Page 3 of Shadow (Marinah and the Apocalypse #1)

King

B east stirring beneath my skin was never a good sign. No human should have affected me this way. I knew who she was now. Church’s daughter.

My control among the Shadow Warriors was legendary, yet the smell and taste of her blood had me on edge. Her father’s scent lingered faintly, woven into her, and instead of steadying me, it spiked my anger. Church had been a good man; one I owed a great debt to. There was no reason his bloodline should have provoked me like this. If anything, it should have calmed me. She was female, after all, and that should have made her less of a threat.

I ground my teeth, forcing Beast to recede. It didn’t matter that she was Church’s daughter. Among my kind, we judged a person by their own merit, not their lineage. If the U.S. government thought sending her would sway us, they had miscalculated. Perhaps it was their relentless manipulations that had Beast on edge. Or perhaps it was something about her specifically. Either way, my composure was unraveling, and I didn’t like it.

She trailed behind me, keeping a safe distance of at least ten feet. That didn’t speak well of her damned backbone. My glance shifted to the soldiers waiting by the vehicle. They stood stoic, as always, but I could sense their unease. My interaction with the woman hadn’t gone unnoticed.

And then there was Beck, my second.

Arms crossed and feet planted wide, he radiated displeasure, his stance practically daring me to acknowledge it. Knowing Beck, it wouldn’t be long before he started tapping his fucking foot like a cranky old woman. His open defiance was nothing new, and I could already hear the endless pissing and moaning I’d endure from him tonight.

My glare cut through the distance, and his eyes dropped, sliding away in submission. I was King. I was his alpha. Holding eye contact too long resulted in consequences.

But then Beck’s gaze shifted to her.

A low growl escaped my throat before I could stop it. The sound was sharp, territorial, and unnatural, and I cursed myself for the slip.

Beck’s head snapped back to me; his eyes wide with surprise before darting around to check the reaction of the others. I felt the ripple of tension among my men. They had seen enough to know this wasn’t normal behavior. Their eyes flicked away, choosing not to meet mine or linger on the woman.

Good. Let them look elsewhere. I didn’t need their scrutiny right now.

There was a reason Marinah was here, and forming any kind of attachment wasn’t part of the plan. Debt to her father or not. If it came to it, she might die here. And if that happened, it would be by my hand.

We didn’t kill women unless absolutely necessary; it went against the instincts of Shadow Warriors as a whole. Women and children had always had that effect on us. But I would pull the trigger if it meant sparing one of my men from carrying the weight of it.

We had put safeguards in place to ensure she stayed in the dark about our secrets. That didn’t mean something wouldn’t slip past our defenses, shattering her safety net. If it did, the responsibility fell to me.

Labyrinth moved to the vehicle and held open the back door, a gesture so out of character I nearly laughed. The brute had never held a door for anyone in his life, yet here he was, playing at civility.

Beck and Nokita mounted their motorcycles, engines roaring to life.

The woman moved past me and slid into the car without hesitation. Her skirt rode up as she settled into the seat, exposing long legs and a glimpse of white panties. If the U.S. thought they could entice me with her, they had miscalculated. Sending her without the undergarments might have been a better strategy.

I cut off the thought with a growl of irritation.

She might not live through the day, and allowing my focus to slip for even a second was a mistake.

Her height had caught me off guard when she first stepped off the plane. Freakishly tall for a woman, she had a warrior’s build but lacked the coordination or confidence to use it. That awkward tumble down the stairs had proven it.

With time and effort, I could have molded her into a fighter, making her deadly and efficient.

But I had neither the time nor the inclination.

As she scooted to the far side of the seat, I folded myself into the car with a reluctant sigh. We preferred motorcycles. Freedom, control, the connection to the road. I had only agreed to this vehicle out of deference to the woman I thought they’d send.

This one, though? She’d probably relish the thrill of a ride, skirt be damned.

Perhaps I’d make the time to take her on a short trip in one of the zones we had prepared for her visit. There was something about her that demanded a closer look, and not just because of the skirt.

What was wrong with me?

Where were these thoughts of forming some kind of connection, even a friendship, coming from?

Beck revved his throttle and sped ahead, taking point, while Nokita rode behind the vehicle, tailing us in perfect formation. The habit was ingrained, even when there was no immediate threat. Our military training kept us sharp, our instincts honed.

We were born warriors, and now that our beasts had been unleashed, there was no going back to the docile men we once were. Forward or Die. It was more than a motto; it was who we were.

Hot blood raged beneath our skin, forever straining to break free. Our human side kept it contained, or at least it used to. Now, we reveled in the supremacy of our beasts.

The woman’s scent saturated the enclosed space of the car, curling into my senses and igniting a slow, simmering anger.

I knew Labyrinth and Boot smelled her too. Their silence confirmed it, and the thought grated against my control. I forced back another growl, but Beast surged beneath my flesh, his presence pulsing stronger, more insistent.

She made it harder to control him.

Two weeks spent fully in beast form had made my human side weak, and that was never good. Beast had no patience for her presence. He wanted her gone. Not for any rational reason, but so I’d stop suppressing him.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot, or at least I did. Literally,” she said, her nervous laugh scraping against my skin. She continued, oblivious to the effect she had on me. “I didn’t know what to expect, and honestly, I’m nervous. Maybe even a little afraid.”

I kept my gaze fixed out the window, but her words pulled me back. Slowly, I turned to face her, filling my lungs with her distinct, heady scent.

“Strange,” I said gruffly. “Fear isn’t part of the odor you emit.”

Her cheeks flushed a deeper red, and to her credit, she held my gaze. That unflinching eye contact sent a sizzle of energy down my spine. A warning, or maybe something else entirely. Beast stirred again, clawing at my restraint.

“It is not safe for you to meet my eyes,” I said sternly, the words edged with authority. My tone was harsh, the kind of warning I’d give to a child who didn’t understand the consequences of their actions.

She needed to understand, in this world, every mistake had a price.

Her gaze dropped to her lap, her voice soft. “I forgot. My father explained it to me years ago. I’ll try to remember.”

She said it meekly, but I didn’t buy it. This woman didn’t strike me as naturally timid. Her father had been strong, unshakable, and it was strange that his daughter would seem so opposite. A ploy, maybe? The Federation had never shown respect for our kind, and they’d easily assume we were foolish enough to fall for their clumsy manipulations.

“You wouldn’t survive an attack from me or my men,” I grunted, the warning deliberate. “So don’t forget again.”

Her head snapped up, our eyes locking for a brief, heated second before she quickly turned to stare out her window. “I’m much stronger than I look,” she said, her tone steady despite her earlier meekness.

I grunted again, unconvinced. Strong or not, breaking her neck would have been as effortless as snapping a twig.

She cleared her throat and continued, her voice gravelly. “I wasn’t given much information about why you requested a liaison to navigate these murky waters and broker a deal between our nations. I’m hoping you’ll fill me in. I have strict orders to apologize to you and your soldiers.”

She said it all without turning my way, her focus firmly on the view outside. The fact that she wouldn’t look at me irritated me after I had just told her not to stare into my eyes. The eye contact I needed right now would certainly show the lie of her words. Seeing it would give me the justification I needed. If I could catch her in deceit, killing her would be simple. Clean. No remorse necessary. Too many lies had passed human lips for me to tolerate more.

“Why would you apologize?” My tone was brusque, cutting through the space between us.

Her gaze flitted to mine, hesitant, before she quickly looked away again. The movement felt calculated, like she was playing me. She had to be.

My hands flexed against my thighs as I fought the urge to grab her by the hair and demand the answers I needed.

“Those are my orders.” Her voice turned regal. “I apologize on behalf of the United States Federation for the treatment of your people after the war. I’m willing to give a more formal apology, but I want you to know where I stand.”

Her assumption that she could apologize on behalf of the U.S. irritated me like everything else about her. “As far as I’m aware, you had nothing to do with our treatment, and I won’t negotiate with those responsible.” That was the best answer she’d receive.

Beast rumbled again, making me grit my teeth to hold him back.

She inhaled sharply and continued talking. “I understand. As the new secretary of defense, I have the power to deal with you and your people—”

She stopped abruptly when Boot slammed on the brakes, as Beast’s burning energy filled the already hot car. The straps covering my weapons were becoming too tight as I continued trying to hold Beast back. Desperate to get out of there, I threw the door open before we came to a full stop and charged out.

I was breathing heavily, doing my best to hold Beast inside. “Get her out of here, and no one touches her,” I growled at Boot and slammed the door on the woman’s stunned face. The car sped away, and Nokita followed me as I shifted to Beast. Beck tried but I pointed to the vehicle. He shook his head and trailed after that damned woman.

I am King hummed through my head before the animal took over.

Beast would kill the woman.

Beast would feed on the organs of any officer of the U.S. government.

The Shadow Warriors would rise victorious over our enemies.

The woman must die.