Page 21 of Beast

King lifted his fist to his chin, pretending to contemplate.“You might be right.I’ve heard you can snake-proof pets.Maybe we can find someone to teach Marinah.”

“Hahaha, keep laughing,” I muttered, kicking water in their direction.That only set them off again.

I sighed, knowing one thing for certain: I’d never live this down.

Chapter Eleven

King

Once we were clean, we pulled out our sleeping bags and settled in for a few hours.I hadn’t planned on this delay, but I changed my mind so Marinah could get some rest.She wasn’t speaking to anyone, and the men smiled every time her back was turned.They’d let up eventually, and Marinah never stayed silent for long.

I couldn’t help but imagine what I must have looked like to them with Marinah perched on my shoulders.The thought was so absurd it amused me, and for once, it didn’t trigger the mating rage.We needed the downtime, and humor helped.I’d learned early in the hellhound invasion that you couldn’t live on the edge of life and death without taking a break now and then.At least, I understood it for my men.For me, it had been different.My anger toward humans after the Federation killed my uncle had been all-consuming.Humor was the last thing I thought I needed.

And then Marinah happened.

I had smiled and laughed more since she came into my life than I could ever remember.I glanced at her now, curled on her side and pointedly not touching me.She let out a small huff, and I took a chance, sliding my arm around her waist.When she didn’t pull away, I hoped her sulking was over.I drew her closer, and she sighed softly, slipping into a deeper sleep.

Axel was on guard duty, moving quietly, shifting his head in all directions.I was tired, but my thoughts wouldn’t stop reeling.The same questions about the Federation churned through my mind, driving me crazy.What were they really up to?What was their endgame?

The thoughts circled endlessly, getting me nowhere.Eventually, I settled against Marinah, letting her steady presence calm me, and I closed my eyes.Sleep came quickly after that.

∞∞∞

A few hours later, we made quick work of breaking camp and marched on in silence through the afternoon.Running wasn’t an option.We were too close now, and every step forward required heightened vigilance.

We finally left the forest behind and reached the outer edge of the city.Most of the area was demolished, but a clear path had been worn through the rubble, and we followed it.Broken glass from the destroyed buildings caught the fading light, sparkling eerily.The glittering effect made the quiet city feel even more unnatural.

During my fighting days with the Federation, I’d entered cities like this one.Even now, it was hard to comprehend the scale of destruction that had brought us to this point.Over two million people had died here at the start of the hellhound war.The smell of death was long gone, but skeletal remains still appeared here and there, stark reminders of life’s cruelty.When millions die, burying the dead becomes a luxury for the survivors left fighting for their lives.

The thought of what the genetically modified formaldehyde might do if it reached these skeletons crossed my mind.We’d never seen evidence of them infecting skeletons but I wasn’t the only one thinking about it.Beck silently drew his sword and decapitated the nearest skull.Without needing to speak, the rest of us followed his lead, pulling our swords and doing the same as we walked.The bones were brittle, and our swords made little noise as we worked.

Two hours after entering the city, the faint ring of metal on metal clanged in the distance.I lifted my arm, signaling everyone to stop.My rage spiked as I thought about the slaughter the Federation soldiers had delivered to the outpost.Beast stirred, shooting extra K-5 into my system, pushing me toward the edge.I held him back, forcing myself to stay focused.I needed a clear head until I knew exactly what we were up against.Soon,I promised him silently.

Pointing to Labyrinth, I sent him ahead with a series of hand signals.We took cover in a building partially buried under debris and waited in silence.The sun was nearly gone by the time he returned; his massive form shadowed by the dying light.He held up ten clawed fingers and flashed them five times.Fifty soldiers.

He pointed further into the city, gesturing toward a cluster of half-demolished skyscrapers.Without a word, he took the lead, guiding us to a new location.

It took twenty minutes of climbing over debris to reach a tall building that looked slightly more stable than the others.Carefully, we entered and made our way to the stair shaft.Following Labyrinth, we headed upward.Near the top, the stairs were blocked by large beams.

“I climbed through earlier and found a good defensive position at the top,” Labyrinth said.“We’ll be able to see the city from there.”

Garret struggled with the stairwell.When I turned and saw him lagging behind, his expression told me he was about to tell us to leave him again.I nodded at Axel, who moved to assist him through the maze of rubble.

Garret had impressed me so far.He’d kept up without complaint, fought hellhounds alongside us, and even encouraged me to leave him when he thought he couldn’t go on.Still, I was reserving my final judgment.Whether or not he earned my trust would depend on if he made it out alive.

With Axel’s help, Garret reached the top soon after the rest of us.The space had once been a massive office.Now, it was unrecognizable.Cubicles lay torn apart, most likely from the original bomb blasts when the military had tried to take out the hellhounds after realizing the city was lost.Desks were overturned, paper was scattered everywhere, and shards of glass glittered across the floor like jagged stars.

Labyrinth walked to a far wall with a short set of stairs.“It leads to the roof,” he said.We followed him outside and looked over the city.He pointed north.“They’ve got at least fifty soldiers and three railcars holding hellhounds.Two more had their doors open and are empty.I’m guessing they’re meant for the hounds that separated from the main group.”He shrugged in frustration, clearly wanting answers as much as the rest of us.“I didn’t know what the railcars were for at first, but then a guard banged on the side of one.The hounds inside went nuts.I’d estimate about fifty hellhounds per car, one fifty total.”

He scanned our group, his gaze lingering on Marinah.Beast stirred when their eyes met, but I pushed him back, forcing myself to focus.Labyrinth continued.“The soldiers are fully armed and probably have heavier weaponry in one of the tents they’ve set up.Their camp is in a cluster of metal warehouse buildings on low ground.It’s been there for a while.”

I took a moment to visualize everything he’d said and to analyze our strategy.Five of us against fifty soldiers and one hundred and fifty hellhounds.Garret might be able to fight, but he was human.If more than a few hellhounds attacked him, he wouldn’t make it.

Marinah touched my arm, drawing my attention.“If we can lure the soldiers away from the hounds, we’ll only need to deal with them,” she said.

Her idea had merit.“How would we do it?”

She tilted her head slightly, and even in Warrior form, her expression told me I wasn’t going to like her plan.“Bait.More specifically, me—”

---