Page 6

Marinah

I carried three thick volumes of Shadow Warrior history back to my bedroom. The leather bindings were old and supple, their antique book scent stirring a warm, comforting feeling in my chest.

After we left the underground section, King had given me a brief tour of his home, ending with this room. He hadn’t kissed me since we arrived, and he’d made it clear I had my own space. I tried not to feel disappointed, but it was a lie. I wanted to be in King’s bed, no matter how complicated or wrong it might seem. Technically, he was still an enemy of the Federation.

And technically, I didn’t care.

I told myself he likely needed time to decide if we should cross that line. I wouldn’t appreciate being rushed, so I wouldn’t rush him.

And I certainly wouldn’t beg.

Settling onto the bed, I picked up one of the worn volumes and opened it.

In the beginning, there were two.

In the beginning, one male, one female.

In the beginning, no war, no famine.

In the beginning, love.

Within moments, I was hooked. It felt like reading a gripping science fiction novel, even though I knew these events had actually happened. This wasn’t just their history. It was my history. The words came from a female Shadow Warrior named Nalista, her voice vivid and alive in the pages.

I read until my eyes grew heavy and my thoughts blurred. Eventually, the book slipped from my hands, and sleep took me.

∞∞∞

King had a pound of bacon and at least six scrambled eggs waiting for me when I walked into the kitchen the next morning. He was already dressed in his military pants, leather harness, and boots, looking as if he were ready to march into battle.

“Eat. We have training this morning and need to leave in about fifteen minutes,” he said.

“Training as in exercise?” I asked cautiously.

“Training as in learning to kill hellhounds.”

Funny how the thought of them didn’t terrify me like it once did.

“You want me to shift before we go?” I asked cautiously.

“No. You’ll learn to kill them in human form first and then add your beast to the mix.” He paused for a moment. “Your human body is still adjusting, and you need to work on balance like you did before.”

“No half-balls,” I ground out.

That made him smile. “Promise.”

“You actually think I can kill one?”

“I think you can learn to kill one,” he said with measured confidence.

“I don’t have the right clothes for training,” I pointed out.

“Beck brought you a gift. Apparently, one of his women made it for you last night.”

“Women, as in plural?”

“Beck’s business,” King replied curtly. He switched subjects to the gear. “Apparently, we do have Velcro on the island. We’ll need to find more, but this gives you a good start, and you didn’t need to sew it yourself.”

I’d broach Beck’s women in another conversation. I walked over to the bag sitting on the couch and opened it. Slowly, I pulled out a leather harness similar to King’s, though mine had Velcro for adjustments and a larger breast plate to cover me. Leaving the food behind, I headed to my bedroom.

It took me a few minutes to figure out the straps and get the thing on, but the Velcro made it easy to adjust perfectly. Pairing it with my shorts might not have been a fashion statement, but I didn’t care.

I stared at the badass in the mirror looking back at me and smiled, which completely ruined the effect.

After taking another moment to admire my new gear and lacing up a pair of athletic shoes, I went back to King and the waiting food.

I was hungry for both.

We made short work of breakfast, and when I started cleaning up in the kitchen, King joined me. Between the two of us, we had everything spotless in a few minutes.

He led me outside to his bike, and I climbed on behind him.

I would learn to fight, and eventually, he’d teach me to ride.

There was no limit to the badass I would be.

It was a short drive to a large, cleared section on the south side of the village. Shadow Warriors were scattered around, sharpening knives and adjusting straps. As soon as we pulled up, they straightened and came to attention.

“Try to stay in human form. Those shorts won’t survive a shift.” King winked as he helped me off the bike.

Beck rounded the corner, nodding in my direction. I returned the nod, then did a slow turn to show off how well the new gear fit.

He grimaced when King growled.

The sound left a strange, warm feeling inside me. Apparently, Mr. Beast had a healthy dose of jealousy.

Nokita and Labyrinth arrived, and the casual atmosphere evaporated. King stepped forward and announced, “Marinah will join us today. She’s training and will partner with me.”

Not a single snicker came from the group. The men threw quick glances in my direction, then paired off without comment.

Nokita approached King and handed him several knives. “Weapons for her.”

King inspected each one carefully before passing them to me. “They’re sharp. Secure them in your straps, but we won’t be using them today.”

The clang of metal rang as swords collided nearby. The sound had me questioning what exactly I’d signed up for.

“Afraid I’ll cut myself?” My tone was fully edged with indignation.

“No,” King replied, a faint grin tugging at his lips. “I’m worried you’ll cut me. I thought we’d work on the combat skills Boot started teaching you.”

The mention of Boot sent a quick sting of sadness through me, one strong enough to make Ms. Beast stir. I shoved it down and focused.

“You want to do one-on-one combat with me?”

“I do.” He nodded with a regal air that made me want to smack him. He backed up a few steps, creating space between us.

“Go ahead, try to kill me,” he said with a smirk, motioning with his fingers for me to bring it on.

“Either you think you’re that good or you think I’m that bad,” I shot back, fighting to keep the smile off my face. No way was I going to let him intimidate me.

His lips curved into a devastatingly sexy grin that nearly stole my breath. I refused to let it slide.

“You should smile like that more often,” I said, taking a step forward. “It doesn’t diminish your badassery in the slightest.”

“Badassery,” he repeated, his tone holding a hint of a challenge.

He thinks he’s all that. And the strangest thing is, I’m starting to feel the same way about myself. It’s not just the physical changes from shifting; something has shifted mentally too. I’m unafraid, bold even. The thought of drawing blood excites me, and the idea of showing King up makes my beast purr. I haven’t tripped over my own feet in days, and the new confidence coursing through me is addictive. He’s worried about my balance, but for the first time in my life, I feel it's perfect.

“Yeah,” I said, letting the grin I’d been holding back spread across my face. “Look up badassery in the Conan the Barbarian dictionary, and you’ll understand. Maybe.”

He didn’t get a chance to laugh because I moved first, striking out with a perfect sidekick that connected with his head. Boot would’ve been so proud.

King stumbled back, managing to stay on his feet, but blood welled from a fresh cut on his lip.

Oops.

He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, and I extended my hand, giving him a little mocking finger wave.

He didn’t take it well.

Bending low, he moved fast. Too fast.

The air left my chest in a whoosh, and I was flat on my back with the Goliath, known as King, sitting on me.

Months ago, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do in a fight. But King seemed to have forgotten I’d been training. Boot inadvertently taught me how to defend against Shadow Warriors, and I paid close attention. Now that my body was cooperating, I allowed muscle memory to take over.

My knee came up hard. With all the strength my enhanced body could muster, I rammed it into his lower gut.

The air rushed from his lungs, and he let out a grunt far more satisfying than mine.

For a brief, glorious moment, I felt victorious. That ended when he landed on top of me, squishing my chest with his.

I gasped for breath, but I couldn’t resist taunting him. “You okay there, baby?” I groaned through the pain.

“Fathering children has officially been taken off my to-do list,” he wheezed.

A laugh escaped me as he rolled off, struggling to his feet. He extended a hand in my direction, his face a blank mask.

“I’m tapping out,” he said, when I didn’t take his hand. “Come on, I don’t bite.”

“Yes, you do,” I replied, but allowed him to help me. With a swift tug, he pulled me from flat on my back to standing. My ribs ached, and it hurt slightly to breathe, but I kept those small details to myself.

It wasn’t until I dusted myself off that I noticed the silence and looked at King’s men.

The entire training ground had gone absolutely still.

Every man, aside from King’s personal guard, had stopped what they were doing. Bug eyes came to mind. Most of them were slack-jawed too, while Beck, Nokita, and Labyrinth grinned like idiots.

I gave a slight bow, straightening with a satisfied smile. “Boot was my teacher,” I said. “He did a really good job.”

Beck burst into laughter, and his two cohorts joined him.

“Back to work,” King barked, clearly annoyed.

I turned to him with a smirk. “Ready for more?”

His eyes darkened, and a sly grin spread across his face.

“Damn, you’re sexy,” he muttered before quickly closing the distance between us.

The words caught me so off guard that I froze, giving him just enough time to pin me to the ground again. This time, he threw a leg over mine, effectively trapping them and preventing any strategic kicks. But I wasn’t out of options.

I reached up, grabbed his ear, and twisted hard enough to make him yelp.

“Ow, dammit,” he shouted, his voice laced with both pain and exasperation.

He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “How about a little less girl and a little more Warrior?” he whispered.

I turned my head toward him, locking eyes for a split second before pressing my lips to his.

The kiss caught him off guard, and the arms pinning me loosened just enough.

In one fluid motion, I brought my legs up between us and kicked out with all the force I had.

King landed on his side with a grunt, and I rolled to face him.

“How about a little less boy and a lot more man?” I shot back wickedly.