Page 3

Marinah

King had been in the meeting for over an hour, leaving Axel to keep me entertained. His attempt at cards wasn’t helping.

“Trump,” Axel said, unable to hide the smug grin as he laid down a three of spades.

I threw my entire hand across the room and jumped out of my chair. I needed to hit something. Someone. Anything.

“Shadow Warriors run to work off the rage. That’s what you need to do,” Axel said, eyeing me cautiously.

I turned to him, feeling the temperature rise around me, the deep ache in my bones, and the burn of change crawling through my blood. I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to stay in control. “I’ll do anything,” I finally said through gritted teeth.

Before Axel could act on his suggestion, King walked into the room.

“You agitated her?” he accused, glaring at Axel.

“I won a trick while playing cards. She was kicking my ass,” Axel replied, shrugging.

“I’m standing right here!” I shouted, waving my arms like a lunatic. “If you keep talking like I’m not in the room, I will eat one of you.” To make my point, I let out a low growl.

King strode over, grabbed me, and smashed his lips into mine. The rage boiling inside me evaporated instantly, replaced by a surge of desire that hit me like a tidal wave. The thing inside me slithered beneath my skin in a way I’d never felt before. It was strange, electric and consuming.

When King finally pulled back, I wasn’t ready for the kiss to end. I locked my arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer.

“We don’t have time,” he groaned against my mouth, his voice thick with regret. “I need you in the meeting.”

His eyes were so impossibly blue that I wanted to dive into them. Swimming in his eyes? Seriously? Corny didn’t even begin to cover it.

“You want me in your meeting?” I asked huskily, trying to fight off desire.

He blinked down at me, his lips still so close. “Yes. I’m sorry I took so long. We had to iron out a few things. Axel is needed too.”

“Just don’t kiss me,” Axel said before leaving the room and heading to the meeting without us.

“He’s gone,” I told King, leaning just a little closer to him, my eyes fixed on his amazing lips.

He grinned. It was the kind of grin that made me want to bite his lower lip and suck. “Then we’ll take a few extra minutes. The council can wait.”

Our lips met, and the world around us faded. His mouth moved with mine, our tongues sparring as if we were both starving. We breathed each other’s air, drinking one another in like we were dying of thirst. Maybe we were.

For the first time in three days, the Beast thing inside me went completely quiet. King hadn’t kissed me like this since I shifted, and maybe this was what I’d needed all along, simply to feel wanted, to feel loved.

The thought stopped me in my tracks even as we kissed. Love? We didn’t really know each other well enough for that, and I shouldn’t be associating the “L” word with King at all. But this kiss told a different story. It whispered that he needed me, that he wanted me as much as I needed and wanted him.

When he finally pulled back, I stumbled slightly. His large hands steadied me, and his cocky grin made my stomach flip.

“You want me,” he whispered. It was a statement. But the way he looked at me, I realized it was also a question.

Did he think I didn’t want him?

“We need to get to that meeting,” he groaned, his lips brushing mine quickly.

I nodded, my mind spinning. How could he possibly doubt that I wanted him? Maybe sitting in that meeting would give me time to think this through.

“I’m not dressed appropriately,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended.

His fingers brushed against my jaw, his callused thumb grazing my lower lip as his eyes darkened. “You’re perfect,” he whispered.

Warning bells should have been going off in my head. My beast should have been struggling to break free. The world should have stopped tilting. But none of that happened.

Our gazes stayed locked, and in that moment, I wanted King more than I wanted anything on earth.

“We need to leave,” he said, but he didn’t move a muscle.

His words shattered the spell, and I was the first to look away. That’s when my beast decided to wake up, letting out a low, disgruntled grumble. She didn’t cower, didn’t shrink back. She never looked away first. Her thoughts pressed into my mind, distinct and separate, like they belonged to someone else entirely.

Maybe this once, I told her silently.

King took my hand, his large fingers wrapping around mine as he led me to the meeting room. By Citadel standards, the room was small, with a large round table in the center. Knives were stuck in the wood in front of each Warrior. An empty chair had a knife in front of it. The Shadow Warriors’ gazes shifted to the door as we walked further inside.

King had introduced me to them last night, so I didn’t know why I suddenly felt a wave of apprehension. Maybe it was because none of them smiled or looked particularly excited to see me. If anything, they seemed wary.

Cabel was the Shadow Warrior with Mary. She’d stayed close by his side at the funeral, and he hadn’t let go of her hand. King told me they were newly married.

A dull, steady pain coursed along my nerve endings. It was a strange sensation I hadn’t experienced before. King pulled a chair out for me, waiting until I sat before taking the next seat. His fingers gave mine a subtle squeeze, a gesture meant to reassure me.

Normally, in an uncomfortable situation like this, I’d distract myself by staring at the walls, admiring the brightly colored artwork. But now, every hair on my body felt like it was standing at attention.

The familiar rumble signaling a potential shift was there, but it wasn’t overpowering. My eyesight sharpened, the room around me snapping into high definition.

The word, danger, rumbled inside me.

I glanced at King, and his expression stayed calm as he began to address the men. “I’ve brought Marinah to the meeting to speak with you and answer your questions. She’s unaware of our earlier conversation, and I caution you to remember she’s newly shifted. Labyrinth, proceed.”

Labyrinth was the kind of Warrior who looked like he swallowed a horse for breakfast every day. His muscles bulged, his shirt struggling to contain them, and the veins in his forearms made it clear he wasn’t someone to mess with. Yet his expression wasn’t unfriendly, and I relaxed a little.

That’s when I noticed his eyes. They were stunning; one green, one blue. Spectacular, really. He looked away quickly when he realized I was staring, and I kicked myself for not asking King more questions about this meeting.

“Marinah,” Labyrinth said, giving me a slight nod. “Would you tell us about your mother?”

The question hit like a punch to the gut. I worked hard not to think about her, but the memories came rushing back. My mother had been everything to me. She was my friend, my confidante, and my mother rolled into one. She wasn’t the type of parent who gave me everything I wanted. She was the kind who made me furious at times, who I silently cursed in my head, but who I loved with the fierce, unshakable love only a daughter could have for her mom even when angry.

“Her name was Dinah,” I said softly, the words catching in my throat. “She died saving my life.”

The thought of her death cut through me like it always had. The memory was vivid, burned into my mind. She had saved me from a pack of hellhounds after I returned from college at the beginning of the war. We had been traveling to find my father when our car ran out of gas, forcing us to walk. The hellhounds attacked, and she was bitten. She yelled at me to run.

Run.

That thought made heat surged through me, and I slammed the door on the memory. If I’d stayed, I would’ve died too. That’s what I told myself. That’s what I had to believe. A military patrol found me and took me to my father. He always said she died so I could live.

I glanced at King and then back to Labyrinth, who seemed suddenly interested in the table, his eyes scanning it as though searching for imperfections. He wouldn’t even chance a glance at me.

King leaned over and whispered, “They’re trying to figure out where you come from and who your mother was.”

“She was Dinah,” I repeated, my voice firmer this time.

“Your non-human family. Who were they?” Beck snapped; his tone sharp enough to cut.

Intense pain in my gut made me gasp. King’s death stare at Beck was also telling. Through the pain, I managed to glance at Axel. His usually compassionate eyes stared daggers at Beck.

“We’re done here,” King snarled at the man causing the trouble.

I placed a hand on King’s arm and stopped him before he rose. I fought against the pain, pushing it away, and somehow spoke somewhat normally.

“I’m in control and can handle the question.”

I turned to Labyrinth and ignored Beck.

“My mother’s family was from California. I only saw my relatives a few times before I began high school. We lived in Washington, D.C., where my father worked. Mom disliked traveling. Her parents came to visit us the few times I saw them. Nothing stands out in my memory other than a conversation I overheard between my mother and grandmother about my parents becoming vegetarian when I was born. I remember my grandmother wasn’t happy about it. At the time, it seemed very strange because, to me, it was how we always ate. I had friends in school who ate meat, and I tried it once, but never really cared for the taste or texture.”

My eyes traveled the room as I said the next part.

“If you’re trying to figure out who I am, it’s easy. I’m an American, the Secretary of Defense for the New Federation, and a liaison between humans and Shadow Warriors. Shifting into one of you does not change that. My mother and her mother do not define me, though they were strong, and if I’m half the woman they were, I’ve done better than I expected. I also carry my father inside me. He was honest and loyal and brave.”

Now I rested my gaze on Beck and stabbed him with the stare of the beast residing within me.

“I am Marinah.”

A low growl rumbled from Beck’s throat, and before I could fully process it, King was on his feet, his own growl shaking the air like a thunderclap. I only caught fragments of what was happening because the red haze descended, taking over completely. There was no fighting it this time.

The table separated King from Beck, but it didn’t separate either of them from me. My legs, more animal than human, coiled with raw power, and I launched myself onto the thick wood, easily dodging the knife hilts. I landed inches from Beck, who remained in human form.

There was nothing human left in me. I was all Warrior.

Moving with deliberate slowness, I slid my massive tongue between my jaws and dragged it along Beck’s cheek in one smooth, grotesque motion.

“Tag, you’re it,” I growled, my voice guttural and alien, before driving my arm upward in a classic uppercut. My fist connected solidly with his jaw, sending Beck flying out of his chair.

Without hesitation, I leapt from the table to the floor, landing between his splayed thighs. My now-bare foot, larger, hairy, clawed, and entirely unfamiliar, lifted as I curled my toes. I placed the top of my foot onto Beck’s crotch, applying just enough pressure to make his eyes widen in alarm.

“Do you have more questions?” I asked, my words thick with drool. The saliva dripped grotesquely from my mouth, but I knew better than to wipe it away; I’d probably end up slashing my throat.

“Marinah,” King’s calm voice came from behind me, cutting through the charged moment.

“Yes,” I replied, my eyes never leaving Beck.

“You’re in control,” King said steadily.

“Of course,” I answered, though a touch of peevishness crept into my tone.

“You’re controlling your beast.”

I glanced down at my arm, now misshapen, covered in hair, and ending in sharp claws. My eyes traveled further, taking in my shredded shirt hanging by mere threads. My shoes were long gone, and the pants King had given me that morning had stretched to accommodate my transformed body.

“I need shirts made from this material,” I said, stepping back and easing my foot off Beck’s groin.

The look in Beck’s eyes wasn’t anger or fear. It was pure awe.

“You’re Warrior,” he said, his voice reverent.

I straightened my stance and threw back my shoulders.

“I’m my mother’s daughter. My father’s daughter. My grandmother’s granddaughter. A Shadow Warrior. And most of all, Marinah. Can we be finished with this conversation?”

King stepped around me, offering Beck a hand up. His rise from the floor was anything but gentle.

“She’s remarkable, gentlemen,” Axel said, a proud smile stretching across his face. “Marinah, you shouldn’t have this much control of your beast this early. What you’re displaying should take a year.”

I shrugged my massive shoulders, my claws catching the light. “I wasn’t a teen when this happened. I also wanted to bite Beck’s throat out and swallow it.”

Beck smirked, brushing himself off. “But you didn’t.”

I met his gaze and let my lips curl into a wicked smile. “But I could have,” I said, enjoying the flicker of unease that crossed his expression. “Now, gentlemen, I’d prefer not to continue this conversation in my current state of undress. Clearly, I need to find clothes that will stretch with me. I see a future filled with elastic and Velcro, so someone needs to find some. Oh, and when you have a moment, I’d like one of those neat leather chest straps you all wear. They’re pretty badass.”

Labyrinth was the first to laugh, and Axel quickly followed. One by one, the men gave in to hilarity, their laughter filling the room. I wasn’t entirely sure what they found so amusing, but I knew one thing. My beast didn’t seem to mind. The threat of danger that had been coursing through me earlier was gone.

“My apologies, Marinah,” Beck said once the laughter subsided. He stepped forward, extending his hand.

Without thinking, I reached out with my clawed fingers to shake it.

King’s growl froze me mid-motion. I pulled my hand back, my gaze snapping to him. His eyes were dark, smoldering with something primal. I returned my attention to Beck, who offered me a small, knowing smile instead.

“Welcome to the Shadow Warriors, Marinah,” Beck said sincerely.

One by one, each man rose from his chair, moved to one knee, and placed their fists over their hearts. The gesture was solemn, and I wasn’t sure what was expected of me. I glanced at King for guidance.

“It’s time to go,” he said, his smile firm despite the lingering growl in his throat. “We’re keeping your Warrior abilities under wraps for now. You’ll be staying at my home with me.”

“I need to return to Washington,” I said stubbornly.

The word Washington came out a little garbled, but most of my speech was clear. My enlarged vocal cords only made my voice deeper, giving it a strange but commanding tone.

“That needs planning. We still don’t know who wants you dead,” King replied evenly.

“It can’t be the Federation,” I said, holding his gaze.

The looks I got from the men around me said they weren’t buying it. Their skepticism was as loud as a shout, and their continued kneeling was starting to make me squirm.

“Please, stand,” I said, waving at them awkwardly. “I’m not a queen or anything.”

That set off another round of laughter.

“That’s debatable,” Labyrinth said, his massive, meat-carved face split in a grin. His humor only seemed to deepen when I glanced his way. “King met his match.”

“I can’t handle them on their knees,” I said, waving my enlarged arms like some kind of idiot. My claws gleamed in the light, making the gesture even more ridiculous.

Without waiting for a response, I turned toward the door.

King stopped me a few feet away, his hand gentle on my arm. “If you go out there as Beast, you’ll ruin the surprise,” he said calmly.

The red haze flared inside me, pushing against my control. “If I stay here, I’m laughed at,” I snapped, not bothering to lower my voice.

“Join the meeting, and no one will laugh,” Beck said.

When I glanced over, I saw him glowering at the others. Reluctantly, they rose and took their seats. Beck’s no-nonsense attitude was unexpected, but at that moment, I appreciated it.

I marched back to my chair and dropped into it; thankful it was sturdy enough to handle my new, supersized body. The facial hair and increased muscle mass should have bothered me, but it didn’t.

Crossing my arms, I felt a sharp sting and glanced down to see I’d sliced my own arm with one of my claws. Blood welled from the cut, but I ignored it.

Nokita, who had remained silent until now, balled up a tissue and tossed it my way.

Without thinking, I caught it midair, my reflexes faster than I realized they could be. The red haze faded again, and I blinked at the room. My new, incredible eyesight made every hair follicle on their faces crystal clear.

“Do you ever attend meetings in your beast forms?” I asked, letting the curiosity show in my voice as I addressed the room at large.

“We never start a meeting that way, but we tend to end up in our beast forms after Beck starts talking.” Nokita grinned at me and winked.

It was my turn to spread my colossal jaws and grin. “That makes perfect sense.”

Now they were laughing with me and not at me.