Beast

by Holly S. Roberts

  Axel isn’t paying attention to two mates on the edge. “Marinah, take his hand. I’ll clean and suture the wounds to stop the bleeding,” defeat clear in his voice.

  I look out across the city while Axel and Marinah switch places. They continue working, and Garret continues breathing. I spot Beck and Labyrinth through the scope. Labyrinth is carrying someone. If we have any luck at all, it’s Smythe. I follow their progress, keeping watch around them.

  We’re not safe on this rooftop so close to the enemy camp, and we need to leave the city. I glance over my shoulder at Garret. The longer he lives, the more danger we’re in. We need to move.

  Beck and Labyrinth hit the stairs of our building. Marinah and Axel are speaking quietly when Beck charges onto the roof. He isn’t happy. “They had a vehicle hidden, and Smythe got away. We picked up this guy,” he points at the man Labyrinth dumps on the floor. There’s a loud groan so I know he’s alive. “He pulled a gun on us and decided against pulling the trigger, stupid man.” He looks to Axel. “How’s Garret?”

  “He’ll die without a transfusion.”

  “Universal. Blood for everyone,” moans the man Labyrinth dropped.

  Axel’s head snaps up. “You have O negative blood?”

  “Blood, blood, more blood,” the man coughs, his voice gruff like he hasn’t spoken in a long time. The weird smile on his face is downright scary.

  Labyrinth lifts the prisoner, moving him closer to Garret. His arm is bent at an odd angle, and he groans when jostled.

  If the transfusion works, it will keep us here longer. I look at Axel and see a spark of hope in his eyes. I also look at my mate and see hope reflected in hers too. If we’re going to be here for a few days, there’s much to do so we’re as secure as possible. I have no problem leaving Garret behind if it comes to choosing between him or Marinah. He better decide quickly if he’s going to live.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Marinah

  Axel says all we can do is wait. We’ll know about Garret in the next day or so. I’m resting with my back against the short roof wall and staring at our prisoner. He has crazy green eyes that look too large on his thin, filthy face. With his broken arm, he’s little threat now that Beck hobbled him. He’s not dressed in Federation military fatigues, and his clothes have seen better days. His skin is mostly black with grime. He has slight swelling on his forehead from a boot to the head when he pulled the gun on Beck and Labyrinth.

  He’s staring at me too. “Pretty butterfly,” he finally says.

  King gives him a kick to the thigh to shut him up. My mate isn’t happy with the loss of Smythe and especially my shifting. He’s gone into full-on royal highness mope mode. And the men accuse me of throwing tantrums. My fits have nothing on my mate when he decides on a king-sized funk. Giving the prisoner a wide berth, I circle to King.

  “I’m heading to check out the lower floors, wanna come?” It’s the best I have. He takes his eyes off the city and turns. Nope, I don’t like the look in his eyes.

  “I’ll keep watch.” He turns his back on me.

  Alrighty then.

  I decide on a methodical search and begin on the floor beneath us. Our island is well equipped, but every now and then we come across something we can’t get our hands on. I lift desks and set them upright so I can go through the drawers. Mostly I find office supplies. And then, tucked in one of the drawers, I find an old rag doll. It’s still in its package and looks like it was a collectible before the world went crazy. Worthless today although a certain young girl might like it if she has any child left in her at all. I also find two pocketknives. Ruth might not care for the doll, but she and Che will love the knives. They have sharp military knives on their hips, but these fold and can easily be stuffed in their pockets for added protection. Along with a few additional gifts for friends, I find something for King.

  My search takes a few hours, and it feels good to be doing something other than watching my mate sulk. I carefully stuff the goods in my backpack which had a little extra space due to the loss of my poor boots. It’s midday when I head back to the roof. King and Beck are gone, and Axel is napping next to Garret. I walk up to Labyrinth who’s taken King’s position at watch. Our prisoner’s eyes are closed; he’s leaning with his back against the short wall.

  “Boys checking out other parts of the city?” I ask quietly.

  I receive the expected grunt. “I found something for Maylin.” Finally, something grabs his attention, and he looks at me for all of three seconds. In that time, he blinks once. I’m stunned again by his strange eyes, one blue, one green. I’ve never asked him about them, and I won’t start now. “What I found isn’t much, but I wanted to thank her for the boots I destroyed.”

  He doesn’t hear me because the main part of the problem is finally brought to light. “Maylin asked to slow things down. She isn’t ready for courtship.” His gaze returns to the city.

  Hmm. Smart woman. “She lost her husband six months ago. I think taking things slow will work.”

  “We’re on the brink of annihilation; time is not on our side.”

  Stubborn man. “Okay, Mister Doom and Gloom. I’m giving you a hint. She has feelings for you, but she also thinks she’s betraying Boot.”

  “Boot’s dead.” It’s clipped.

  Now he’s being Mister Oblivious. “When you love someone, their death doesn’t end your feelings. She needs time.” He doesn’t respond, and I change the subject. “What’s the prisoner been up to?”

  “Singing with the ladybugs,” the man in question calls from a few feet away.

  “He’s nuts,” Labyrinth mumbles. “We think he’s been living in the city since the bombs. Sometimes he’s here and sometimes he isn’t, if you get what I mean.”

  I look into the prisoner’s scary eyes, and he grins, showing blackened teeth. “Should we let him go?”

  “He tried to kill us.”

  I count to ten since I am talking to a rather stiff back. When I think I can speak without grinding out words, I give it a try. “He’s been attacked by the government, and he managed to stay alive. He didn’t do it by being nice. And I can’t believe I need to remind you that he didn’t pull the trigger. We need to know more about him.”

  Again, Labyrinth ignores the current conversation and starts one of his own. One I don’t like. “You need to fix things with King.”

  Wow. I do, do I? “I wouldn’t change going after Garret, so I don’t think an apology will work.”

  He finally looks at me, his eyes locked on mine. “You’re the first female Warrior in generations. No Warrior has mated with our own kind since coming to Earth. We all know you’re special, and if we had a vote, you would be locked in a padded room eating bonbons.”

  “Try it,” I fume.

  He ignores me. “King is making you as strong militarily as we are. But he knows what you mean to our race, and he will not stand by and allow you to risk your life.”

  His entire speech has nothing to do with King loving me, and I see another problem when he’s dealing with Maylin. “Each day we wake up, we risk our lives.” This stubborn man is making me so angry. “I’m not about to stand back and allow everyone else to face danger without me.”

  “That’s the problem. King has never kept you from danger. He wants you to make military decisions and to stop thinking with your human brain.”

  “Oh, and I should be thankful? I’m either a Shadow Warrior or I’m not.”

  “The butterfly leaves its cocoon, but it’s still defenseless,” our prisoner pipes in.

  I roll my eyes and Labyrinth smirks. “You aren’t defenseless, but you are rash, and one of these days you’ll get someone killed. We pray it’s not you who dies.”

  So, they’ve been talking about me. I shouldn’t be surprised. “Thaaanks,” I say sarcastically.

  Labyrinth rolls his eyes. “You have no idea what an anomaly you are. We’re all stepping carefully around you and King. He’s volatile when you aren’t around and vice
versa. Then add in the mating rage when the two of you are together, and we’re running for cover. This hasn’t been easy for anyone.”

  Oh boy, tell me how you really feel. “You’re saying I’m bad for King.” He can agree with my statement all he wants; it won’t make a difference. Labyrinth takes a step closer to me and brings his giant maw into my space staring into my eyes in challenge. Ms. Beast comes to attention.

  He looks me up and down. Really looks. “You’re a miracle.”

  I study his eyes because expressions are hard to read when someone’s in Beast form. “I don’t feel like a miracle.”

  He shakes his head. “You haven’t fully accepted who and what you are.”

  I look away because I know he’s right. “I don’t know how to be a Shadow Warrior.”

  When I glance back, Labyrinth lifts his head, his jaw going upward so he can laugh. Not a small laugh but one that comes straight from his diaphragm. It’s nice to be laughed at. NOT! It takes him a minute to gain control. I actually hope he tries to wipe a tear and takes out an eye. That doesn’t happen.

  His next words hit me hard. “We lived for so long hiding who we were. None of us knew how to be Shadow Warrior except for Graystone, King’s uncle. We’re still learning, and sometimes it’s hard to even remember we were once farmers where a bad day was fixing broken equipment.” He takes his rifle off his shoulder and cradles it in order to lean back against the wall. “It’s your job to teach us to be Shadow Warriors.”

  He doesn’t laugh or even smile. He’s serious. “What could I possibly teach you?”

  He shakes his head slightly, and I know it’s because I’m not understanding what he’s trying to tell me. “The female Warriors left the men because of our violence. Now we have you, and the last thing any of us wants is you to leave. You’re a Warrior and you’re more human than the rest of us. That’s what you have to teach us. We’re men and it’s not easily changed.”

  “But we need Warriors.”

  He shakes his head again in frustration. “Yes, we need Warriors. You. Are. A. Warrior. Get it through your head. You’ll never be exactly like us because you aren’t. You’re female. If you look at the animal kingdom, many females of the species are more deadly than their male counterparts. Our race was also like that. The difference is the women held compassion for others. You think differently, and that’s not a bad thing. King will weigh the good and bad and decide what’s best for the majority. You think in closer bonds. You went after Garret when none of us figured he’d make it out alive, and we’d already written him off.” He shrugs. “You got caught because we decided to retrieve his body and take it back with us.” He glances at Axel who is resting beside Garret.

  “You’re saying I’m a Warrior, and I’m not a Warrior.”

  “No. I’m saying you’re like no Warrior we’ve ever seen. Instead of being us, be yourself. You came to us for a reason, and the last thing we need is for you to be just like us.”

  Now it’s my turn to laugh. “You have no idea what I was truly like before becoming a Shadow Warrior. I didn’t have a brave bone in my body.”

  “You saved Che at the expense of your own life and you thought you were simply human then. How many hellhounds did the poor little scared girl face down?” He doesn’t wait for my answer. “That’s not the actions of a coward. Get over yourself.”

  It sounds so easy. But how?

  Chapter Seventeen

  King

  It’s late, or more precisely early morning, when we return, and Marinah’s sleeping. We scoured the city for signs of Smythe without success. The current storm raging inside me isn’t good. I want my hands around the man’s throat, and until it happens, I won’t rest easy. I slide in beside my mate and pull her close. She rolls in against me out of habit. She mumbles something in her sleep, and she’s out again. I’m unsure if she woke at all.

  My brain is too restless to shut down right now.

  “They come at night.” It’s said with the prisoner’s gruff voice.

  I turn and look at him. Our attempts at retrieving information from his messed-up head has been a bust so far. His answers are crazy blabbering gibberish. I have no idea how he stayed alive this long. He’s a danger to himself and others. Killing him will be merciful. He can’t possibly survive here alone much longer, and I don’t see a way to take him back to the outposts. He’s too unstable.

  “They come at night,” he says again. He curls up, bringing his knees to his chest, and closes his eyes.

  His outburst makes me think he’s recalling the beginning of the hellhound attacks. When the invasion began, they did come out at night and hid during the day. Eventually, the daylight didn’t hold them back at all and their terror descended in full force.

  I’m impatient to leave Denver, and I know with Garret’s condition it’s not happening anytime soon. I adjust my head so Marinah’s scent fills my lungs, and I close my eyes.

  I’ll reassess tomorrow.

  ***

  I wake before Marinah and grab our packs for breakfast MREs. The prisoner is sitting up with his attention fully on my sleeping mate. Beast doesn’t seem to care so I let it go. The prisoner’s expression is thoughtful. Slowly, he peels his eyes away and looks at me; his gaze has a bit more clarity this morning. “She’s one of you.”

  I don’t answer.

  “She’s special,” he says, and his expression changes to reverence.

  Great, he’s obsessing over my mate. And still Beast doesn’t react. Very strange.

  “I have a name. I do.”

  We’ve tried getting this out of him, but I go for it anyway. “What is it?”

  “A name. Just a name,” he singsongs.

  Marinah sits up and carefully rubs her eyes with the backs of her hands. She glances at me in question. I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go of my anger. She smiles and Beast perks up, the idiot. She scoots closer and leans into my side. “I know it won’t help, but I’m sorry.”

  I hear the sincerity in her words, and I still don’t know if I believe her. Doing it all over again would bring the same outcome, and she would still place herself in needless danger. I’ve led my men for years. I’m decisive and exacting, and none of them would call me a thoughtful or generous leader. I make a bad decision and people die. There’s no room for compromise, and I expect my orders to be carried out exactly as I give them. And then I have my mate who won’t keep herself safe. She does whatever she wants, and my rules go out the window.

  “The butterfly is awake,” mutters the prisoner.

  Marinah turns her head. “What’s your name?” she asks politely, and it does the trick.

  “Cosway. Cosway is my name.” He looks around, turning his head in jerky movements.

  Axel walks over. “I need to check your arm.”

  “Arm good.” Cosway lifts and lowers it at the shoulder without moving the broken bone below his right elbow.

  “If the swelling is down, I’ll tighten the bandage, and it will feel more comfortable.”

  Our prisoner looks around again without responding. Axel won’t like what I have planned for him. I glance at Marinah. My mate will also be pissed. If we leave him behind, he’s a danger to whoever Garret sends back for supplies. His fate is sealed, but I don’t tell Axel or Marinah yet. I’ll save that battle for our departure.

  “How is he?” I ask Axel, nodding in Garret’s direction.

  Axel looks over before glancing between me and Marinah. “He’s critical.” I see the sadness in his eyes, and I feel for my friend. His sexual preference has never been an issue and for the most part we forget. I’m unaware that anyone has qualms over Axel’s sexuality, but he has his own reservations. He grew up in a small, very conservative farming community. When he came out to his parents, it didn’t go well, and he was sent through gay conversion therapy. He ran away, and every time his parents brought him home, he ran away again. He was a straight A student, and finally his parents agreed to pay for medical school. They thought i
f he was a doctor, maybe their church would overlook his other shortcoming. His Shadow Warrior father barely spoke to him, and finally my uncle found him and brought him into our group. By this time, Axel was a doctor doing his internship. How he kept up at the hospital and followed Graystone’s exact rules is a miracle. He’s been our savior since we joined the war, and he’s saved Warrior lives as well as human.

  I look over at Garret. If he dies, Axel may never get another chance at finding someone compatible. I grimace internally. Marinah is a whirlwind, and she drives me insane, but I am happy. At least I am when she isn’t trying to kill herself.

  “When will he be able to travel?” I ask Axel.

  “A week, if he survives these next two days.”

  “We leave in three days.”

  Marinah jerks her head around and responds before Axel has a chance. “Leaving that soon will kill him.”

  I harden my voice. “We’ll carry him if needed.” I will not be disobeyed. “We leave in three days.”

  Marinah’s huff is loud and full of displeasure. She places her MRE can down, picks up another, and carries it to the prisoner ignoring me. “Can you eat it with your injured arm?”

  He cocks his head, studying her again. “Pretty butterfly.”

  “Thank you. You need to eat.” She hands him the opened can. He places it on the ground and hunches over, blocking it almost completely from sight and eats with his fingers.

  “I’ll get you water.”

  She ignores me again and grabs one of her canteens. After shaking it, she walks to Cosway. And what kind of name is that anyway? She glances at me over her shoulder before handing the canteen to him, daring me to say something. I remain silent. For the most part, Beast ignores Axel because he’s gay. Beast is also ignoring this man. Beast does, however, feel Marinah’s displeasure, and he’s grumbling inside me.

  “Thank you, butterfly,” Cosway says and hands the canteen back after he’s taken a healthy swig.