Page 32 of Beast

“Hold him,” he barked.

I steadied Garret as Axel rolled him to his side and sliced deep into his flesh with his knife.Marinah flinched at the brutal cut, but Axel’s hand was steady as he jammed the tube into Garret’s chest.The hiss of escaping air was immediate, followed by a gasp as Garret sucked in oxygen.

Axel injected something into Garret and leaned in to examine the wounds more closely.His face was expressionless while he worked.

I turned to Marinah, anger rising despite myself.“Why did you shift back to human?”I growled, my voice hard.

Even in her beast form, I saw the flush of blood rush up her neck and into her face.“I didn’t want to shoot with claws,” she said, her jaw set stubbornly.The defiance in her stance stoked my temper further.

“You couldn’t have told me this before I left you?”My fists clenched as I fought to keep my cool, but my frustration only increased.She was a Warrior, and she needed to remember that.Always.

“You’re right,” she said, holding up her hands in a rare show of surrender.“I’m not arguing with you right now.Garret is still alive, and he wouldn’t be if I stayed here.”

I took a step closer, narrowing the space between us.She didn’t back down.Instead, she moved in closer, her gaze burning holes through me.

I pointed over my shoulder.“You went into the Federation camp as human, the one thing I didn’t want you doing.That was stupid and irresponsible.”

Her eyes flared with anger.When she spoke, her voice was a low growl.“Now you’re calling me stupid?”

I let my gaze drop to her feet; giant, bare, and covered in the shredded remnants of black leather clinging to her claws.Slowly, I lifted my head to meet her glare.“If the boot fits.”

The look she gave me could have melted steel.She was coiled like a spring, ready to launch herself at me and take off my head.The space around us had gone unnaturally silent, but I didn’t take my eyes off her.A physical fight wasn’t what I wanted, but Marinah might need it.

“He’s seizing!”Axel’s shout shattered the tension.

Marinah dropped beside Garret.“What do you need me to do?”she asked with none of the anger she had just given me.

Axel’s expression was something I’d never seen before.His eyes darted around frantically, searching for a solution.Raw fear gripped him.

“Grab whatever you can to keep him from biting his tongue,” he finally barked.

I snatched up his pack, rummaging through until I found a length of thick rubber tubing.Tossing it to Marinah, I knelt beside her as she tried to wedge it between Garret’s teeth.Her claws made it impossible.

“Let me help,” I said, and together, we managed to force the tubing into place.

“Hold it there,” Axel ordered.His desperate eyes met mine, and the weight of what I was seeing hit me hard.

“He’s lost too much blood,” Axel said, his voice breaking.

“No,” Marinah growled fiercely.“He’s not dying.You told me a water solution can help in these situations.I remember you saying that.”

The seizure subsided, and Garret went limp.Axel didn’t waste a moment, setting up an IV with trembling hands.Marinah turned her haunted gaze to me.

“I had Smythe in my hands,” she said.“He got away.”

Now she tells me.I looked at Beck and Labyrinth.“Get Smythe.Alive if possible.”

They disappeared from the roof without a word.

“He needs blood,” Axel muttered.“Clear fluid won’t save him.”

“Warrior blood will kill him,” he added, glancing up at Marinah with grim certainty.

“You’re sure?”she asked, her eyes locked on Axel’s every move.

Axel took Garret’s hand and held it tightly.Garret’s breathing grew shallow again, each gasp weaker than the last.Marinah placed a hand on Axel’s shoulder, her voice urgent.

“You haven’t tried mine.Female Warrior blood could make a difference.”

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