Page 7

King

What the hell did Boot teach her? Half a second later, I found out. She rolled on top of me, her legs locking around my waist. This should be good, I thought, waiting to see what she’d try.

She raised her hands and leaned in; her expression full of mischief. She couldn’t really hurt me in this position, but I was curious about what she would do. I didn’t expect what I got. She slammed her palms against my ears with enough force to make my head ring. Pain exploded, stunning me long enough for her to scramble to her feet while I recovered.

She turned to face me, smirking. “Want more, baby?”

Around us, there was complete silence. I knew my men watched in shock, but I didn’t care. Beast’s whispers in my head were not good. Claim her . Most of these men didn’t know she was a Shadow Warrior, but word had spread that she was my mate. If I did what Beast wanted they wouldn’t like it. Hell, my guard would attack me, but the urge was there, and it was damned hard to fight.

I rose to my feet, shaking off the last of the ringing in my ears. “Bring it,” I challenged.

She moved fast, striking with her left hand while swinging her right foot in a sidekick. Instead of backing off, I stepped in close, nullifying the power of her strike. She didn’t miss a beat, following through with a left punch. I turned my head at the last second, and she didn’t connect. Grabbing her arm, I used her momentum and twisted her past me. In one smooth motion, I circled her waist and flipped her over my shoulder.

“What are you doing?” she yelled as she dangled upside down.

I looked at my men and saw them grinning like fools. “Practicing the latest move from the Conan Dictionary ,” I replied.

Their grins turned into full-on laughter.

“I’ll flatten your noses when he releases me, so shut your damn mouths!” Marinah growled from her awkward position.

The laughter died instantly, and I froze. Was she shifting?

I quickly set her down and backed away, ready for anything. But when I looked at her, there was no sign of a shift. She was smiling. Damn, she was controlling her beast with a level of mastery I hadn’t expected. Amazing.

“How about knives?” I suggested.

Excitement sparked in her eyes, and I knew then that whatever Boot had taught her had stuck. She wasn’t the same clumsy woman who had stumbled onto the island months ago. She was something new. A breed of Shadow Warrior none of us had seen before.

“Alpha,” Beck called, tossing two knives in my direction. I caught them easily, and the men formed a circle around us.

I approached Marinah, holding out one of the blades. She extended her hand, but instead of immediately giving it to her, I pulled her close and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back and handing her the knife.

“What was that for?” she asked, startled.

“A final kiss before you gut me,” I replied, backing up a few steps to give us space.

She glanced down at the blade, and a gleam flashed in her eyes. With a quick flick of her wrist, she flipped the knife into the air, letting it spin three times before catching it by the handle and dropping into a flawless knife defense stance.

I shook my head, impressed despite myself. Her form was poised and ready. Boot hadn’t been one of my strongest fighters, not by a long shot. But if Marinah had learned this much from him, I couldn’t help but wonder how formidable she would be once I spent more time training her.

“Whatcha waiting for, baby?” she taunted.

I flipped my knife, testing its weight, and began to circle to my left, then feinted right. Her body turned with mine, her eyes tracking each move I made. I was still calculating my next strike when she darted forward, fast as a viper’s strike, her blade slashing in quick, multidirectional arcs. I moved to counter, but by the time she backed off, blood welled from two fresh cuts on my forearm.

“She’s good!” one of the men called. I could hear the surprise in his tone, but I’d be damned if I took my eyes off Marinah.

Her grin turned wicked. “Boot never taught me guns,” she said, tauntingly to those around her. “Knives and a few moves on the mat are all I’ve got. Now you’ve seen my best stuff, what’s a poor girl to do?”

I tossed my knife aside and came at her while she was focused on the men. Teaching her to fight against this kind of distraction could wait for another day. Right now, we needed to get out of here. She cried out when I grabbed her hand and practically dragged her along. This had been a bad idea from start to finish. Watching her fight and embody the Warrior she’d become was turning me on far too much.

“You damn ogre!” she yelled, trying to pull away.

“I need your attention for a moment,” I hissed.

“You couldn’t have said that first?” she ground out.

I turned the corner of one of the buildings and pulled her out of sight. Once there, I stepped into her space, backing her against the cement wall. My hands landed on either side of her head, caging her in. She was breathing hard, her face flushed, her eyes wide. Her hands came up between us, fingers curling around one of my leather chest straps. She pulled me closer.

My gaze locked on her lips. She licked them, and a deep groan escaped my throat. My eyes darted to hers, catching the desire burning in their depths. Beast sniffed the air, and her unique scent filled my lungs. Leaning in, I ran my nose along her jaw, inhaling the faint trail of salty sweat at her hairline.

Mate.

Yes, mate, I told him.

“Why do you do this?” she asked huskily, arching her body against mine.

“This?” I murmured, giving her earlobe a small bite.

“Kiss me, then push me away?” she said in frustration.

I pulled back slightly, my gaze searching hers. “You aren’t ready,” I said firmly.

She sucked in a sharp breath as my thumb made small circles on the exposed skin beneath her leather chest piece.

“How could I be more ready?” she asked, squirming against me.

I kissed along her jawline, lingering for a moment. “Your beast isn’t ready,” I clarified in a low, strained voice.

“Please, King. My beast will do whatever the hell I tell her to.” Her voice was a mix of need and desperation.

She needed more time. But I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her. I pulled her flush against me, letting her feel my hardness. She groaned into my mouth, and I threaded my hand through her hair, tilting her head slightly to deepen the kiss. My beautiful, amazing warrior tasted like fire and defiance.

She returned the kiss with equal fervor, clutching my chest straps like her life depended on holding me against her. I thrust my hips, and she countered, nearly making me toss my resolve into the wind. We were a heartbeat away from losing control right there in the street.

With a savage groan, I tore my mouth away and tried to control my breathing. Her dark eyes had gone darker still, the irises bleeding into her black pupils, giving her a wild, predatory look.

I felt her body shift beneath my fingers as her heat radiated against me.

“How do I loosen the straps, and why is this happening?” she asked raggedly as she struggled against the urge to shift.

“Push back,” I said firmly. “Your beast isn’t getting what she wants, and she’s letting you know she’ll take matters into her own hands.”

“Maybe…” she said, her breath hitching as she tried to steady herself, “I should give her what she wants.”

I couldn’t take much more. My beast was fully engaged, clawing at me to let go, but we were standing in an alleyway where anyone could pass by.

“Fight it, Marinah,” I urged. “We’re not ready to give away your secrets.”

She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly as she fought for control. I knew how hard it was to push against the change, especially in the beginning. We needed to get home so her beast could run.

I rested my forehead against hers, breathing with her, matching my heart rate to hers. Slowly, her body cooled, and when her eyes opened again, the brown had returned to normal. The tension in her frame eased.

“How will I ever learn to fight if this happens every time I try?” Annoyance filled the question.

I wasn’t sure if she was referring to her beast trying to take over or her desire for me. Either way, I couldn’t help but laugh. This was painful for us both.