Page 17 of Beast

My gaze locked onto a clear area below us.Following King’s example, I tightened my body, streamlining into an arrow to guide myself toward the spot.For the first time, I caught sight of Beck above us, descending fast.

“Open, open, open,” I muttered aloud, just as King gave the signal to open our chutes.I yanked the cord, and the sudden tug as the parachute caught air sent me lurching upward.The exhilarating sensation stole my breath, and a laugh erupted from my throat.This was a wild and crazy thrill that surprised even me.Marinah, meet your new idea of fun.

The ground rushed toward me, the landing area now within reach.King hit first, making it look effortless.I had seconds to prepare before my feet were running across the earth.My Doc Martens connected perfectly, gripping the dirt, and I managed to stay upright just like King.

Coming to a stop, I looked over at him, unable to hide the huge grin on my face.“That was amazing,” I said, laughing.

His smile was even wider, but his tone turned all business.“Collect your chute,” he said, already gathering his own.

Within ten minutes, we’d hidden the parachutes and were ready to move out.King was giving Garret a brief rundown of what to expect.“Looking into a Shadow Warrior’s eyes is never good.After we’ve shifted, it can be deadly.Whether I’m in Beast or human form, stay away from Marinah, or you will lose your head.I don’t trust you enough to explain why, but I suggest you take what I’m saying to heart.Your life depends on it.”

“Got it,” Garret said solemnly.

I was impressed.No questions, no argument.He just followed orders.Maybe he would prove useful after all.Time would tell.He watched us shift with quiet curiosity, keeping a smart side-eye on the process without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.Another point in his favor, so why was something bothering me?

We set out running at a steady pace, midstride for us, a manageable speed for Garret.We ran in the same order we’d jumped from the plane, and the miles passed quickly.The sharp, unmistakable stench of death hit about an hour later, and I knew we were close.There had been no place to land the plane near here, so this part of the journey would have been on foot no matter how we’d arrived.

“We burned the bodies, including your Shadow Warriors,” Garret said a few minutes later, the smell clearly reaching him too.He wasn’t too winded and had kept pace with us so far.If we needed to move at full speed, he would struggle, but for now, he was holding his own.

What annoyed me, though, was how quietly he moved.He’d clearly had practice at making little noise while running.I’d been working at it for months and still wasn’t as good as he was.It grated on me, which was something else that wasn’t in his favor.

King remained silent, and I could see clear signs of tension in his movements.The loss of Shadow Warriors hit him hard.He hadn’t said anything to me, but I could feel his fury simmering beneath the surface.We would mourn after we killed those responsible.

The babies,Ms.Beast lamented within me.

Our revenge will be for the babies and the Shadow Warriors,I told her silently.

Kill,she whispered, flooding my system with an extra dose of K-5.It was nice to be on the same page, though I reminded her now was not the time.

An eerie sensation started at my toes and worked its way through my body as we entered the outpost.An old magazine, partially buried in mud, ruffled in the wind, and a few stray papers fluttered across the ground, adding to the oppressive silence brought by death.

We’d been told the attack happened early in the morning.The three Shadow Warriors on patrol were the first to be taken out.Garret said their bodies had been discovered late yesterday and burned along with the others.Six Warriors died in total.When the hellhounds entered, there had been no alarm.The only survivors were two teenagers, a brother and sister, who’d gone fishing early in the morning.They’d come back and hidden, unable to stop the slaughter.

The sister could barely speak through her tears when King questioned her at the other outpost.Her brother had filled in the gaps, describing the sheer brutality of the attack.

We walked to the mass grave and stood with our heads lowered for several minutes.We weren’t praying.We were contemplating revenge.For now, we kept our beasts under control, but soon, we would unleash hell.

If I got my wish, General Smythe would be leading the Federation soldiers.I owed him a set of teeth buried deep in his throat.

Chapter Nine

King

The death of my Warriors hit hard.They’d given their lives fighting for these people.Marinah had changed me when it came to my hatred for humans, narrowing it to the ones who deserved killing.Missy being with Beck had helped, too.After the Federation betrayed the Shadow Warriors and killed my uncle, who was our leader at the time, my hatred had consumed me.But not all humans were the same.I reminded myself of that again.

I looked at the freshly tilled earth holding nearly one hundred people and seethed.Marinah wiped away tears, and my anger flared hotter.How could anyone kill children in cold blood?When I found the ones responsible, I wouldn’t be asking them for answers.I would make sure they suffered.

We left the outpost in the early evening, following the trail left by the hellhounds and soldiers.They had a two-day head start, but it wouldn’t be enough to save them.

At midnight, I called a halt.Garret was struggling, though he wouldn’t admit it.He knew I’d been serious when I said we’d leave him behind, and he wasn’t about to test me.Marinah, despite the sleep she’d had on the plane, was dragging too.It was time to stop, eat, and rest for a few hours.

We didn’t shift back to human.We needed to be ready for anything, whether it was hellhounds or Federation soldiers.Labyrinth took the first watch.I unrolled my sleeping bag next to Marinah’s, watching her while she ate an MRE without complaint.

When she finished, she adjusted her sleeping bag closer to mine and lay down in my arms.“Dinner was horrible,” she whispered.“If this is what courting looks like, you learned from the wrong person.”

That was the Marinah I knew and loved.“I must’ve missed the courting memo.”I slid my hand across her hip and gave her a small pinch.“If we were alone, I’d go straight for your pants.”

Her soft giggle broke through the blood rage simmering inside me, calming it for a moment.I pulled her closer, her scent filling my lungs and calming me further.She nestled her cheek against my arm and closed her eyes.Minutes later, I followed her into sleep.

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