Page 4

King

The earlier meeting had been a nightmare before I brought Marinah into the room. Beck didn’t trust her, but that wasn’t surprising. The thing about Beck, though, is that he respects honesty. Marinah didn’t change who she was to win him over, and she sure as hell didn’t fall at his feet in thanks just because she’s now a Warrior. No, Marinah put Beck in his place the best way possible. She challenged him.

It had taken everything I had to let her handle it herself. If she’d killed him, we’d have had far bigger problems than just a lack of trust. I hadn’t expected her to control her beast so soon. But it was like a switch flipped inside her, and Marinah out-beasted her beast. She wasn’t the wimpy woman she thought she was a short time ago. Eventually, she would be a Warrior for the history books.

When the meeting ended, I led us outside to the bikes instead of taking her to the infirmary.

“I can’t ride like this, King,” she said, holding her shirt together with both hands.

In one move, I lifted my arms, pulled my shirt over my head, and handed it to her.

The once-over she gave my chest made Beast purr in contentment, the traitor. During the meeting, I’d realized Beast hadn’t just accepted her as mate, he was ready to kill anyone who stood in his way. I needed to rein in my thoughts until Marinah’s beast was ready. Beast wasn’t going to make that easy. Neither, apparently, was the kiss, which I wasn’t letting myself think about right now.

“It smells like you,” she said, deeply inhaling the material before pulling it over her head. She shifted around, sliding a hand under the shirt and tugging her torn one free from the bottom. I took the tattered fabric from her and stuffed it into a saddlebag, removing shoes for her. She would go through many pairs of them, and I’d adjusted accordingly.

“I want to learn to ride my own bike,” she added, hiking her leg over the seat behind me.

This side of Marinah was daring and fearless and exactly how a queen should be.

I revved the engine just as my guard, minus Cabel, who had gone in search of his mate, walked through the outside door. All but Axel grabbed their bikes.

“I’m staying here to oversee Maylin,” Axel said. “We don’t expect her baby for six weeks or so, but that means little, and she could go into labor at any time.”

“Will you please tell Che I’ll visit him soon?” Marinah asked, sadness settling into her features.

“Yes,” Axel replied with a quick nod. “I hope you’ll visit me too,” he added, his gaze lingering just a moment too long.

Beast grumbled, his irritation rumbling through me like distant thunder. Marinah tightened her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek against my shoulder.

“Yes, I’ll visit,” she said simply.

We roared away before the conversation continued. Beast gave a relieved sigh inside me, clearly pleased he didn’t have to deal with Axel as a threat. Marinah was going to be a challenge at every turn. I just needed to give her beast time to figure out what I already knew.

We were meant to be together.

The men surrounded us as we hit the road, their bikes forming a protective barrier. The rumble of my bike beneath me and Marinah’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist made the long ride sweeter.

After a break to let Marinah eat and soothe her beast’s hunger for raw meat, we were back on the road. Two hours later, we reached the mid-sized village near my real home.

Marinah hadn’t asked any questions as we drove through miles and miles of farmland, but I knew she was paying attention to the humans she hadn’t known existed. She’d been quiet, her head turning every so often, storing the details of her surroundings in that Federation-trained mind of hers.

I didn’t fool myself into thinking she’d give up her allegiance to her country anytime soon. She didn’t have enough information yet to make that kind of decision. She’d been a Shadow Warrior for days, not years. There was so much she needed to understand about who she was now and what it meant.

But I didn’t doubt her. Once she had all the facts, Marinah would make the right choice. She’d do what was best for her people.

Her new people.

My disagreement with Beck this morning, before Marinah joined us, was about how much to disclose to her. Beck demanded caution, insisting that our secrets be kept from her until we were certain she could be trusted. Labyrinth, serving as our unlikely mediator, abstained from voting, choosing instead to hear what Marinah had to say.

I wasn’t happy about what I considered minor squabbling. Marinah was one of us and deserved to be treated as such. When she put Beck in his place, she showed dominance. It was something the men respected. The most surprising part was that Beck’s beast accepted it too. That alone spoke volumes.

I needed Marinah to dive into our history texts to see if she could find anything about the female Warriors that might help us better manage her unique circumstances.

As we rode through the inlet town known as Cienfuegos, a few people stopped and waved. About five hundred people lived here, including over a hundred Shadow Warriors. Among the humans, there were just over a hundred children, several of whom would become Warriors, though their beasts wouldn’t emerge for years.

The Shadow Warriors lived in different towns across the island, but Cienfuegos was the largest. It was also the most secure, with both underground and aboveground bunkers ready to be used if we were ever attacked by the Federation or a large group of hellhounds. Most of the residences were connected to secure tunnels leading to the main bunker, where we could house and feed everyone within a fifty-mile radius.

When we first arrived, one of our priorities was reinforcing the island’s defenses. We tore apart old railcars made from the island’s abundant iron ore to fortify the bunkers. Securing the island to protect ourselves and the citizens was essential. It was one of the reasons the people here came together and accepted us. Their safety always came first. They worked and remained protected, with a roof over their heads and ample food. After years of living in fear, we became their saviors.

Our bikes rumbled through the streets as we headed toward a narrow lane on the outskirts of town. We turned down a dirt road running along the coast. Here and there, we passed Shadow Warriors standing guard, their sharp eyes scanning for any signs of threat. Every town on the island was manned with Warrior guards, ensuring that no one would take us by surprise.

In the beginning, we gave the citizens of Cuba one chance to flee to the United States. Not a single person took us up on the offer. The people here accepted us, and we accepted them. They adjusted to their new way of life far better than those in the United States did after the first hellhound attacks.

Pre-war, many people in the U.S. lived in luxury. When the power, water, and internet went out, they struggled to adapt. Here in Cuba, the people never had unrestricted internet access, and even the limited access they did have was often beyond their financial means. The government controlled all the news media, which meant the citizens were already accustomed to limited information. That made it easier for them to adjust to the new world order.

The people also helped us. They taught us how to repair the old military and civilian engines scattered across the island. Those older vehicles, free of computer chips, could still run even after electromagnetic pulses hit. There was so much more we learned from them, practical skills that made all the difference.

This line of thought jogged my memory, and I realized I needed to ask Marinah about the electromagnetic pulses happening in the United States. She’d mentioned they were having an impact on Washington, but I needed more details.

Labyrinth turned off the road toward his small villa by the ocean. My home was farther down the lane, a little larger than the homes of my guards. Beck and Nokita peeled off onto their driveways, and I revved the engine to get us up the last hill.

When we stopped, I helped Marinah off the bike. She took a moment to gaze out over the water before turning to look at the house behind us.

“This is your real home?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

“Yes,” I said simply.

We walked up the stone path to the steel front door. I reached around her and pushed it open.

“Unlocked?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Unlocked,” I confirmed with a small smile.

The entryway was large, tiled, and refreshingly cool compared to the heat outside. I hit a switch by the door, starting the generator. On the island, we relied on wind and solar power. When I was away for extended periods, I disconnected the batteries to let them fully drain, which helped prolong their life.

I walked across the room and opened the large bay window that led to a balcony overlooking the water.

“You live here?” Marinah’s eyes widened as she took in the view. Then she turned to me, her expression perplexed. “It’s like… normal.”

I grinned. “As normal as things can be right now.”

Anger flared in her eyes. “Then what is the Federation doing to take the U.S. back to ‘normal’?” she demanded, using air quotes around the word.

“They’re not,” I replied. “They use fear to keep people in line. It’s a tactic they’ve relied on for years.”

Disbelief flickered across her face, followed by a series of other emotions. She had a lot to learn about her country and its corrupt government.

Her hands settled on her hips, and I could tell she wasn’t going to let the conversation drop. “You’re saying we could live like this, even with another attack imminent?”

I stepped closer, feeling the heat of her agitation radiating from her. I glanced past her at the ocean, letting its steady rhythm anchor me. “If you mean living above ground and taking precautions, like providing safe bunkers in case of a hellhound attack, then yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

The air between us grew warmer as she struggled to control her rising anger.

“I’m not going to like most of the things you tell me, am I?” she asked, her voice tinged with dejection.

Her tone hit me harder than I expected. She was lost, her world crumbling beneath her feet, and I knew it would shatter even more before she understood the full truth.

I took her hand, threading my fingers through hers. The heat of her skin called to Beast.

Run, he urged in my mind, the command sharp.

I released her fingers with a measured breath, loosening the straps around my chest. One by one, I removed my weapons and placed them on the table beside me.

Marinah’s tongue swept across her lips as she watched me. “What are you doing?”

Anticipation and a flicker of fear flashed in her eyes as I continued undressing.

Beast had me breathing deeply, scenting the air, before I realized what I was doing. It was there. Her desire.

And we weren’t ready to take that step.

I shot her a look filled with frustration, hoping she couldn’t see the animal lurking beneath my surface. “You need to run.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. My beast needed to run, to get Marinah out of his head—or more accurately, his groin.

“I’m shifting so we can run along the ocean, and you can learn what it feels like.”

“Running as in jogging?” she asked skeptically, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes,” I said, my voice laced with mock seriousness. “You place one foot in front of the other, move forward, and travel faster. People have been doing it for years.”

“Ha, you’re funny,” she retorted with an exaggerated eye roll. She started lifting her shirt but paused, peeking up at me before pulling it over her head. “I don’t have those cool leather straps or a bra that fits my monster’s deformed chest.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the way she called it her monster. If only she knew how extraordinary she was in her beast form.

Her breasts were another matter. When she shifted, her body grew, but her breasts blended more into her powerful frame. She was a killing machine, and large breasts would only have gotten in the way.

“Your beast doesn’t need a bra,” I said, shaking my head. This was a conversation I never thought I’d have.

“Remove your shoes first, then your shirt, then shift. Don’t overthink it, just do it.”

I grabbed a chair and sat down to remove my boots. Marinah took the chair across from me, untying her athletic shoes.

I focused on my laces, but when she spoke again, I glanced up.

“You’ve seen it all before,” she said with a shrug, pulling her shirt the rest of the way off. “It’s a little late to hide now.”

I stood and moved closer to her, taking a moment to admire her natural human beauty.

“Don’t fight the change,” I said softly. “Think of your beast and give her the lead.”

Marinah closed her eyes, and a few seconds later, a gasp escaped her lips as she lifted trembling hands to her face.

“You’re fighting it,” I told her. “Breathe and let your beast do what comes naturally.”

“I can’t,” she grumbled, her vocal cords already shifting, giving her voice a deeper, rougher edge.

I gave my beast the lead and felt his satisfied rumble as he took over.

Marinah trailed behind, her body shaking as she grunted loudly, the sound turning into a sharp yelp before her transformation completed.

The red haze of Beast’s aggravation swelled around me as I stepped through the outside doors and trotted down the stone stairs, stopping about fifty feet from the water’s edge.

Marinah followed; her movements steady despite the obvious strain of her change.

When we reached firm ground, I took off running.

Find enemy. Kill.

I ran faster, pushing myself harder to balance the chemicals coursing through my body.

Years of training had taught me to overcome the rage quickly, though nothing compared to what Marinah had managed earlier with Beck.

Marinah kept pace with me effortlessly, her beast showing no signs of weakness.

Beast grumbled with approval, then added a surge of speed, pushing us faster.

She was stunning, her thick brown hair fanning out behind her in the ocean breeze as her strong legs carried her over the wet sand.

When I increased my pace, she matched it, staying right beside me. We ran for miles, K-5 pumping through our veins, the cool air clearing my mind of war and violence.

We rounded a bend in the inlet and stopped at a large, weathered boat that had washed ashore long before the Shadow Warriors arrived. Its structure had held together remarkably well despite a gaping hole in the starboard side. Dried barnacles covered most of its surface, a clear sign it had spent years submerged before the ocean finally released it.

Marinah studied the boat intensely, her sharp eyes taking in every detail.

“Break or run back?” I asked after a few moments.

Her lips curled into a feral grin, her large, gleaming teeth catching the fading sunlight.

“Run,” she said.

I nodded, and together, we set off again, racing back toward the house.

The thought of spending the night alone with Marinah settled into my mind as Beast stirred within me.

Mate.

I clenched my jaw, knowing Beast would be a handful throughout the night.