Page 2

King

The past two days had been hell. It was one thing to watch a teenage boy go through his first change, but seeing it happen to my mate was entirely different. Marinah was a trouper, handling it better than many Warriors I’d seen before.

Things had escalated quickly once Axel and I realized what was happening. We’d handled first shifts plenty of times before, though always under very different circumstances. Typically, a Warrior would bring their teenage son to me, and I’d assign them a Shadow to guide them until they could control themselves. If younger children were in the house, it was a necessity. A new Warrior wouldn’t intentionally harm someone they loved, but accidents happened; unfamiliar strength, claws, and teeth were a dangerous combination.

The key was to limit mood swings and stress. Tonight, just forty-eight hours after her first shift, I was taking Marinah into a situation that ticked all the wrong boxes. Axel thought it was a mistake, and I wasn’t far from agreeing with him. Physically, Marinah was doing great, but it was her mental strength that worried me. She had little warning before she shifted, but I’d been impressed with how she pushed back the K-5 when it surged. She was amazing, and we only needed her to hold it together for an hour at the funeral.

We left the citadel’s courtyard, walking about a mile toward the ocean. Axel was bringing a car in case we needed to leave quickly, but we’d agreed Marinah and I should walk for her beast’s sake. She needed the exercise. Running would’ve been better to help keep her beast in check, but she was still weak from fighting the change so hard. Going on foot would have to do.

“It feels strange,” she said, glancing around as we walked.

I remembered when my change began and how the world looked through new Warrior eyes. I hated it then because it was a constant reminder of how different I was. Now, the clear vision, the advanced hearing, and the ability to detect so many distinct scents were second nature to me.

It would take Marinah time to adjust. There was so much for her to learn, and eventually, she would come to appreciate the new world that had opened at her feet.

Axel and I had discussed what mating would mean for Marinah. Her beast had to choose me too. When that happened, she would experience a double surge of chemicals coursing through her body. Axel wanted me to wait and give Marinah time to settle into her Warriorhood and to understand who she was and where she came from.

Our history books chronicled everything about our home planet: its catastrophic annihilation, our journey to Earth, and how we eventually integrated into the human world. These books were sacred to us. There were also about ten texts written by female Shadow Warriors from our home planet. I’d read bits and pieces over the years, but with no female Warriors left, it hurt to think about why they had disappeared. Now, they mattered, and I planned to show Marinah our texts tomorrow.

One of my responsibilities as leader was to protect these sacred books. They weren’t kept here at the citadel but at my real home. Axel and I had decided it would be easier for Marinah to adjust in a quieter setting, away from the constant activity of the citadel. We’d leave for my home mid-morning.

The biggest problem we faced right now was time. We didn’t have a year or even months to prepare Marinah for who and what she had become. First thing in the morning, I’d meet with my council to discuss everything. Marinah had to be protected at all costs. She wasn’t just one of us, she was unique in a way we hadn’t seen for centuries.

Beyond all of that, I wasn’t willing to lose her. Period.

Beast gave an unhappy grumble deep within me at my thoughts. Even though he needed to run and hunt, he’d stayed remarkably quiet over the past two days. It was almost like he was still unsure of her. He had been from the beginning, but I’d thought it was pure dislike. He, however, had known something was different about her. He used to throw fits, twisting my insides into knots whenever she was near. Now, his silence worried me.

We were in completely uncharted territory, but one thing was certain. Beast would take Marinah as mate, even if I had to challenge him to make it happen. Not that such a thing was possible, but imagining his demise helped relieve some of my tension.

The sharp kick to my ribs let me know he was paying attention.

As we walked, flames appeared in the distance, flickering against the night. Marinah’s grip on my hand tightened. Axel stood by the car, waiting, and gave a nod when we drew closer. His gaze traveled from Marinah’s head to her toes, assessing her in the same meticulous way that always irritated me when I was his patient.

Beast grumbled again, this time at Axel. He didn’t like the medical perusal, and I took it as a good sign. It wasn’t exactly jealousy, more like protective instincts kicking in. Beast had tolerated Axel’s proximity to Marinah surprisingly well, considering Axel had helped her bathe and touched her during his examinations. Still, it made me more worried about our mating than anything else. Our beasts needed to fall in line.

“I’m good,” Marinah whispered to Axel when we were close enough, keeping her voice low. Her sensitivity to sound was something I remembered well from when I first began changing. Like her eyesight, her hearing was heightened to the point of being overwhelmed, and even her own voice could feel like too much.

With a firm hold on her hand, I turned to greet the others who were waiting nearby.

Che broke away from his mother and ran at Marinah full tilt. I stepped in front of him instinctively, but it didn’t stop her. She released my hand and stepped around me, meeting him halfway.

Che threw himself into her arms, his tiny muscles squeezing with everything he had. His legs wrapped around her waist, and my stomach tightened. If she shifted now, it could be disastrous. I stood as close as I could without crowding them, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of danger.

“I’m so sorry, Che,” Marinah whispered into his ear, holding him close as if letting go wasn’t an option. Her arms tightened around him, and it was clear she was clinging to him as much as he was to her.

Maylin stepped forward, reaching to take Che from Marinah’s arms.

“No, please, I’m good,” Marinah said softly.

Axel glanced at me, his expression unreadable, and I shrugged.

Maylin placed her hand gently over Marinah’s, resting against Che’s back. “I thank you for my son,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Marinah looked up at Maylin, meeting her tear-streaked gaze. “Boot saved him, not me,” she said quietly. Then, lowering her voice to a whisper but still loud enough for us to hear, she added to Che, “Your father was very brave.”

Che’s small shoulders shook as he buried his face in Marinah’s shirt, his quiet sobs breaking the stillness of the night. I stepped forward, ready to help, but Marinah shook her head sharply, stopping me in my tracks. Instead, she pulled Maylin into her other arm, enveloping the three of them in a tight embrace.

I wanted to look away, to give them this private moment, but I couldn’t. I needed to be sure Marinah was handling the situation. After another minute, she finally set Che on his feet. Maylin leaned in, giving her another hug.

Che glanced over at me, his red-rimmed eyes meeting mine. “My dad was very brave,” he said, in a small trembling voice.

“Yes, he was,” I told him, resting my hand on his back. “The bravest.”

Che wiped his nose on his sleeve and stared at me, his lips quivering until a small, satisfied smile broke through. I ruffled his hair, and he bashfully looked down at the ground.

Maylin said something to him in Spanish, her tone gentle, and after giving Marinah a quick wave, Che ran off toward a group of children nearby.

Maylin slipped her arm around Marinah’s shoulder, her gaze following her son. “He wanted to be with his friends, but I made him wait until after you arrived,” she said. Her English had improved, though her accent was still thick with emotion.

“It’s not just Boot who was brave,” Marinah said, wiping at her eyes. “Che kept me alive.” Her voice cracked as she added, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help Boot.”

Maylin released Marinah and placed her hand on her stomach. “This child holds a piece of us,” she said softly. “He will live to be everything his father wanted him to be. You are welcome at my home anytime.” She nodded at both of us before turning to join the women who had stayed back while she spoke with us.

“I’m good,” Marinah assured me when she saw the silent question in my eyes.

Taking her hand, I guided her toward the pyre set up at the edge of the water. Labyrinth, Nokita, and Beck had built it for Boot, carefully wrapping his body for burial. Losing a Warrior was always hard, but this loss was exceptionally painful. Boot wasn’t a fighter. He could be a killer if he had to, but we had protected him as we would a woman or child. He had a gentle heart, something we all recognized.

Leaving Marinah in the hot room when she first arrived had been more a mistake of forgetfulness for Boot than anything else, but that didn’t make it any easier to bear. Boot was sweet, gentle, a man of the land, and not always the sharpest. But when the other men distanced themselves from Maylin because of her constant complaints, Boot stepped in to help her. In his own quiet way, he tamed her beast. Seeing her with Marinah now was the calmest I’d ever seen her.

Maybe she loved Boot.

Shortly after we arrived in Cuba, it became clear that the islanders looked to us for protection. We would have done it regardless of their expectations, but marriage quickly became a way to offer added security to the women, who outnumbered their men. It was one of the reasons I had stayed out of female relationships since coming to the island. There had been women, but all were one-night stands. I had no desire to settle for someone I didn’t love.

As leader, it was my duty to mate and produce offspring. But it was not my duty to trap myself in an unhappy relationship. So, I waited, holding out for someone special, never imagining I would win the prize of the century.

I glanced at my guards standing a few feet away, ready to step in if needed. “It’s time to begin,” I said, raising Marinah’s hand to kiss the backs of her fingers. “Stay with Axel.” My eyes searched hers, holding her gaze just long enough to make sure she was steady before I looked away.

“I’m fine, really,” she assured me softly.

Axel nodded, letting me know he had her. With that, I turned and walked forward to face the crowd. Nearly two hundred people, both human and Shadow Warrior, had gathered to say farewell to Boot. A few whispers and murmurs lingered before fading into silence.

“Death is always a tragedy,” I said, raising my voice so everyone could hear. Marinah grimaced slightly at the volume but otherwise held steady. “Boot died saving his young son’s life.” I glanced toward the children clustered together and found Che. “He loved you, Che, and he was proud to call you his son.”

Che’s tears streamed down his face as I continued. “You are the son of Boot, a mighty Shadow Warrior. You are one of us, as is your mother. Look around you at every Shadow Warrior here. We are your family.”

I shifted my focus to the others. “Boot shall be written about in our history books. He died a Warrior’s death and will be remembered for as long as any Shadow Warrior breathes on this planet.”

Maylin wiped tears from her face, and a few women moved closer to offer her comfort. I knew she had likely been scared about her fate. If it weren’t for everything happening with Marinah, I would have visited her sooner to explain that she had nothing to fear. Through her marriage to Boot, she and her son were part of us now. Her coming child would be Shadow Warrior, and that connection was an impossible bond to break.

I stepped to the pyre, placing my hand gently on Boot’s covered leg—a silent goodbye. Turning back to the crowd, I let my voice drop, drawing their attention. “Each day, we fight for our lives. We sacrifice everything for those we love. Forward or Die is our motto. Tonight, we grieve for one of our own while celebrating Boot’s life. Tomorrow, we move forward.” My gaze swept over the faces before me. “But we never forget.”

I took two steps forward and grabbed a lit torch from the sand. Holding it steady, I placed the flame against the wood beneath Boot’s body. Others stepped forward, picking up torches from the sand, and joined me in lighting the pyre. The heat intensified quickly, forcing us to step back.

Warriors would remain on the beach throughout the night to ensure the fire burned until Boot was reduced to ash. He wouldn’t be alone.

I glanced at Marinah and saw more tears streaking down her face. It was good for her to cry. She was handling herself well, and I exhaled, feeling a small fraction of my tension ease. She needed to be here tonight, even though it had been a lot to ask of her. The only way to have kept her away would’ve been to knock her out, and even then, I wasn’t sure she would have stayed down.

She’d had about half the knockout drugs other Warriors required during their first few days, something that surprised both Axel and me. Maybe when Marinah began reading our history, she’d uncover something about the female Warriors that we didn’t know. Greystone would have had the answers, and the thought of him brought a fresh wave of loss. I missed him more than ever.

Cabel approached, holding his wife’s hand. They’d stayed back until the crowd began to thin.

“Marinah, this is Cabel, one of my guards,” I said. “He’s taking a short break and spending time with his new wife, Mary.”

Marinah extended her hand, and Mary took it briefly, meeting Marinah’s gaze as they exchanged pleasantries. Neither she nor Cabel had any idea what prolonged eye contact could provoke in Marinah. I’d have to speak with Cabel privately tomorrow to explain everything.

An intense wave of heat suddenly radiated from Marinah’s body. Cabel gave me a questioning look, his brow furrowed as he felt it.

“You’re requested at tomorrow’s council meeting,” I told him quickly. Usually, a Warrior was exempt from meetings this soon after mating, but with the hellhounds causing trouble again, he didn’t balk.

“No problem,” he said and pulled Mary closer, gaining her attention.

When I glanced at Marinah, panic filled her eyes, and she looked around for somewhere to run.

“I need the car,” she strangled out.

I glanced at where Axel had been standing a moment before and saw he was already heading for the vehicle. Without a word to Cabel or his wife, I grabbed Marinah’s hand and pulled her with me. She resisted, and I tugged harder.

“Come on, love. Breathe and concentrate. We need to get you out of here.”

“I’m losing it. Really losing it,” she said shakily when we were a few feet away. Her panic was difficult to watch.

“Nothing bad will happen, even if you do shift,” I told her. “Keep walking, concentrate, and we’ll be out of here in a few seconds.”

If she shifted, it would bring on an entirely new set of problems. Beast knew Marinah was my mate. If any man overstepped, this would be a disaster. My Warriors had never seen a female Shadow Warrior, and it would be hard to hold them back. They would never hurt her, but taking in her scent and touching her, would be hard to stop. The last thing I needed was Beast going crazy because of the mating rage.

Marinah’s beast was practically bursting through her skin before we were halfway to the car. I scooped her into my arms and ran the rest of the way.

“I have a shot ready once we get inside. Breathe,” I reminded her when she let out a low growl. Several people looked over.

To hell with it.

I ran full out, opened the back door, tossed her inside, and climbed in behind her. Axel pulled the vehicle away as soon as I swung the door closed.

Marinah curled into herself, trembling as she fought to hold back the shift.

“You promise it isn’t always this bad?” she asked, pain radiating through the words.

“Stop fighting the change,” I told her, keeping calm. “The less you fight, the easier it is.”

“You say that like this is my fault!” she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I hate you right now. This shouldn’t be happening to me!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t funny, not really, but her frustration was so raw and honest that it broke through my own tension.

With a desperate growl, Marinah shifted, her snapping jaws giving me a side swipe that only caught air.

“You’re amazing,” I told her, stabbing the needle into her thigh while using my arm to block her teeth. It wasn’t easy. One of her claws raked across my neck, leaving a stinging furrow.

“Now, now. No scratching,” I said soothingly as I waited for the drug to kick in.

When K-5 took over in the early stages of a Shadow Warrior’s journey, it made distinguishing friend from foe harder. A new Warrior had to be guided. Kill the enemy, and don’t eat your allies, friends, or family. It changed within a few months, and family was mostly discernible. Friends took a little longer, and allies, longer still.

Beast grumbled in the back of my mind, a low, unsettling sound. Did he want me to claim Marinah? I wished I knew. Marinah needed her beast to cooperate, too, or she’d face the same struggles I had when Beast told me to kill her. Establishing a relationship this way was dicey at best. Our volatile start when she first arrived on the island didn’t help matters, either.

I slammed my brain shut on those thoughts. Mating was the last thing I needed to worry about right now. Marinah needed me to focus on helping her stay calm.

With a groan, she finally collapsed, half-sprawled in my lap, her heavy breathing filling the car.

“I didn’t think she could do it,” Axel said from the front seat, his voice laced with both surprise and admiration. “You need to try a little less stress and a lot more calmness with her,” he added, like he always did when he thought I needed advice.

“Yes, mother,” I snapped, unable to hide my irritation. He was worse than a mother hen, hovering over his patients with twice the stubbornness and none of the charm.

Leaning back against the seat, I let my head rest and closed my eyes. Marinah was tucked close to me, her scent filling my senses and easing the tension in my chest.

It was going to be a long and incredible journey with her by my side.