Axel visually checks me over. His gaze stops at my hand. The stitches look like they’re about to pop, and the bruising makes it appear worse than it actually is at this point. “You are a one-person walking disaster; I know you need me.”
“Harsh.” While he’s watching, I pull out the stitches and spread my fingers. Shadow Warrior blood is pretty cool.
“You need a full-time babysitter.”
King’s arm circles my shoulders, and I lean into him. He’s the best babysitter. “She’s ready to fall over, and I’m putting her on board where she will sleep through the flight.”
Axel doesn’t so much as blink. “Who made you doctor?” He turns to me. “Get on board and sleep. Doctor’s orders.”
King growls and I laugh. Axel might be the only one alive who doesn’t take King seriously. I rub the hand over my shoulder and caress his arm. It’s kind of an awkward position, but I need the contact. “I always follow doctor’s orders.”
Now I receive growls from both men. I give a sleepy yawn and turn toward the plane, with King behind me.
“I’ll see you after we land,” Axel calls.
Neither of us reply. I’m too tired and King is too… something. Most likely tired like me. We step inside the plane, and my mate points to the back. “We have the back row so you can sleep.”
My legs lift and lower as if by magic because I swear, I have no energy left to move them. I slide into the seat. King gently pushes my shoulders down then lifts my legs to the seat so I’m supine. He covers me with a light blanket and takes the seat across the aisle, I think. My brain goes hazy and finally sleep takes over.
***
“Marinah,” comes a small, childish whisper. I have no idea how much time has passed.
King’s voice is next. “Ruth. What did I tell you?”
“She moved.”
Large arms come around the child, and she’s lifted from the aisle and floats through the air until I can’t see her. Of course it was only King lifting and moving Ruth away from me, but the haze in my head made it look differently. I stretch my arms and turn a little so I’m more on my back.
King’s large gorgeous head appears above me, his blue eyes flashing, expression grim. “Go back to sleep.”
I’m still tired though not in the way I was earlier. “Hmm, I think I’m good. I could use food. Did you sleep?” I ask even though I know the answer.
“A bit.”
“You liar.”
He only grins, leans farther down, and kisses me quickly. I sit up when he releases me. My head spins a tad, but the big news is my headache is gone. I stretch my arms again and get my bearings. “How much longer?”
King sits in the seat beside me. “About thirty minutes.”
That means I slept for more than three hours. It’s not perfect, but I can cope now. King hands me a burrito wrapped in wax paper, and I take it greedily, unwrap it, and shove almost the entire thing down my throat.
“Hungry?” King asks just to be smart. Food and I have reached an understanding. For all the calories I went without during my early dating years, I can now eat anything I want, and my body metabolizes it quickly to use for energy. I love food, and when I’m hungry, it isn’t smart to get between me and my meal. King gives me one of his side grins. “Once we’re on the hunt, it will be MREs or animals we kill for food while in Warrior form. No fires and we’ll be on the move constantly.”
I speak around the last bite. “I hate MREs. Go away.”
He grins again and hands me another burrito. If he keeps them coming, maybe I’ll forget about the horrible meals in my future. I readjust in my seat and hear the crinkle of the bag I put on the floor before I fell asleep. I gobble the next burrito then place the bag in my lap and open it.
No, it can’t be! I don’t take my eyes off what Maylin found. I pull out the most incredible, amazing gift ever.
Doc Marten boots.
I check the size. Nine. Perfect.
“Boots?” King asks.
I try to lift my foot, but my legs are too long, and I need to turn sideways. “Move to the other side so I can try these babies on.” I look at him and grin. “These aren’t just any boots, they’re Doc Martens, the most kick-ass boots ever made. I can’t believe she found them.”
King looks at the footwear, then at me. “Shift once while wearing them and bye bye boots.”
I give him a small shoulder push to get him moving. Once he’s settled, I twist around, bringing my legs up, and begin pulling on the leather. I can tell as soon as my feet slide home that they fit perfectly.
“They don’t look any different than the military boots I gave you.”
“Sacrilege.” I run my fingers over the leather. “These babies have PVC air-cushioned soles. They’re indestructible.”
King whistles. “One emergency Shadow Warrior shift and you’ll discover you shouldn’t be too excited about footwear, and when that happens, no footwear is indestructible.”
Before I can bite off his face, the captain comes over the loudspeaker. “Please take your seats for landing.”
“I want boots like that,” Ruth says from above me. She’s standing on the seat in front of us. “Turn around, put on your seatbelt on, and do as the pilot says. If you do, I might let you touch my new boots,” I command in a firm voice.
“What would touching do?”
I harden my stare. “I did something good and received a reward I wasn’t expecting. I earned these boots. If you don’t turn around and buckle up, you’re going to earn something too.”
The glare does the trick, and she sinks down into her seat, out of sight. King raises his eyebrows, and his lips quirk. Ruth actually did what I told her, and it surprises me as much as it does him. I leave my feet on the seat so I can admire my boots during landing. King’s grin only grows when I do it.
“Boots are your Kryptonite. Good to know,” he teases.
“Not just any boots. These are Doc Martens.”
Chapter Seven
King
We land in the northern part of Arizona where a large settlement of people banded together and made their home after the hellhound invasion. The village founders were smart and took their stand in high desert with good planting seasons and enough water coming from several lakes in the region. It’s also much cooler than Southern Arizona.
This is where Beck first found Missy and Ruth. Or, to be more accurate, they found him. That connection gave us much needed intel about the Federation. We now know they’ve been corrupt since The Federation’s inception and they’ve commandeered soldiers using “join or die” tactics. We know they are using hellhounds for their own agenda, whatever that agenda may be. Maybe the destruction of the world is their goal, and things are going exactly as planned. Before the hellhound invasion, the U.S. government was in the worst turmoil the nation had seen since the civil war. That corrupt government led to the current one.
I step outside the plane into weather that’s about twenty degrees cooler than the island. Several Shadow Warriors who stayed behind to guard the villages are waiting for us. I clasp arms with those in charge. Marinah calls out, and I turn in time to see her running at her human friend Landan. Before she reaches him, she realizes he’s looking at me with the realization that I might kill him in the next twenty seconds. Marinah also grasps the danger she’s putting him in and stops her forward momentum enough that she doesn’t slam into his chest.
Kill. I ignore Beast and inhale deeply, allowing the simmering of K-5 to clear. We don’t have time for this right now. Without embracing or so much as a handshake, Marinah and Landan walk my way, a little too close, but I can handle it. I put my hand out, and Landan takes it. “Thanks for meeting us,” I say stiffly. “We’re dropping off Warriors who will disperse to different outposts while my personal team searches for the Federation soldiers who did this.”
Landan visibly relaxes. “Thank you and good to hear. We have information that might help with your search. Half of your Warriors are
on the outer perimeter of the outposts combing the surrounding areas for Federation soldiers and hellhounds. If you can spare about twenty minutes, we can catch you up on what we’ve learned.”
I look around at the activity and notice a small lean-to with a picnic table beside the runway. The locals built the runway ten miles from the outpost. I abruptly turn and stride toward the table.
“Hey, Neanderthal,” Marinah calls out behind me.
When I glance over my shoulder, she lifts her hands. “Would you like us to follow?” she asks.
I pivot, take a large stride backward, and grab her hand to drag her with me. The sleep did her good because she laughs. “Come on, Landan. His majesty is requesting an audience.” I give her an annoyed glare which she also laughs off. The only thing I can think of that put her in such a great mood is seeing Landan. I fight off a shot of K-5 and make Beast behave.
“Hold it back, baby,” she says softly.
“Stop pushing my buttons,” I growl in mild annoyance. She couldn’t care less. Before Marinah answers, I see Beck and Missy walking in our direction. Another man I’m unfamiliar with is beside them.
Missy makes introductions once they reach us. “This is Garret, our governor. He wanted to speak with you.” Missy glances at Beck, sees his pointed stare, and moves away from me. She’s had a difficult time with the mating rage. It doesn’t affect her and that also drives Beck crazy. I hide a grin. Missy has definitely made things interesting for Beck, and it’s been interesting for the rest of us. Marinah and I have dealt with the mating rage and not killed anyone and that makes Beck uptight. He won’t be outdone by us, so he won’t kill anyone over his mate or so he thinks. Maybe watching the spectacle unfold between Missy and Beck is more entertainment than interesting. At least it is when we aren’t trying to catch the people responsible for killing an entire village.
Yes, I whisper internally when Beast grumbles. We will find many to kill. I slept only lightly on the plane, thoughts of the senseless murders of innocents building a rage inside me that will need an outlet shortly. The key is being sure Federation soldiers are available when Beast breaks free.
We reach the bench beneath the overhang, and everyone but the governor and I sit. He’s watching me warily. I glance at him when I speak. “We need any information you have that will help in dealing with the Federation soldiers who wiped out the village. I’m leading a strike team as soon as I have that information.”
Marinah stands up and wraps her hand around my arm while leaning into me. “What King would like to say is we are sorry for the loss of life, and we take these matters seriously. Any help you can give us would be wonderful.”
Garret, six-foot tall, wide shoulders, muscular and not your average-looking politician, gazes between me and my mate with lips slightly parted. Marinah leans into me a bit more. She’s telling me to play nice. She also understands my lack of trust in politicians. Garret might be a great guy, but then again why would he go into politics if he were?
A slight pinch and another direct glare from Marinah and I give in and place my hand out. Garret stares at it.
Marinah makes a sharp noise in the back of her throat and stares pointedly at Garret. “This is when men play nice, shake hands, and spill the info. Even I’m tired of waiting,” she grumbles testily.
Garret snaps out of his fog and shakes my hand. Firm and quick. I play nice at my mate’s request and don’t break his hand. “Well, umm, I apologize,” he says. “I’ve heard a lot about you both, and I guess I’m a little tongue-tied.” His gaze rests on Marinah, and I can’t stop a low growl. He snaps his eyes away from my mate, and I relax somewhat.
We’ve kept important information about Shadow Warriors from the Federation. The mating rage is one of the things we hid. Humans would be mortified to know that Shadow Warriors revert to savage killers over their mates, at least in the beginning. In mine and Marinah’s case, it goes both ways, and it’s been difficult to hide the rage when we’re in mixed company and they don’t understand the rules.
Garret, thank goodness, addresses me after my grumble, and I’m able to concentrate on what he says. “They’re controlling the hellhounds in some way. We’re thinking it’s a noise frequency but have no proof right now. The hellhounds attacked the village in unison then left in unison as soon as the Federation soldiers came in. Strangest thing the witnesses had ever seen, and the hounds didn’t attack the Federation soldiers.” He shakes his head, and his frustration shows. “We desperately need the help you’re offering.” He takes a deep breath and exhales before adding, “I’d like to go with you to hunt the Federation soldiers.”
Not what I was expecting. I glance at Marinah. Her expression is much like mine. We travel as Warriors and having a human will make that difficult. I say as much to Garret.
He rests his hand on the table, fingers splayed. “I can keep up. If not, leave me. I’m not a governor in name only. Keeping these people safe is my top priority. And,” he stares directly into my eyes, making Beast grumble again. “I’m deadly. Maybe not Shadow Warrior deadly, but I won’t endanger you.”
I give Marinah another glance, and she very imperceptibly nods her head. I don’t agree. He will be trouble. My mate feels otherwise. “After we have the intel, we’ll leave in an hour. Can you be ready?”
“I’m ready now.”
“I need to interview the survivors.”
“I’ll have them brought here.”
We leave an hour later.
Chapter Eight
Marinah
There’s something about Garret that’s off. He’s saying all the right things, behaving as a good politician should, but I’m not sure if we can trust him or not. Time will tell. The outpost that was attacked is about twenty-four hours from here if we run the entire way. King doesn’t want to waste the time and is having us dropped at the village by parachute.
I’ve never parachuted in my life. I’m no longer terrified of the thought though. I just need to get the first jump out of the way. I’ve had exactly two previous lessons, and my confidence is nil.
King yells at me over the plane’s engine, “Remember what you learned about untwisting your rigging lines if needed. You’ll have plenty of time to set yourself up for landing,” We’re standing at the open cabin door, and my stomach is in my throat. He adjusts my harness one last time and gives me a quick kiss.
I flash a thumbs-up that I don’t feel. King is going first, and I’m following. Labyrinth is next, then Garret, Axel, and last Beck. King is taking Garret at his word that he’ll keep up. I have my doubts.
King looks for the perfect location to jump, and I’m doing everything I can to keep my mind off the fall by turning my thoughts to Ruth. Leaving her behind wasn’t easy.
“You said you would train me,” she yelled defiantly when she found out I was leaving with King.
“I will train you, and one of the things you will learn is the world doesn’t revolve around Ruth. Men, women, and children died. Everyone here is in danger and that includes you and your mother. I’m putting your safety and that of everyone here ahead of your wants. Get over it.”
She turned on her heels and stalked off. I don’t envy Missy, and I’m sure Missy wants to kill me right about now.
“It’s time,” yells King.
I run my hands over my straps and adjust my backpack beneath the harness. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. King takes my hand and in two powerful leaps, we’re airborne. And falling. At least we avoided the plane’s engines which was my biggest worry.
Wind whips across my face, and the cold settles into my bones as we continue falling. King releases my hand and bows his body as we separate. I do the same. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Labyrinth, then Garret. After a deep inhale, I take time to look at the beauty below us. If it wasn’t for the slapping wind, I would swear I was staying still and not dropping at 120 miles an hour.
I spot cleared land and follow King’s example by tightening my body and turning it i
nto an arrow to make the spot. I also see Beck for the first time, and he’s above us, coming in fast. “Open, open, open,” I say aloud right after King gives me the “open chute” sign. I pull the cord and instantly feel the slag as the parachute catches air and I’m pulled upward. It’s exhilarating and makes me realize how far I’ve come these past months. My eyes aren’t even closed, and I’m laughing like a maniacal idiot. Marinah, meet your new idea of fun.
The ground comes fast, and we’re within reach of the cleared land. King hits first, making it look easy. I have only seconds before my feet are running and connect with the earth. My Doc Martens make perfect contact, and they are now my official parachuting boots. The soles grip the dirt, and I’m able to land much like King and stay upright. I look at my mate after coming to a stop and can’t hide my grin. “That was amazing.” I laugh.
His smile is wider than mine, but he’s all business. “Collect your chute,” he says as he gathers his.
Within ten minutes, we’ve hidden the parachutes, and we’re ready to leave. King is giving Garret a brief rundown of what to expect. “Once we’ve shifted, do not look into our eyes. Before and after we shift, stay away from Marinah or you could lose your head. I don’t trust you enough to give you the reasons why. I would, however, suggest you take what I’m saying to heart. Your life depends on it.”
“Got it,” he says solemnly.
I’m impressed. No questions. He just follows orders. Maybe he will be helpful. Time will tell. He curiously watches us shift with a smart side-eye and stays quiet. It gives him another plus. We set out running at midstride. This is for Garret’s benefit. We run in the same order as we left the plane, and the miles go by quickly. The smell of death hits about an hour later, and I know we’re close. There was no place to land the plane up here, and this part of the trek would have taken place on foot regardless of how we arrived.
Beast Page 5
