Page 19 of Beast

Finally, something to kill.Ms.Beast was ecstatic.Gripping the Mortuary sword high, I charged a hellhound larger and stronger than the ones we’d seen on the island.I didn’t stop to consider what this creature truly was.It wanted me dead, and that was reason enough to end it.

Toxic saliva dripped from its razor-sharp teeth, and its unblinking, semi-intelligent eyes locked onto me as it charged.With the sword held steady in my massive claws, exactly as I’d been trained, I swung.A crimson spray exploded around me, and the hound’s head sailed through the air, landing against a tree with a loud, wet smack.

“Yes!”I cheered, already spinning to find my next target.

Kill,Ms.Beast roared the moment my gaze landed on Garret.My sword lifted instinctively, and I was nearly on him when Axel’s clawed hand clamped down on my arm.

“Marinah!”he shouted.

The sound startled me, clearing my head just enough to realize what I was doing.This had never happened before.Ms.Beast hadn’t recognized Garret as a friend, and I didn’t understand why.“Thanks,” I mumbled to Axel, relieved he’d stopped me.“I don’t know what happened.”

“It’s the mating rage combined with the hunt,” Axel said with a slight grimace.“Your hormones are still out of whack.Remember that.And also try remembering we don’t kill our friends.”

Ha-ha.Not funny.“I’ll do my best.”I glanced quickly at Garret, who, thankfully, seemed oblivious to the fact that I’d almost taken his head off.Then my eyes shifted back to Axel.He was covered in gore, his massive chest straining against his leather harness, looking every bit as deadly as the rest of us.It wasn’t a sight I’d forget.“Methinks your pacifism has taken a backslide,” I said dryly.

Axel blinked slowly, the sharpness in his eyes softening slightly.“I’ve only ever had problems with killing for the sake of killing or harming innocents.Hellhounds, or anyone who’s a threat to us, I can deal with.”A strange expression crossed his face.“I would rather heal, but I’ll have no trouble annihilating the soldiers who wiped out the village.”

And that would be sad.Axel was a great healer because he cared so deeply.Killing humans would weigh on him, no matter what he said.

“Are you two going to chat all day, or can we get moving?”King called from behind me.

Axel stepped back quickly, lowering his eyes.King might tolerate him to a point, but Axel knew better than to push it too far.“Ready, master,” the doctor quipped.Crazy man.

King rolled his eyes, then gave me a quick wink.I needed to figure out what it was about Axel that let King throw off the mating rage so easily.If I could bottle it and spray down every man who looked at me, I’d call it a win.

Within an hour, the blood drying on my skin started itching like mad.Scratching didn’t help.My claws simply sliced through flesh, making it worse.Another hour passed before King noticed.He called a short halt, eyeing me with exaggerated suspicion.

“Do you have fleas?”he asked, deadpan.

If I didn’t itch so badly, I’d have punched him in the nose.“Big ones, and I’m afraid they’re jumping on you,” I said, rubbing the palm of my clawed hand against my leg, which didn’t do a thing to alleviate the itch.

King blew an imaginary flea off his arm or at least I hoped it was imaginary.Did hellhounds carry fleas?I’d never thought about it before.“Is there a solution to my itch problem?”I asked, trying not to sound desperate.

“Lake ahead.”

“Have I mentioned I love you lately?”

He grinned.“Not nearly enough.”

“Get this dried blood off me, and I’ll double my efforts.”I turned toward the nearest tree and started rubbing my shoulder against it, bending up and down in a pathetic attempt to scratch the unreachable spots.

“You’re an embarrassment to Shadow Warriors,” King said, laughing.

“You can’t possibly not itch,” I said, turning to look at the men.Beck, as expected, remained a stone statue.Even if his crotch were infested with lice, he wouldn’t dare scratch.Axel gave me a half-smile, and I was about to turn away when Labyrinth swiped at his arm, leaving a furrow deep enough to draw blood.

Garret, staring at the ground, finally spoke up.“I itch like crazy, and I’m man enough to admit it.”

I would have hugged him if it wouldn’t have gotten him killed.Instead, I turned to King.“You’d better find that lake fast.The fleas have infested us all.”

King growled at Garret but thankfully left it at that.Without another word, he led us to the lake.If itching hadn’t been my top priority earlier, I would have smelled the water sooner.The scent abilities that came with being a Shadow Warrior were pretty amazing; I just needed to remember to actually use them.Or, more accurately, pay attention to them.

“Last one in is a rotten hellhound!”I yelled, bolting for the water.

King caught up to me easily, wrapped an arm around my midsection, and kept running toward the shore.Even in my massive Warrior form, he lifted me like I weighed nothing.

“Hey!I need to get my Doc Martens and leather straps off before getting wet,” I protested, squirming in his grip.

“You need to completely strip,” he replied matter-of-factly.“We’ve had this happen before with fresher hellhounds.I’ll block the men’s view while you wash the blood off.”

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