“It’s the original Shadow Warrior language. The books have been translated and the far side holds the English editions.”
Marinah walks to the English version side. “So many,” she whispers after a few minutes. “Do you speak the original language?”
“My father made me learn and I hated him for it until Greystone made me understand we can never forget where we came from if we want to stop the past from happening again.” I follow Marinah as she picks up another text. “Before landing here, we had female Warriors. Their lessons are in the texts too, though I’ve read few of them.”
“Why didn’t you read them?”
Because it hurt. “We had no female Warriors and I didn’t see the need,” I say instead.
“It’s all here, everything I need to know?”
“Yes. Take a few volumes that look interesting back to your room. When we’re not training or feeding you, you’ll have plenty of time to read.”
The wonder on her face turns sad. “Time is something we don’t have if we’re going to help the Federation.”
“The best way to help them is to learn who and what you are. You’re part of both worlds and important to both sides. These volumes,” I wave my hand around the room, “hold most of our secrets. They’re yours to find.”
“If things in the U.S. get worse, will you know?”
“Yes, and you’ll know too. I won’t keep anything from you.”
Skepticism crosses her face. “You’ll answer all my questions?”
“Yes, even if you won’t answer all of mine.”
Chapter Six
Marinah
I TAKE THREE thick black volumes of Shadow Warrior history back to my bedroom. The leather is old and supple, the smell that of antique books, which stirs warm fuzzies in my belly.
King gave me a short tour of his home after we left the underground section and also showed me my room. He hasn’t kissed me since we arrived and he’s given me a separate room. I’m trying not to feel disappointed, but it’s a lie. I want to be in King’s bed no matter how wrong it is. Technically he’s still an enemy of the Federation. And technically, I don’t care. He obviously needs time to decide if we should sleep together and I wouldn’t appreciate being rushed, so there’s no way I’ll rush him. I also won’t beg.
I pick up one of the worn volumes and open 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 a short time, I’m enthralled. It’s like reading a science fiction novel even though I know these events happened. This book is about their history. I stop myself. My history. It’s told by a female Shadow Warrior named Nalista.
I read until I can’t keep my eyes open. Thoughts fade and I fall asleep.
***
King has a pound of bacon and at least six scrambled eggs waiting for me when I enter the kitchen the next morning. He’s in his military pants and leather straps with his boots on too. “Eat. We have training this morning and need to leave in about fifteen minutes.”
“Training as in, exercise?”
“Training as in learning to kill hellhounds.”
Funny that the thought of them doesn’t terrify me as it once did. “You actually think I can kill one?”
“I think you can learn to kill one,” he qualifies.
“I don’t have the proper clothes for training.”
“Beck brought you a gift. Apparently, he had one of his women make it for you last night.”
“Women, as in plural?”
“Beck’s business.”
That shuts me up. I walk over to the bag on the couch and open it. Slowly, I pull out the leather harness similar to King’s. The difference is Velcro. I leave the food and head back to my bedroom. It takes a few minutes to figure out the straps and get the thing on. The Velcro allows me to adjust it perfectly. I’ll make a fashion statement, maybe a bad one with my shorts and leather gear. I don’t mind at all.
I stare at the badass looking back at me in the mirror and smile, which ruins the effect.
After taking another minute to admire my new attire and add athletic shoes, I head back to King and food. I’m hungry for both. We make short work of breakfast and as soon as we’re done, I walk into the kitchen and begin cleanup. King joins me and we’re finished in a few minutes.
He leads me out to his bike and I jump on behind him. I’ll learn to fight and he’ll teach me to handle a bike. There is no limit to the badass waiting for me.
It’s a short drive to a large cleared section on the south side of the village. Shadow Warriors stand around sharpening knives and adjusting straps. They come to attention when we pull up.
“Do your best to stay in human form. Those shorts won’t handle a shift.” He winks and assists me off the bike.
Beck walks around the corner and nods at me. I nod back and turn all the way around so he can see how well the gear fits. He grimaces and King growls. The growl leaves a warm fuzzy feeling inside me. Ms. Beast and King’s beast have jealously in common.
Nokita and Labyrinth make their entrance and all small talk comes to an end. “Marinah will join us today and partner with me. She’s in training.”
There isn’t so much as a snicker. The men cast quick glances at me and then pair off.
Nokita approaches King. “Weapons for her,” he says and hands King several knives.
King examines them before handing them to me. “They’re sharp. Secure them in your straps. We won’t be using them today.”
The clang of metal on metal as swords meet makes me wonder what exactly we’ll be doing. “Are you worried I might cut myself?” I ask indignantly.
“No,” King says with a slight grin. “I’m worried you’ll cut me. I thought we would work on the skills Boot was teaching you.”
I snap back the quick burst of sadness that could make Ms. Beast shift. “You want to work one-on-one combat with me?”
“I do.” He nods so regally I want to bite off his head. He backs up and gives us room.
“Go ahead, try to kill me,” he challenges and signals with his fingers to bring it on.
“Either you think you’re that good or you think I’m that bad,” I say while fighting my smile. He doesn’t scare me.
His lips form a sexy grin that almost steals my breath and I can’t let it pass. “You should try that more often. It doesn’t change your badassery in the slightest.”
“Badassery?” he asks gruffly.
He thinks he’s so… all that. What’s really strange is that I have the same feeling about myself. It’s not just my physical appearance that’s changed, or at least what changes when I shift. This is mental too. I’m unafraid. I want to draw blood and I want to show King up. I haven’t tripped over my own feet in days and I love the new confidence I feel. “Yeah,” I tell King and add the grin I’ve been holding back. “Look up badassery in the Conan the Barbarian dictionary and you’ll understand, maybe.”
He doesn’t have time to laugh because my foot strikes and I almost take off the side of his head. Perfect side kick. Boot would be so proud. King stumbles back, though he manages to stay on his feet. Blood wells from a cut on his lip.
Oops.
He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. I put out my hand and give him a little finger wave of my own. Nope, he doesn’t like that and bends low and strikes fast. Too fast. A strong oomph of air leaves my chest on impact and in less than a second, I’m lying flat on my back struggling to breathe with a Goliath known as King on top of me.
A month ago, I wouldn’t know what to do in a fight. King must have forgotten that I’ve been training with one of his fellow Warriors, and Boot taught me to defend against a Shadow Warrior. My knee comes up with all the force I have and that’s quite a bit now that I have added strength in my human form. The air leaves King’s lungs and he gives a slightly lower grunt than I did. Things would be
perfect if he didn’t land on top of me while curling his body inward and squishing my guts with his elbow. I still can’t breathe, but satisfaction is my friend.
“You okay there, baby?” I finally manage to groan.
“Fathering children has just been taken off my to-do list.”
A small laugh escapes my burning chest when he rolls completely off struggling to gain his feet. I stare at the arm he extends and wonder if he’s trying to pull one over on me.
“I’m tapping out. Come on, I don’t bite.”
“Yes, you do,” I reply and take his offered hand. With his assistance I go from flat on my back to standing as if by magic. My ribs hurt from him landing on top of me and that info will remain mine alone. The quiet surrounding us finally gains my attention. All the men have stopped what they’re doing. All but King’s personal guard are staring with slack jaws. Beck, Nokita, and Labyrinth are grinning from ear to ear.
I make a slight bow. “Boot was my teacher,” I say as I straighten, “he did a really good job.”
Beck starts laughing followed by his two cohorts. “Back to work,” the King commands grumpily.
I turn my satisfied smile on him. “Ready for more?”
“Damn you’re sexy,” he says before moving in quickly.
I’m so stunned by the words, I don’t react and find myself pinned to the ground again. This time, King throws a leg over mine, keeping me from kicking his junk. I grab his ear instead and twist to the point of removing it from his head.
“Owe, dammit,” he shouts. “How about a little less girl and a little more Warrior,” he whispers into my ear.
I turn my head and kiss him. The arms around me loosen and in a quick move, I draw my legs up between us and kick out. King lands on his side. I roll over and face him. “How about a little less boy and a lot more man?”
Chapter Seven
King
WHAT THE HECK did Boot teach her? Half a second later I find out. She rolls on top of me and wraps her legs around my waist. This should be good. She raises her hands and leans in. She can’t hurt me in this position, but I want to see what she tries.
Slamming her palms against my ears is not what I expected and the pain momentarily stuns me. She gains her feet while I’m trying not to die and beckons again with that same little wave I gave her. “Need more, baby?” I ignore the silence around us knowing she’s showing me up. If I could claim her right here and now, I would. The men might not know she’s Warrior, but word has spread that she’s my mate. None will interfere.
I gain my feet. “Bring it,” I challenge.
She strikes with her left hand and swings her right foot in a side kick. I don’t back off, I move in closer so the strike is ineffective. She continues her forward momentum and punches with her left fist. I turn my head at the last minute, avoiding the blow. Grabbing her arm, I jerk her past me and circle her waist using her momentum against her and flip her over my shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she shouts.
My men are grinning. “Practicing the latest move from the Conan dictionary,” I say calmly.
Their grins turn to laughter.
“I’ll flatten your noses when he releases me, so shut your mouths,” she yells at the men from over my shoulder. The laughter dies suddenly and it occurs to me that she’s probably shifting. I set her down and move back quickly. When I look at her, I see no hint of shifting. She’s actually smiling. She’s controlling her beast amazingly well.
“How about knives?” I say.
Excitement lights up her eyes. Whatever Boot was teaching her stuck. She’s not the same clumsy woman who showed up on the island more than a month ago. She’s a new breed of Shadow Warrior.
“Alpha,” Beck calls and I turn in the direction of his voice. He tosses me two knives and backs away. The men form a circle around us. I walk closer to Marinah to hand her one. She places her hand out and I pull her into me, kissing her lips quickly before letting her go and handing the knife over.
“What was that for?” she asks startled.
“A final kiss before you gut me,” I say backing up just a bit more to give us both room to appraise the other. She looks down at the blade and flips it up so the knife rotates three times before she catches it by the handle and goes into a knife-fighting stance.
I shake my head at her perfect defense and readiness. Boot was not one of my best Warriors. Not even close. If Marinah learned all this from him, what could she have done if I took the time to teach her myself?
“Whatcha waiting for, baby?” she taunts.
I flip my knife and circle a little to the left and then to the right. Her body turns, her eyes follow. I’m planning my next move when she comes at me full speed, fully committed, in multi-directional slashes. She backs away and I’m left with two cuts on my forearm.
“She’s good,” one of the men calls out.
Her grin turns devilish. “Boot never taught me guns,” she answers back. “Knives and a few moves on the mat are all I have.”
I toss my knife aside and come at her while she’s lipping the men. I’ll teach her to fight against this attack another day. Right now, we need to get out of here. She cries out when I upend her again and flip her over my shoulder. This was a bad idea from beginning to end. Watching her fight and behave as Warrior is turning me on too much.
“Stop doing that,” she yells and pummels my back. I carry her away, the men silent behind us. The clang of her knife on the pavement assures me I won’t be stabbed in the back. After another corner that leads to a dead-end, I swing her down and quickly back her into the cement wall, my arms caging her in. She’s breathing hard, her face flushed and eyes large. She lifts her hands between us, her fingers wrapping around my leather chest straps and pulls me closer.
I can’t take my eyes away from her lips. She licks them and a groan releases from deep in my throat. I quickly glance into her eyes and see desire sweltering in their depths. Beast scents the air and her unique odor fills our lungs. I run my nose along her jaw and take a small taste of the trail of salty sweat at her hairline.
Mate.
Yes, mate.
“Why do you do this?” she asks huskily as she arches her body against mine.
“This?” I ask and suck her earlobe, giving it a small bite before I release it.
“Kiss me then push me away?”
I move my head back and search her eyes. “You aren’t ready.”
She sucks in a quick breath when my thumb makes a small circle on the exposed skin beneath her leather chest piece.
“How could I be more ready?” She squirms and grinds her lower half against me.
I kiss her jawline this time. “Your beast isn’t ready,” I clarify.
“Please, King. She’ll do whatever the heck I tell her to,” she pleads.
Not here and not like this. She also needs more time. Finally, I take her lips and explore her mouth, pulling her flush against my body and allowing her to feel my need hard against her. She groans into my mouth and I thread my other hand through her hair and turn her head slightly for better leverage, deepening the kiss, tasting my beautiful, amazing Warrior.
She returns my kiss, holding onto my chest straps for dear life. I thrust my hips against hers and she counter thrusts. We’re practically having sex on the street. With a savage groan, I tear my mouth away. Her dark eyes have gone even darker, the irises bleeding into the black pupils, making them appear larger, more predatory.
I feel movement beneath my fingers as her body heats.
“How do I loosen the straps and why is this happening?” she asks while breathing heavily and fighting not to shift.
“Push back. Your beast isn’t getting what she wants and she’s letting you know she’ll take matters into her own hands.”
“Maybe,” she breathes deeply, “I should give her what she wants.”
I can’t take much more. My beast is fully invested, but we’re standing in an alleyway where anyone could walk past.
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“Fight it, Marinah, we’re not ready to give away your secrets.”
She closes her eyes and takes deep, even breaths. Holding back the change in the beginning is one of the hardest things to do. I need to get her home, allow her to shift, and then we need to run.
I rest my forehead against hers and breathe with her. When her eyes open, the brown is back to normal and her body temperature has lowered slightly.
“How will I learn to fight if this happens every time I try?”
I’m unsure if she’s talking about wanting sex or her beast coming out in public. Either way, I can’t help laughing.
“You find this funny?” she whispers when my laughter dies. Her eyes take on that angry edge I’m becoming accustomed to.
“I find you amazing. You’re a natural at fighting and probably always were.” I back away and grab her hand. “Let’s go back and see what you can do with a sword.”
Chapter Eight
Six weeks later…
Marinah
KING’S BLOW KNOCKS me against the wall, rattling my brain. I land on my feet and spring back using my frustration to power the left hook I throw at his head. I don’t connect, but it was a setup for the right uppercut that hits his jaw.
We’re both bloody. And the sexual frustration I’m dealing with takes me past the point of caring about a little blood. Each morning, noon, and night, King kisses me like I’m the air he breathes and then the jerk walks away seemingly satisfied. I’ve done everything except flat out ask him to have sex with me. And this has been our game for six frustrating weeks. Living together and not giving into the things we want has been a lesson in patience. Even bloody, I’d take him right here, right now.
Mate.
“Yes, mate,” I tell Ms. Beast. The beast inside me isn’t a separate entity. She just acts like one and King was right—it’s far easier to keep her in line when I think of her as a different person inside me. Ms. Beast talks, complains, and causes pain when I don’t listen. I, in turn, control her and do my best not to give into her demands too often. Mainly I resist forcing myself on King.
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