Page 11 of Beast

This was not going to work, and I had to do something.

With a powerful leap, I landed directly in front of Alden and let out a roar.It wasn’t on par with King’s bone-shaking, wall-rattling growl, but it was more than enough to command attention.It was also enough to rupture a human eardrum, but Shadow Warriors weren’t so fragile.It hurt, sure, but he would live.

My body wanted to shift, the urge bubbling just beneath the surface, but I fought it down.I was going to stay human unless Alden forced me to go hands-on.My eyes burned with barely controlled fury, and I silently counted to ten to keep my anger in check.

“Kill,” Ms.Beast whispered.

“Shut up,” I snapped, focusing on Alden.

His eyes flared with heat, the telltale sign of a Shadow Warrior struggling to suppress the change.He knew I had challenged him, and now he had to decide how far he wanted to take this.What he didn’t know, however, was that I had the advantage.Even immediately after shifting, I had full control of Ms.Beast, a level of control he couldn’t claim over his own beast.While most Shadow Warriors were “point and kill” machines in that first hour after the change, I wasn’t.I was a thinking, plotting, calculated killing machine, more dangerous than Alden could ever imagine.

Ms.Beast reassured me we could take him.And for once, I didn’t doubt her.

The temperature in the room spiked as the K-5 churned beneath our skin.Even Nokita and Cabel felt the pull, as they struggled with their beasts.Alden’s reaction, however, was harder to miss.King had told me Alden was strong, loyal, and a fierce fighter but had a reputation for not getting along with others.It kept him out of the personal guard.Watching his struggle now, I decided it was worth exploring his issues further.

I stayed close to him, deliberately stepping deeper into his personal space, escalating the challenge another notch.The other men knew exactly what I was doing.Roaring earlier hadn’t been a conscious choice; Ms.Beast had acted on instinct, knowing precisely what was warranted.Now it was my turn to see how far Alden would let this go.

The tension in the room eased slightly when Alden’s shoulders dropped.His gaze shifted to the floor.“I apologize,” he said, using a lower tone.He shrugged his broad shoulders.“I don’t like being left behind when the fight is in the U.S.I’m on edge.”

As apologies went, it was decent.And honest.Ms.Beast stirred again but I mentally commanded her to stand down.Extending my hand, I offered him a chance to reset.Alden stared at it for a moment before grudgingly taking it.The contact was brief, but I knew King would scent Alden on me later, and that would require an explanation.Still, Alden had backed down from a challenge, and this simple gesture felt necessary, even if it broke the unspoken “mating code” among Shadow Warriors.

“We have work to do,” Nokita interjected after a few seconds, breaking the tension.Alden immediately snatched his hand back and looked embarrassed.

I didn’t blame him.Having a female in their ranks after years of an all-male “club” created its own challenges.Add to that the complications of the mating rage, my still-developing knowledge of war dynamics, and my adjustment to the physical capabilities of my new form made it a lot for all of us.The learning curve was mental as well as physical.

And still, Alden backed down.

Ms.Beast purred in satisfaction, and it took everything in me not to indulge her urge to strut.Another time, I thought, pushing the feeling aside.Turning back to the weapons, I pulled Bertha from the rack again, her familiar weight settling comfortably as I slung the strap over my shoulder.Next, I grabbed two Makarovs from the lower shelf and secured them to my belt.King had been teaching me about Russian weapons, which were the standard fare in Cuba when the Shadow Warriors arrived.While the AK was still my preferred companion, I’d grown equally capable with the Makarovs.

I was about to leave when Alden’s voice stopped me.“I will watch over the child,” he said.

“Thank you,” I replied, meeting his gaze briefly before turning to go.This time, I allowed a little extra kick in my step, just for Ms.Beast.

Chapter Five

King

The powerful bike rumbled beneath me.I’d been working on it for the past month, tearing into the engine like any farm kid who couldn’t resist the lure of machinery.One of the island men had been lending a hand when I hit snags, and now this beauty purred like a dream.

I took the winding turns effortlessly, with Beck trailing close behind.Even with a mate and child, he never slacked on his bodyguard duties.Not that I didn’t try to slip away unnoticed; it’s just that Beck had caught on to my disappearing acts and seemed to always be prepared for them now.

Axel’s schedule had him stationed at the southern end of the island for the week, so that’s where we headed.I could have used the Morse code machine to reach him, but we saved it strictly for emergencies.The small electronic pulse it emitted could attract hellhounds, and we didn’t want to risk it unless absolutely necessary.Our communication with the U.S.was limited to that machine and only for critical updates.

The road twisted tighter as we left the city.Beck let out a loud curse behind me, and I turned in time to see him spitting frantically into the wind.I knew what it meant.A bug had flown into his mouth, and I couldn’t help laughing at his misfortune.The stars and moon lit our path, and the cool night air filled my lungs.For a brief moment, I let myself enjoy the ride and the freedom.I needed this time to clear my head for the next few weeks and prepare for the fight ahead.

The Federation was never far from my thoughts.Missy, Beck’s mate, had been a wealth of information about the resistance.Her people and surrounding groups refused to be part of the sick, twisted minds of the government leadership.Two critical things had been confirmed after speaking with her: The Federation was enslaving humans, forcing them into military service, and they were deliberately luring hellhounds into human-populated areas.Worse, they had begun using the hellhounds to slaughter civilians.The why and how still eluded me, but one thing was clear: their plans were escalating, and we had to be ready.

I’d known for some time that the Federation had bigger schemes in motion, and we’d been preparing.Whether our next step was overthrowing the government or rescuing willing humans and bringing them back to the island, one thing was certain: it was time to act.

Since returning from the mainland, we’d fortified the island.Security had been tightened, and a comprehensive evacuation plan put in place.We also ramped up our sustainability efforts.It helped that the Warriors had adapted to island life with surprising ease.After years of relentless battles, the respite was welcome.But now, the break was over.It was time to fight again, and we were ready.

Things would’ve been simpler if the Federation had kept their word and honored the treaty we believed they wanted.That bridge was burned beyond repair now, and there was no going back.I’d spent sleepless nights trying to make sense of their actions.Their motives had been incomprehensible in the beginning, and they still didn’t add up.But it didn’t matter now.Their reign of terror had to end.The world had endured enough, and rebuilding would require both humans and Shadow Warriors working together to eradicate the hellhounds.The Federation had positioned itself as the greatest obstacle to our goal of stability.They’d made themselves enemy number one, and their time was up.

We would face them head-on.Beast agreed, surging K-5 through my veins and urging me to let him take over.Not happening.I laughed into the wind.I’ll bring you out when I’m ready, not a moment sooner.

An hour later, we pulled up in front of a modest home.The lights were off, but Axel’s vehicle was parked outside.That was enough confirmation for me.“Enjoy your snack?”I asked Beck, unable to resist.It took him a moment to remember the bug incident, and he responded with a grunt.

After five minutes of pounding on the door, it creaked open, revealing Maylin.Her eyes widened, fear flickering across her face when she saw me.“Che?”she asked.

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