Page 47 of Beast

“Stay safe,” I told him.“We’ll shoot on your command and give you cover.”

For a moment, he stared into my eyes, and I could see his surprise at my easy concession.

“King made a good choice,” he said solemnly.

I managed a small grimace.“I hope so.”

He blinked, still holding my gaze, and it took me a moment to understand.

“King made a good choice,” I repeated, the words heavier now.

Ryan gave me a quick nod before collecting the men he wanted.The rest of us held position, waiting for his command.As soon as he signaled, we began shooting, providing cover as they sprinted forward.That’s when I spotted Smythe’s bulbous head, peeking out from behind the third truck.

We kept firing, and Ryan’s team advanced steadily.Return gunfire forced me low.A heavy thump landed beside me, and I turned to see the Warrior on my right go down.My chest tightened, but there was no time to react.I had to hope he wasn’t dead.I lifted my head just enough to fire another shot, but my gut clenched as Federation soldiers started running toward Ryan and his men.

“We’re moving forward!”I shouted, already up and running, my men close behind.I dropped a soldier in my sights as his rifle aimed at one of the Shadow Warriors, and I kept pushing ahead.

Ryan went down and my heart dropped into my stomach but there was no time to speculate.Adrenaline surged as I closed the distance on the third truck.Sliding in low, I pulled my legs up to avoid snagging the ground and used the momentum to get halfway under the vehicle.My brain must have short-circuited.It was the dumbest move I could’ve made.There was barely enough room to wiggle, let alone maneuver.

Pandemonium continued around me and I didn’t know if we were successfully stopping the general’s force.I saw another Warrior collapse, and rage fueled my next decision.King was going to kill me for this.

I shifted to my human form and yanked the knife from my chest straps, turning myself around until my head faced the front of the truck.Digging my heels against the tire, I kicked off with every ounce of strength I had, propelling myself forward.The leather straps on my back shielded me from the worst of the scraping rock, but I could still feel burning raw skin.

The second I cleared the truck, I powered upward, twisting mid-motion to face the soldiers behind it.

Smythe’s shocked face locked in my vision, and triumph surged through me.

I dropped the knife as I lunged, shifting mid-leap.It was incredible, a shift like none I’d ever had.The unbelievable power raging inside my body blurred my vision, but it didn’t stop me from seeing Smythe through a red haze.He lifted a handgun, and I knocked it away with ease.Then, I smiled with teeth that felt even larger.His terrified scream was music to my ears.My claws tore through clothes, skin, and muscle on his chest.His eyes grew wider because he knew the damage was already too much to survive, but I wasn’t finished.I moved to his throat.Once, then twice.Blood sprayed in hot arcs.My final blow took his head, and it settled on the ledge of the rotary cannon.

A low, primal sound split the air, and it took me a moment to realize it was me.

The men surrounded me, firing at other soldiers.The Federation dropped quickly, and the barrage of gunfire forced the remaining soldiers back toward the main fight.

Even without his head attached, I continued driving my claws into Smythe’s chest and stomach over and over.No one stopped me.His warm blood soaked into my clothes, and in some twisted way, it felt good.Too good.

When my vision cleared, I dropped his body and looked at Smythe’s ruined face, completely unrecognizable.He was staring blankly up at the sky, or at least one eye was.The other was gone.His features were unrecognizable, shredded beyond anything human.I had no idea how long I’d been tearing into him.

He was more than dead.I took a step and picked up the head, holding it around the throat because he had no hair.

“One down,” I whispered to the one staring eye.“President Barnes is next.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

King

I lost track of Marinah after she took off toward the vehicles holding the rotary gun.She must have figured out what Smythe had planned.My men were ready to enter the fight.We left our position and circled the area.The enemy was flanked on all sides.Many of them began running toward Marinah’s location, desperate for a place to hide, but I didn’t have time to dwell on the danger she was in.Beck’s men had already made it inside the outpost and were successfully tearing into the hellhounds.A few stragglers remained.My men drew their swords and cut them down.

The Federation soldiers realized the battle was lost and began laying down their weapons.A hellhound about twenty feet from me grabbed one foolish man.His muffled screams stopped when the hound tore his face off.A hound charged me.I cut it down with my sword as I ran.Half my men pointed their rifles at the surrendering soldiers, who seemed to decide being shot was a quicker death than being eaten by hounds.After the hellhound attacked their fellow soldier, they held their weapons but kept them pointed downward.

Once we took out the remaining hounds, the soldiers began tossing their guns to the ground again.

“I’m going to Marinah; I need twenty men with me,” I yelled.

Nokita appeared out of nowhere and stayed a few feet behind me as I took off.Beck gained ground until he was running beside me.

“No human casualties,” he reported.“Two Warriors injured from my team.”

I heard him, but my focus was on Marinah.We crested the rise, and I saw the trucks in the distance.Warriors surrounded the farthest truck on the left.It was the one with the rotary gun that Smythe had jumped onto.The Shadow Warriors had their backs to the truck like they were protecting something on it.I didn’t see Marinah and picked up speed.

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