Page 49 of Beast

“No.”She stretched the word out, and her goliath jaws trembled.

I couldn’t stop my proud grin.“You’re Anshi, and you are amazing.”

“This is a joke.”She stepped back and gazed at me, beginning at my feet and finally ending at the top of my head, which was obviously a foot lower than hers.

“Do you need the men to take another knee?”I asked carefully, though my laughter was almost too much to hold back.

Horror filled her voice.“Please tell me I don’t look grosser than before?”

It was more than I could handle, and I began laughing.It was partial relief that she was safe and part hilarity over what had stayed hidden from me until now.The men close enough to hear what she said started laughing too.

It was Beck who finally tried to calm a very irritated Marinah.“I’m still guarding King, but I doubt you’ll need my help.”He lost it and bent double, laughing like the rest of us.

“You think this is funny?”she shouted in outrage.

Her hand came up, and she placed it against her throat.

“Careful, mate, your claws are bigger too,” I said, still laughing.

“This can’t be happening,” she groaned.“How could I be bigger?I want to return to my normal Warrior size.”She took several deep breaths.“Oh God, how will you keep me fed?”Her head snapped to the side of the vehicle then in different directions.“Ryan?”

Beck’s smile disappeared, and he shook his head.“He didn’t make it.You’ve got another team member seriously wounded and one with a bullet in his shoulder.They’re being transported to Axel right now.”

Marinah turned to me, and I saw her jaw tremble again.I placed a hand on her back.“Hold it together.We’ll mourn when it’s time.”

She didn’t respond, but the look in her eyes told me everything.She would never forgive herself for Ryan’s loss.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Marinah

King placed his arm around my shoulder.It didn’t feel right.He gave me a small tug and led me toward the outpost.

“None of the humans in the outpost died,” he said.“Ruth and Missy are safe.”

My thoughts went to Ryan.He took my place and died because of it.If I had gone, he would be alive.His death would haunt me forever.

King dealt with this each time a Warrior under his command died.He took each death personally.I felt it now.The pain clawed at my insides.How would I live with this?

We finally walked through the outpost gates, Ruth spotted me and started running.

Two feet away, she came to a dead stop.“You’re… huge.And bloody.Cool.”

From beautiful to huge.This wasn’t sitting well with me.

“Yeah,” I said.“I think I’m a lot bigger.”

“Are you meaner?”she asked seriously.

Oh, this child.“I hope not.”

Her lips curved downward, and her eyes turned stubborn.“Then it’s not that cool.”

Nokita came closer.“She stabbed the general with her claws until there was nothing left of his face, and then she sliced off his head with a single claw,” he said, clearly not worried about how much he wasn’t helping.

“You did?”Ruth asked, wide-eyed.

I turned my gaze to Nokita and hoped the fire burning in my eyes conveyed that he needed to shut up.

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