baring my teeth in mock irritation. She tugged on my braid, and before I could respond, her massive maw pressed against mine in a Beast-form kiss. It wasn’t what I’d expected, but I wasn’t about to complain. When she tried to pull back, I didn’t let her, holding her close until she gave in for a few more seconds. Kissing in Beast form wasn’t exactly romantic, or easy, but if my mate needed the connection, I’d give it to her.

“We have work to do,” she said gruffly when she finally pulled away, her eyes glowing with the need to destroy. “Let’s go kill some hellhounds and bad guys.”

I couldn’t help the grin that split my elongated jaw. “Give the command, and I’ll lead the way,” I taunted, eager for the fight ahead.

“That’s what you think, baby,” Marinah called out before darting across the open area at full speed. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing, just her charging headlong into the fray. All we could do was follow.

We made it across without detection, moving swiftly toward the heart of our home. Pandemonium erupted when we reached the main part of town, where most of the houses were clustered. Hellhounds swarmed, attacking anything that moved. One of the beasts lunged at Marinah, but she swatted it aside with a clawed hand, her strength as terrifying as it was impressive.

I stepped in to finish the creature, driving my sword deep into its neck before slicing outward to sever its head. The thick, acrid scent of hellhound blood filled the air. I wanted to shout at Marinah, to tell her to go find the kids like I knew she wanted to, but she was already throwing herself into the thick of battle. Within seconds, she disappeared in the chaos.

The hellhounds attacked indiscriminately, their lack of focus confirming what I feared. Our people had deployed the whistles. Without clear guidance, the hounds were no longer under anyone’s control, and they tore through Federation and islanders alike. My sword struck another beast, separating its head cleanly from its shoulders as its body crumpled to the ground.

“King!” one of my men shouted. I turned to see one of the Warriors who had stayed behind to guard the area staggering toward me. His chest was a mass of blood, and the gaping wound in his stomach made it clear his chances of survival were slim. He fell. I sprinted to his side, landing in a crouch to check the damage.

I began adjusting his straps, trying to keep his insides where they belonged, but he shook his head weakly. “No time,” he rasped, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. “They attacked us and took Knet. Che and Ruth followed them.”

The words hit me like a punch. Knet, another Warrior who had been tasked with guarding our homes. He’d always been reckless, more focused on proving himself than following orders. I’d hoped sending him here would keep him out of trouble. Clearly, I’d been wrong.

“The kids followed?” I asked, needing to be certain I hadn’t misunderstood.

He nodded weakly. “I saw them near the rocks,” he gasped. “They were trailing the Federation soldiers. Ruth had a whistle.”

A surge of panic twisted in my chest. “What about Maylin and Baby Boot?”

He coughed violently, blood spraying between his Warrior fangs. “Maylin had the baby with her. That’s all I know,” he choked out, his voice barely audible.

I clenched my jaw, fury and fear warring within me. Marinah needed to know, but there was no time to dwell on what might have already happened. We had to move.

I locked eyes with him, his life force dimming with every passing second. “You did your job and will receive a Warrior’s burial. Go in peace, my brother.” His hand found mine in a weak squeeze before the light in his eyes flickered out. Like always, a part of me died with him. Even though I was no longer Alpha, I could still feel the abrupt end of a Warrior’s energy when it was extinguished. Maybe it was my bond with Marinah that kept the connection alive; my men didn’t seem to feel it.

The sharp crack of gunfire drew my attention toward the cluster of houses near the water. My home sat farther up the shore, more secluded. The humans preferred to stay close together and had avoided claiming the homes away from the village. With a burst of speed, I rounded the building standing between me and the fight.

Marinah was locked in battle with three men, though it had clearly started with more. Bodies littered the ground around her. Her lethal efficiency was on full display. Another shot rang out from above and drew my gaze upward. Missy was in an upper window, her marksmanship as precise as ever. She was just as deadly with a silent bow, but her rifle scattered the Federation soldiers, and they didn’t know in what direction death would find them.

I focused on one of the soldiers attacking Marinah and closed the distance in a blur of motion. He didn’t have time to react before my sword cut through him. Marinah made quick work of the other two. Her movements were a deadly ballet of claws and strength. The Federation soldiers, far more elite than their red stripes, were still no match for her.

A fresh burst of gunfire erupted behind us. I turned and saw more Federation soldiers closing in. A quick glance toward Missy’s last position showed she’d shifted to another vantage point.

“You want to fly?” I whispered to Marinah out of the corner of my mouth.

“Sounds good, baby,” she replied, her voice filled with an eager need to kill.

She turned toward me, and in the same motion, leaped up. I crouched low and then jumped, shoving every ounce of strength into her legs. Pain flared briefly in my shoulder. A bullet grazed my arm, but it didn’t matter. Marinah soared through the air, shifting into her Nova form before she landed.

When she hit the ground amidst the soldiers, all hell broke loose. Claws and teeth ripped through flesh, and her roar sent a tremor down my spine. If we’d hoped to keep one alive, it wouldn’t be from this group. The chance of Marinah’s Nova leaving a survivor was slim.

She was amazing, impressive, and terrifying as hell. Even if Marinah sprouted two heads and six arms, I’d still find her beautiful. In Nova form, there were no words to describe her. She was bigger, stronger, and more powerful than anything I’d ever seen. And deadlier. Like a Viking berserker of old, she surrendered to the madness of battle when Nova took over.

I counted six men aiming guns at us. Sixty seconds later, no one remained standing. My mate stood amidst the carnage, her body drenched in blood, a feral growl rumbling deep within her chest. She spun, searching for her next victim, and her intensity was both awe-inspiring and chilling. A scream pierced the air, and that was all the encouragement she needed. She took off again, driven by instinct. I followed, though not to help. There was no need. I wanted to witness the spectacle. I wouldn’t dream of stepping between Nova and her prey.

In the center of the town square, several men were dragging a woman across the dusty ground. A group of women surrounded them, fists flying as they tried to free her. One soldier struck an unlucky helper, sending her sprawling. Others immediately stepped in to take her place, refusing to back down.

Marinah arrived like a hurricane. The women retreated, dragging their injured sisters out of the way as my mate unleashed her fury. She eviscerated the first soldier, her claws tearing open his stomach in a spray of blood and entrails. Her massive jaws clamped onto the second soldier’s throat, and his gurgling cries were cut short as she wrenched his life away. The third soldier made the mistake of running. He managed ten feet before Marinah’s powerful legs propelled her into his path. He barely had time to whimper before his head was severed and sent flying toward the onlooking women in a crimson arc.

Three hellhounds bounded into the square, their black forms monstrous, their glowing eyes locked on Marinah. Her back was to them as something else caught her attention. This time, it was my turn to join the fray. Drawing my sword, I charged the first hellhound, its fangs bared and dripping with toxic saliva. A single swing of my blade took its head, and the creature’s body slid to the ground.

The remaining two came at me in tandem, their snapping jaws aimed for my throat. They fought like the vicious dogs they resembled. I dodged their teeth and claws, going for the stomach of the closest one. It howled in pain when my claws raked its stomach, but it wasn’t a fatal blow. The only way to truly kill a hellhound was to sever its head. As I turned to face the second, I prepared for its next lunge.

Hellhounds were born of humanity’s worst mistakes. They were genetically modified abominations that defied nature. When they died, their bodies turned to ash within minutes, fueling the belief that they were creatures of biblical damnation. Religious fanatics had seized on this, labeling them as hellhounds. Their origin was actually steeped in science, though their terrifying bodies made it hard to argue against mythology.

I turned to the remaining hellhound, grabbed its head, and twisted hard. The sharp crack of its neck breaking was satisfying, but I didn’t stop there. The wounded one, missing most of its internal guts, lunged at me, its glowing eyes filled with feral rage. I sidestepped, my left clawed hand slicing through its throat in a clean, deep arc. With a vicious pull, I separated its head from its shoulders. Dropping the head to the ground, I hurled the limp body across the square.

I didn’t notice my foot was standing on its entrails until the grotesque display made the hellhound resemble a kite trailing ribbons of flesh. It flew through the air before landing with a wet, sickening thud. Blood still dripping from my claws, I scanned the area, my vision hazed with adrenaline and rage, searching for more enemies.

Marinah stood twenty feet away, her massive Nova form heaving with each breath. Her claws and fangs glistened with blood, and she snapped at the air in frustration, unable to fully expel the battle frenzy coursing through her. The island women began backing away, their wide, terrified eyes glued to her monstrous form.

“Marinah, we’re safe now,” I said in a soothing voice. “I need you to return to your Warrior form. It’s important.” I didn’t dare touch her. She needed time for her bloodlust to fade, process my words, and let her Nova instincts settle.

She shook her enormous head, flinging a spray of blood and saliva in every direction. The women retreated even farther; their fear written in each expression. Marinah’s heavy breaths slowed, and I saw the moment she regained control. The transformation back to Warrior form started. Her massive body cracked and shifted, shrinking as bones popped and realigned.

A few women gasped at the gruesome process, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Within a minute, Marinah stood in her smaller though still impressive Warrior form. When she lifted her head, her intelligent eyes locked onto mine, though her fangs stayed Nova massive.

“What’th impor-thant?” she asked, her lisp through the elongated teeth endearing, though I knew better than to tell her that unless I wanted my own entrails torn out.

“Maylin and Baby Boot are safe, but Che and Ruth followed Federation soldiers. They’re missing,” I said.

Her gaze hardened instantly. “Follow-th them where?” she demanded.

“To the beach,” I replied.

Marinah tilted her head back, and a gut-wrenching roar erupted from her throat, reverberating through the square. My sensitive ears flinched at the sound, but it wasn’t meant for me. The women in the square cowered, some crying softly, their fear echoing Marinah’s rising rage. One by one, Shadow Warriors began entering the square, drawn by her ferocious call.

Abruptly, Marinah’s roar cut off. She whirled to face the Warriors now gathered, her blazing eyes nearly eating them alive with fury. “How dith the Federation geth on-th the island without us know-thing?” she shouted, her voice heavy with accusation as she pointed at the men, daring them to answer. “I don’th care whath it taketh. Finth those kiths!”

Her thoughts had cleared even if her rage hadn’t. I wanted answers too.

“Head to the citadel,” I told the women, who were still staring at Marinah like she had two heads.

“They have a whale!” Che yelled from about ten yards away.

“It’s not a whale, you dummy, it’s a submarine,” Ruth snapped, running behind him, her sword drawn.

“It’s a whale, and you’re the dumbest!”

Marinah let out a huff of air that could’ve filled a hot air balloon. Che, fearless as ever, ran up and threw his arms around her leg. “It was super cool! It came up out of the water and then got swallowed again!”

Ruth planted her hands on her hips. “It wasn’t swallowed. It was electronically controlled!”

“Tell her to stop picking on me. She’s been mean all day,” Che said stubbornly.

Marinah bent low, putting her jaws in Ruth’s and Che’s faces. The roar she let loose had everyone jumping a foot in the air. The kids covered their ears, and I was sure Marinah’s dead hellhound breath didn’t help.

Ruth, her face scrunched in what I thought was fear, pointed accusingly at Che. “It was his idea!”