Page 36 of Beast

Chapter Seventeen

King

It was late, more precisely, early morning, when we returned.Marinah was still asleep.We’d scoured the city for any sign of Smythe but came up empty.The storm raging inside me wasn’t doing me any favors.I wanted my hands around that man’s throat, and until it happened, there’d be no peace for me.

Sliding into bed beside my mate, I pulled her close.She instinctively rolled against me, her body fitting perfectly against mine out of habit.She mumbled something under her breath, too soft to make out, and fell silent again.I wasn’t even sure she’d woken at all.

My mind, however, was far too restless.

“They come at night.”The prisoner’s gruff voice cut through the quiet.

I turned my head to look at him.Before we went to search for Smythe, my attempt to pry useful information from his broken mind had been a complete waste of time.His answers were nonsensical, crazy blabbering that never led anywhere.I had no idea how he’d managed to survive this long.He was a danger to himself and to anyone unlucky enough to cross his path.Killing him would be a mercy.There was no way he could survive alone much longer and taking him back to the outposts wasn’t an option.He was too unstable.

“They come at night,” he said again, curling into a ball with his knees drawn tightly to his chest.He closed his eyes, shutting out the world.

His words stirred something in me, a grim reminder of how it had all started.In the beginning, the hellhounds had come at night, hiding during the day.But that didn’t last long.Soon enough, daylight couldn’t hold them back, and their terror descended without mercy.

The urge to leave right now overwhelmed me, but with Garret’s condition, that wasn’t happening anytime soon.Frustration gnawed at me, but I shifted closer to Marinah, burying my face in her hair and allowed her scent to fill my lungs.

I closed my eyes, trying to push it all aside.

I would reassess tomorrow.

∞∞∞

I woke before Marinah and grabbed our packs, pulling out the breakfast MREs.The prisoner was already sitting up, his attention fixed on my sleeping mate.Beast didn’t seem to care, so I let it slide for now.

Slowly, he tore his eyes away and looked at me.There was a flicker of clarity in his gaze that hadn’t been there before.“She’s one of you,” he said.

I didn’t answer.Marinah was in Warrior form, and his declaration was obvious.

“She’s special,” he added, his tone shifting to something close to worship.

Great.Now he was obsessing over my mate.And still, Beast didn’t react.Very strange.

“I have a name.I do,” he said, his voice childlike.

We’d tried getting this information from him before, but I went for it again.“What is it?”

“A name.Just a name,” he sang, his words spiraling into nonsense again.

Marinah stirred, sitting up and carefully rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands.She glanced at me, her expression questioning.I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let go of my anger just yet.

She smiled, and Beast perked up immediately, the idiot.She scooted closer, leaning into my side.“I know it won’t help, but I’m sorry,” she said softly.

I heard the sincerity in her words, but that didn’t mean I believed her.If the situation played out all over again, she’d do the exact same thing and put herself in danger without question.

I’d led my men for years.I was decisive and exacting.None of them would call me thoughtful or generous, but they respected my leadership because I made the hard calls.A bad decision meant more people died, and there was no room for compromise.My orders were meant to be carried out as given.

Then there was my mate.Marinah threw all my rules out the window.She wouldn’t keep herself safe.She did whatever she wanted, and the consequences be damned.

“The butterfly is awake,” the prisoner muttered, breaking my train of thought.

Marinah turned her head toward him.“What’s your name?”she asked politely, her tone gentle.

It worked.

“Cosway.Cosway is my name,” he said, his head jerking as he looked around nervously.

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