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  I glance around the bedroom. Both King and I are neat, and we keep the room tidy. My clothes from earlier are the only thing out of place because they’re draped over the laundry basket instead of being inside it.

  The peacefulness of the room grabs me. I’ve been happier these past months than I’ve been in my entire life. King has opened his world to me, and I’m accepted. It’s a heady feeling and not one I take lightly. I never fit into the new world before and have felt “off” my entire life. Now, as a Shadow Warrior, I understand it was because I wasn’t human and had no idea what I was carrying around inside. I needed to find my beast to find my peace.

  I swipe the hair from my eyes and get to work on the bags. Once I’ve checked them, I head to find Alden. He’s in the armory with Cabel and Nokita discussing the firepower they’re taking and what’s staying behind. Guns are something else we’ve been working on or more accurately, providing enough ammo. We’ve now stockpiled thousands of rounds so we have guns with actual bullets. Swords are still better for hellhounds, but we need the guns for our human enemies.

  I walk to a long rack of AKs and take one down. It’s the rifle I’ve been working with and surprise, surprise, I’m actually slightly better than a decent shot. When my claws don’t get in the way, I have the best record for distance target shooting to the consternation of King’s men. I caress the rifle. For a woman afraid of guns such a short time ago, I’ve found a friend. Some of the men name their rifles. I’ve given this some thought and the name “Bertha” runs through my head again. If you have a name like Bertha, I think most people stay out of your way. I smile and know the name is settled.

  The men continue talking without looking at me. They know I’m here; it’s the whole mating rage thing, and their discomfort at having me around is obvious judging by how they’re teetering on one leg and then the other in uneasiness.

  I place the rifle back on the rack and address Alden. “I need to talk to you about Che. He needs to be watched closely while King and I are away.”

  Alden’s head stays turned away. “The humans will be safe,” he says testily. I don’t miss Nokita’s grimace at his disrespect.

  Alden thinks I’m challenging his abilities, so I try to sugarcoat my words, a little. “I care about the other humans too. Che, as you will remember, is also part of the Shadow Warrior family, and he needs a bit of extra attention or he finds trouble. Not as badly as Ruth, but he still can’t be trusted, and he tries his mom’s patience constantly. It would make me feel better if I knew you were keeping a little closer eye on him.”

  Now Nokita’s lips twitch, but he remains silent.

  This time Alden actually gives me the side-eyed look before he speaks. “All humans are safe with us.” He grunts for emphasis because otherwise, how would I know I’m irritating him.

  I take a deep breath and internally tell Ms. Beast we won’t be killing Alden this evening even if it sounds like a great idea. I don’t know him well, and from this exchange, I don’t think I like him. He goes back to his conversation with Cabel and Nokita like I don’t exist. This won’t do. With a powerful leap that carries me to him, I roar. It’s not as impressive as King’s and doesn’t shake the walls, but it gets his attention. The fact that I would have shattered a human eardrum from this close doesn’t bother me. With Shadow Soldier hearing, the roar hurts, but the eardrums survive.

  My body wants to shift, and I fight it. This will be handled as human unless it goes hands on. My eyes burn with fury, and I count to ten silently to control myself.

  Kill, Ms. Beast pipes in.

  Oh, shut up, I snap internally.

  Alden’s eyes ignite as he fights his change. I’ve challenged him, and he knows it. What he doesn’t know is that immediately after the change, I have full control of Ms. Beast, and he doesn’t have the same control over his. I’m not a “point and kill” Shadow Warrior the first hours after shifting. I’m a thinking, plotting, killing machine more dangerous than he could ever imagine. Ms. Beast knows we can kill him. With her assurance, I know it too.

  The temperature in the room spikes with the K-5 boiling beneath the surface of our skin. Nokita and Cabel feel the pull too. Their faces remain stoic as they fight their beasts. It’s interesting to watch Alden’s struggle. King told me he’s strong, loyal, and a fierce fighter. He works under Beck but is not part of the personal guard because he has problems getting along. I decide to explore those problems.

  I stay close to him, completely in his personal space, pushing the challenge another step. The men know what I’m doing. Roaring wasn’t a conscious decision. Ms. Beast knew exactly what was warranted and reacted on instinct.

  The tension goes down a notch when Alden’s shoulders relax. He moves his gaze to the floor. “I apologize.” He shrugs those large shoulders. “I do not enjoy being left behind when the fight is in the U.S. I am on edge.”

  As far as apologies go, it’s decent and at least honest. I mentally command Ms. Beast to behave and offer my hand. Alden stares at it before placing his in mine. King will scent him on me, and I’ll have some explaining to do, but Alden has just backed down from a challenge with me, and I feel the contact is necessary even if it goes against the Shadow Warrior man code.

  “We have work to do,” Nokita says after a few seconds of our hand holding. Alden snatches his back and looks embarrassed. I know it’s hard to have a female in their midst after years of the “men only” club. My presence also brings a slew of other problems. The mating rage couldn’t be happening at a worse time; I don’t yet have the knowledge of the war dynamics I need, and I’m also adjusting to my new physical capabilities. The learning curve there is more mental than physical.

  And still Alden backed down.

  Ms. Beast preens inside me, and it’s hard not to give her the strut walk she’s aiming for. Another time. I turn back to the weapons and pull Bertha down again and lift her strap over my shoulder. Next, I take two Makarovs off the lower shelf and secure them to my belt. King’s been teaching me about Russian weapons which is what Cuba had to offer when the Shadow Warriors arrived. While the AK is a better friend, I’ve become capable both right and left-handed with the Makarovs.

  I turn to leave, but Alden’s voice stops me. “I will watch over the child.”

  “Thank you,” I reply before departing with a little extra kick in my step.

  Chapter Five

  King

  The bike purrs beneath me. I’ve been working on it for the past month. There isn’t a true farmboy out there who doesn’t love to tear into an engine, and I’m no exception. One of the island men has been helping me when I run into trouble. Now, this baby purrs with power.

  I take the winding turns with Beck on my tail. Even with a mate and child, he takes his bodyguard duties seriously. Not that I didn’t try to get away without him, he’s just caught on to my disappearing acts and is prepared.

  Axel’s schedule shows him at the southern end of the island for a week. It’s where we’re headed. I could have used the Morse Code machine, but we like keeping it for emergencies. The small electronic pulse it gives out attracts hellhounds. We use the machine for communication with the U.S. and little else.

  The road winds even tighter once we’re out of the city. Beck curses when he takes a bug in the mouth, and I laugh as he spits into the wind. The stars and moon light the night, and I enjoy the freedom of the ride. I know what’s coming over the next weeks, and I need this time to clear my head and mentally prepare.

  The Federation is never far from my thoughts. Missy, Beck’s mate, was a fountain of information when it came to her people’s resistance. Two things were confirmed after speaking with her: The Federation is enslaving humans and forcing them to join the military. Also, the Federation is systematically luring hellhounds in. Now they’ve used the hellhounds to kill humans, and I’m unsure why or how. We knew the Federation had a bigger plan, and we’ve been preparing for whatever may come. Whether we overthrow the Federation or bring willing
humans back to the island, it’s time to move forward.

  Since returning from the mainland, we’ve increased security, made a massive evacuation plan in case it’s needed, and overall increased the island’s sustainability. The Warriors are settling into island life with few problems. We needed a break from fighting, and these last months have given us one. Now it’s time to fight, and we’re prepared. It would be so much easier if the Federation had kept their promise and abided by the treaty we thought they wanted. That won’t happen now. They’ve burned their last bridge, and there’s no going back.

  I’ve hit my head against a brick wall trying to figure out why the Federation is on their current path. It made no sense in the beginning, and it makes none now. It’s time for their reign of terror to end. The world has been through enough, and it will take humans and Shadow Warriors to eradicate the hellhounds and rebuild. The Federation is making themselves public enemy number one against our quest for stability. We need to end their existence.

  It’s time to meet up close and personal with our enemies. Beast agrees and shoots K-5 through my system, trying to pull me along for his change game. Not happening. I laugh into the wind. I’ll bring you out when I’m ready and not before.

  An hour later, we pull up in front of a small home. The lights are off, but Axel’s vehicle is parked out front, so I know we’ve found him. “Enjoy your snack?” I ask Beck. It takes him a minute to remember the bug, and he grunts.

  After pounding on the door for five minutes, it’s Maylin who answers. Her eyes grow larger, and fear enters them when she sees me. “Che?” she asks.

  “He’s fine. A human outpost was attacked in the U.S., and we’re heading there at first light. We need you and Axel back at the citadel.”

  Axel’s hand reaches above Maylin’s, and he opens the door wider. “Come in and tell me what’s going on while we pack.”

  Beck and I enter. It’s a small single-bedroom home and from the look of the couch, Axel is being a gentleman and giving Maylin and the baby the bedroom. Maylin heads to the back while I fill Axel in on our intel.

  He shakes his head when I’m done. “I need someone trained well enough on the island so I can go with you in the future. If one of the Warriors needs me, I won’t do them any good here.”

  Maylin steps back into the room carrying the baby. “I can handle things while you are gone. Go with your Warriors,” she says in her heavily accented English.

  Axel shakes his head. “You’re my best student, but you need more training.”

  Her free hand goes to her waist, and her eyes shoot daggers at Axel. “Who do you think handled things before the great and mighty Shadow Warriors arrived on the island? The women, that’s who. Men fight and women mend the wounds. That is our job.” Her English has improved, but when she’s angry, her accent is so heavy it’s hard to understand. We all get the point, though.

  “Don’t let Marinah hear you say that women have a place,” Beck mutters from behind me.

  It doesn’t stop Maylin from speaking her mind. “I am capable, and there are other women who are capable too. Go fight.” She turns with the baby and marches back into the bedroom.

  “Anything you have to tell me?” I ask curiously. The two of them act like there’s something between them which surprises me.

  “Don’t worry. Labyrinth still has his claim. The woman drives me mad, and at the same time, she’s a medical genius. She’s smart, sarcastic, and moody. If it weren’t for the baby, I’d have ditched her a long time ago.”

  “I heard that,” comes from the back.

  Axel rolls his eyes. “It’s a sister-brother thing. We love to hate each other.”

  With that settled, Beck and I help them collect what they need. Axel alerts one of the people helping him at the small clinic and lets him know we’re leaving. Written communications will be going out over the island shortly, so everyone is on alert. I can’t imagine the Federation attacking us, but since we have no idea what’s involved in their thought process, we need to be ready for anything.

  The ride to the citadel seems to take longer than it should, and I’m impatient to be back. The loud bikes make talking difficult even with our good hearing, so I’m stuck in my own thoughts. Those thoughts invariably focus on Marinah.

  She’s amazing.

  She’s a miracle.

  She’s one step away from giving me a heart attack. She has no fear, and for someone afraid of their own shadow a short time ago, the mental adjustment I’ve needed to make isn’t easy. I hoped by hunting her with Beck, we would take a little of that unkillable spark from her eyes. It did just the opposite, and she bested us. Beck has some clue what she’s capable of, but that’s because he’s with me all the time. The others have no idea that Marinah is a Shadow Warrior on steroids, and we’re still trying to figure her out. I just haven’t placed my finger on what is so different about her beside the obvious that she’s a female Shadow Warrior. Something nags at my mind when I watch her in Beast form and it’s been bugging me.

  Shadow Warriors are an alien race. We came to Earth after destroying our home planet with infighting. Our history texts have been passed down to each Shadow Warrior leader. I gained the books from my uncle. They chronicle the Shadow Warrior downfall on our home planet. My uncle worried about history repeating itself and forced me to read the texts early on. Even in my teens, I found them fascinating. I only skimmed through the texts on female Warriors because they hadn’t existed in hundreds of years. Until Marinah. Her mother, Dinah, was a descendant of one of the female Warriors who came to Earth. Her secrets died with her. When my forefathers first arrived, the male Shadow Warriors refused to stop their aggressive ways and made threats against the human population. The women left to keep history from repeating. This forced the Shadow Warrior males to make a change. My ancestors left the ways of war and became farmers turning their ire to the hard work of feeding mass populations.

  If we had more than a few volumes from the female Shadow Warriors who came before Marinah, we might know more. We’ve poured over the books without gaining the answers we need. It became apparent early on that the female Shadow Warriors took important texts with them and not just copies. We must find those books.

  Beast grumbles below the surface. He went from wanting Marinah dead to wanting to control her. Even I know it’s futile. Marinah is a whirlwind, and I love her. She’s part of me as Beast is part of me, but no one controls her. The sooner she discovers that the better.

  I rev the bike and pick up speed. My mate is waiting.

  Chapter Six

  Marinah

  Pain pounds through my head like a team of horses trying to break loose. Since becoming a Warrior, I’ve suffered few aches. Getting my butt kicked while training doesn’t count. This current pounding is making me grumpier than usual. I helped Nokita with the dispatch to the outlying villages. Then helped drive most of the supplies to the runway. We have a team in place loading them now.

  I finally enter our bedroom at almost four in the morning. I rub my eyes and glance at the bed longingly. I need a shower, but the bed looks better. I yawn and head to the bathroom, hoping water will alleviate the headache. I’ve just stepped into the shower when the bathroom door opens. A minute later, King steps inside and pulls me close.

  “You okay?” he asks against the top of my head since my forehead found a great resting place against his chest.

  “Headache.”

  He tips my head back and searches my eyes. “You need sleep.”

  I yawn again. “I really do.”

  “I’ll make it happen on the plane. We need to be at the airport in about forty-five minutes.”

  I go back to my resting position. “Wake me when it’s time to leave.” King grabs soap and runs it across my back and shoulders, massaging each area while he cleans. When his hands slide across my breasts, I groan. “You’re changing my mind about sleep.”

  His hands stop their movement. “Relax and let me wash you up. Then bed even
if it’s for ten minutes. Once you’re on the plane, you can sleep.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” I peer up, hoping he sees desire in my eyes and not dark circles.

  His slight smile melts me inside. “I know what you meant.” He pushes my head back down to his chest, and I don’t fight the pampering.

  A few minutes later, King carries me to bed. I don’t open my eyes until he shakes me awake a little later. My head spins from lack of sleep, but I get up and let him lead me to the bike. “Hold tightly and don’t fall off,” he yells over the loud engine.

  “Wait,” Maylin calls. I open my eyes, and she’s running toward us carrying a bag. She hands it to me. “This is my way of thanking you for caring for Che.”

  “You know I don’t need thanks.” A smile replaces her usual scowl, and then she runs back inside the citadel.

  I sink into King’s warm back, the clunky gift held on my lap, and allow myself to fade during the twenty-minute ride. The approaching noise of plane engines zaps me from my comatose state, and I check the bag Maylin gave me. It’s still there. I was sorry I was too tired to tell her about Che’s bit of trouble. She would tan his hide for it which is probably what he needs. That punishment will never come from me. He’s got me too far wrapped around his finger.

  Once King and I are off the bike, I glance around at the hectic activity and catch a glimpse of Axel. I wasn’t expecting him and do a double take. He walks toward me as King heads to his men. “You look tired,” he says with true concern.

  He, on the other hand, looks rested, and I’m guessing his time away, even though he was working, was a good thing. “You look out of place.”

  We both smile at the same time. “Maylin made it clear that she can handle medical emergencies until my return. I’m taking her up on the offer.”

  Relief floods through me. “We need you.” I’ve come to rely on Axel for so much. He’s one of the few men who doesn’t constantly aggravate King’s mating rage, and he treats me like he treats every other Shadow Warrior. I need his direct eye contact, the acknowledgment I’m in a room, and the occasional hug that does leave King grumbling. King’s Beast tolerates Axel whereas the other men set him off, and that’s made him my best friend.