“King made a good choice,” he says solemnly.
I can only offer a small grimace. “I hope so.” He blinks and continues staring. It takes me a moment. “King made a good choice,” I finally say and receive another quick nod.
He collects the men he wants and the rest of us hold until he gives the command. We begin shooting, and they start running. That’s when I see Smythe’s bulbous head. He’s behind the third truck. We continue firing as Ryan and his men move forward. I go down low at return gunfire. There’s a slight thump beside me, and the Warrior on my right is hit. I don’t have time for feelings, and all I can do is hope he isn’t dead. I lift my head and take another shot. The soldiers from the main force are almost on them. “We need to move forward,” I shout. I’m up and running, my men behind me. I shoot a man when his rifle centers on one of the Shadow Warriors, and I keep running.
Ryan goes down. The shot came from the third truck. I’m almost there and slide in low, lifting my clawed feet so they don’t grab the ground and stop my forward momentum. I slide halfway under the vehicle before coming to a stop. My brain wasn’t working properly because it’s the dumbest thing I could do. There’s little wiggle room much less crawl space. I see another Warrior go down, and I know what’s needed. King will kill me.
I shift and pull a knife from my chest straps. I wedge myself until my top half is facing the front of the truck and kick off, using the tire with all the force I have to push me forward. The leather straps take some of the damage, but I know my back will be raw. Once I’m out from under the truck, I power upward, while swiveling my body so I’m facing those behind the vehicle.
Smythe’s shocked face sends triumph through me, and he’s all I see. I drop the knife at the same time I leap and shift mid-flight. My claws gouge Smythe’s throat. Once, twice, three times. There’s a sound of someone screaming. It isn’t Smythe. It’s me. My men surround me, taking out the other two soldiers behind the truck. They also shoot the soldiers running toward us, sending them back into the main fight.
I keep piercing Smythe’s throat, and no one stops me. His warm blood saturates my clothing, and it feels wonderful. When my eyes come back into focus, what’s left of Smythe’s face is staring up at the sky, and I have no idea how long I’d been killing him. He’s slightly past dead.
One down.
President Barnes will be next.
Chapter Twenty-Two
King
I lose track of Marinah after she takes off for the vehicles holding the rotary guns. She figured out what Smythe had planned. My men are ready to enter the fight. We circle the area where Marinah is taking on the rotary guns and leave our position. We’ve flanked the enemy on all sides. Many begin running toward Marinah, trying to get away, but I don’t have time to think about the danger she’s in. Beck’s men are inside the outpost now, holding back the hellhounds. There are a few stragglers, and my men draw their swords and cut them down.
The Federation soldiers realize they aren’t winning and begin laying down their weapons. A hellhound about twenty feet from me grabs one stupid man. His muffled screams stop when the hound chews his face off. I charge three hounds with my sword, cutting them down as I run. Half my men point their rifles at the surrendering soldiers who have decided being shot is a quicker way to die than being eaten by hounds. They are no longer placing their weapons on the ground, but they are pointed down.
Once we’ve taken out the remaining hounds, they begin tossing their guns to the ground again. Nokita is ten feet away. “I’m going to Marinah; I need twenty men with me.” Labyrinth comes out of nowhere and stays a few feet behind when I take off.
Beck gains ground until he’s running beside me. “No human casualties. Two Warriors injured from my team.”
I hear him, but my focus is my mate. We make the rise, and I see the trucks in the distance. Warriors surround the farthest truck on left; it’s the one Smythe jumped onto. The Warriors have their backs facing away from the truck. I don’t see Marinah, and I pick up speed.
I notice a Warrior down and send Labyrinth in his direction. I don’t want to see what’s behind the Warriors and from the looks in their eyes, they don’t want to see it either. My heart falls into my stomach, and I almost go to my knees. A red haze covers my eyes, and I can’t find air.
Then I hear her above the roar in my ears. She’s alive. The Warrior in front of me is shoved aside. And I stop where I am.
It’s Marinah, but not the Marinah from earlier. She’s larger, scarier, and deadlier. She’s grown a foot, and it’s not just her height. Her entire body is larger. I’ve only read about this in our history texts.
In the books, they talk about Nova Warriors. They stayed behind on the home planet, sacrificing their lives so more could live. What I’m seeing before me is pure Nova. It’s said when they go into rage mode, they grow in size. They’re also nearly impossible to defeat.
She’s covered in blood and still she slams her claws into Smythe. Or at least I think it’s Smythe. Hard to tell now. Beck moves next to me. “Are you going to stop her?”
I don’t take my eyes from Marinah. “Hell no, are you?”
“I value my life more than that.”
Marinah raises her arm then stops its downward momentum. I see when the world comes back into focus for her, but still she stares at Smythe. When she finally looks up, our eyes meet. She looks—lost.
Slowly, the men around me go to one knee.
Marinah’s eyes leave mine, and she looks at them, not comprehending what’s happening. Her gaze comes back to me, and I see her fear. I smile and slowly take one knee.
“What? Get off your knees; every one of you is crazy.”
No, we aren’t crazy. We’re paying homage to our new leader.
Marinah is King.
***
My mate doesn’t have a clue what’s happened. I open my arms and she walks into them. The men around us fade. She bends slightly to get into her favorite Warrior position when I hug her, but it’s impossible, and Marinah looks down on me. “Did you shrink?” she asks in confusion.
“No, baby.” I pull her back and adjust her in a slightly different way. “You okay?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember what happened.”
“You killed Smythe.”
She shakes her head against me. “I did.” And then with more emphasis. “I’m killing President Barnes next.”
“I have no doubt.”
She leans back and looks at me. “You’re acting strange.” She glances around. “The Warriors are acting strange. What did I screw up now?”
It’s not the time for this discussion, but it’s not like she won’t realize something has happened. Once she has her bearings completely, she’ll insist. “Do you remember the one history text we were reading a few months ago about the Warriors who stayed behind on the home planet to save as many as possible and gave their seats up on the ships?”
“Weren’t they super Warriors or something like that?” she asks cautiously.
“Anshi.”
“An what?”
I look into her dark eyes and see her confusion. “Anshi. They’re Nova Warriors, and we didn’t think any made it off the home planet. Someone’s grandmother or great grandmother did.”
“Where?” She looks around before her gaze returns to mine. “King,” she says in a whisper.
“Yes, Anshi.”
“No.”
I can’t control my grin. “It’s too late. You’re Anshi. Do you need the men to take another knee?”
“No,” she says in absolute horror. “Please tell me I don’t look grosser than before.”
That sets me off, and I begin laughing. It’s part relief that my mate is safe and part hilarity. The men close enough to hear her begin laughing too. It’s Beck who tries to calm a very irritated Marinah. “I’m still guarding King. I don’t think you’ll be needing my help.” And he begins laughing too.
“This isn’t funny,” Marinah shouts. Her vocal cords have als
o grown, and the sound booms through the clearing. She puts her hand to her throat.
“Careful, baby, your claws are bigger too.” I keep laughing.
“I had better return to my normal size. If not, I don’t know how anyone will keep me fed.” She smiles and begins laughing with us. Then she stops. “Ryan?” She looks around.
Beck shakes his head. “He didn’t make it. You have another on your team seriously wounded and one with a bullet in his shoulder. They’re being transported to Axel right now.”
My mate looks at me, and I see her jaws tremble. I place my hand on her back. “Hold it together. We’ll mourn when it’s time.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I know she’ll never forgive herself for Ryan’s loss.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Marinah
King places his arm around my shoulders, and we walk back to the outpost together. He tells me none of the humans in the outpost died, so I know Ruth and Missy are okay. But Ryan. He took my place and died because of it. Was he right? Should I have gone instead? I’ll never know that answer, and it will haunt me forever.
This is what King deals with. He takes every Shadow Warrior life personally. Now I know what it feels like. I lift my shoulders. It won’t be easy, but I’ll learn to live with it. We walk through the outpost gates, and Ruth spots me and starts running.
Two feet away, she comes to a dead stop. “You’re… huge. And bloody, cool.”
From beautiful to huge. This isn’t looking good. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Are you meaner?”
Oh, this child. “I hope not.”
Her lips curve downward and her eyes go stubborn. “Then it’s not that cool.”
“She stabbed the general with her claws until there was nothing left of his face,” Labyrinth tells the unimpressed child.
“You did?”
I hope the fire that flashes in my eyes conveys to Labyrinth how much he is not helping. “Yeah, I guess I did,” I say turning to Ruth.
“Well, that’s cool.” She nods like I needed her help in simply being cool. She scuffs her boot into the dirt. “I didn’t get to kill a single hellhound.” She looks up at me hopefully. “Maybe we can find some on the island.”
King helps me out. “Marinah’s coming with me for now, Ruth. We need some adult time.”
She rolls her eyes. “When we’re in training, no one gets to interrupt us.”
“We’ll do our best,” he says which earns him an evil child’s stare.
His arm goes around my shoulders again, and I realize how weary I am. I also don’t like being larger than my mate. It messes up our hugability which wasn’t easy in the beginning to figure out. If I remember the texts correctly, I can choose this size or my other one. Figuring out the how should be interesting. I also had a bit of shifting rage when I did it. I’m so tired, and thinking about this isn’t helping. My brain is pure mush.
We enter Missy’s place, and Garret is sitting up against the couch with cushions behind his back. He’s pale, but at least he’s upright. I had no idea they made it back to the outpost.
“Axel is helping the injured,” Garret tells us wearily. He looks between King and I, his head rising when he meets my eyes. “Something I should know?”
King grumbles because he wants to be sure I’m okay, and Garret is delaying our talk. “I’ll explain later. King needs to speak with me.”
Garret wisely says nothing, and King leads me away. He opens the door of the room next to Ruth’s. It’s a bathroom. He turns on the shower. They don’t have hot water here unless they heat it for a bath. “You need the blood off you.”
“I know but it’s cold in there.”
“Sissy.”
He begins taking off his gear until each layer is uncovered, and he’s naked. His muscles ripple with his shift when he goes human. Now my mouth waters. Then, with a quick glance in the mirror, I see what King sees, and I let out a small scream. No, not small, loud in the small room. I don’t like this body, and I shift before removing my clothes. King pulls back the shower curtain and steps inside the small tub. I join him in the freezing water after my gear is off. Quickly, we wash ourselves and get out. We brought no clothes with us, but when King opens the door to call for help, there’s a stack of folded clothes on the floor in the hall. We quickly pull them on. King sits on the edge of the tub and pulls me down to his lap. “You okay?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You did what had to be done. Ryan’s death is not on you.”
I shake my head. “When you say that to yourself, does it work?”
“No.”
He understands, and I have so much more understanding of the weight on his shoulders. I’m glad he’s in charge. “I don’t remember killing Smythe. I looked down, and he was beneath me. It was Smythe, right?”
“It was Smythe. You’ll need to practice in your Nova form and see how bad the rage affects you. It may be more difficult to control than when you became Warrior.”
“I think you’re right. I didn’t feel like that even in the beginning, and I don’t like not remembering what I’ve done.”
“Welcome to our world.”
I stick out my tongue, and King kisses me before I can pull it back. His lips massage mine while his tongue explores. His calloused hands run over my skin assuring himself I’m okay. I do the same, feeling each muscle in its perfection. His arms envelope me and the entire outside world falls away. King’s scent and taste fill me, sending signals that spark from my toes to my ears. Even off the island, I’m home.
***
We leave for home two days later. I worried we might lose Axel if he decided to stay with Garret. It’s the other way around. The settlement loses their governor, and they elect Landan in Garret’s place. We also bring Cosway and her five kittens or kiddies as everyone calls them now. Ruth and Missy are adopting one, and I’m hoping to talk King into taking the calico. I’ve just been afraid to ask.
Ruth was impossible the entire plane ride, and I know training her will be a priority. If I don’t, the kid will drive me crazy.
My favorite little boy hugs are waiting for me as soon as we arrive at the citadel.
“Marinah, Marinah,” he yells and throws himself into my arms. I look over his head at Maylin. She isn’t looking at us. Her focus is on Labyrinth. I think we’re all shocked when he walks over, lifts Maylin, twirls her around, and then kisses her. It’s some kiss, and Maylin is flustered when he releases her. With red cheeks, she places her hand on his arm, and they walk away together.
“So gross. They’re going to do that kissy stuff.”
I’m sure they are. I would give nothing more than to be doing that kissy stuff too. Somehow, someway, I will find a way to escape with my mate. Between the whistles, the injured, and everything else in our lives, finding any time alone will be impossible. King is not in the room when I finally enter. I take a shower, hoping he’ll join me, but it doesn’t happen. I fall asleep thinking about Ryan.
Chapter Twenty-Four
King
It took hours to get everything in place. I enter our room, and Marinah is sleeping. I quickly pack a bag for us both. She sleeps through it. I’m tired, but nothing will keep my alone time with Marinah from happening.
Beck is attending the funerals in my absence. It’s the only thing that made me hesitate with this mad scheme.
Beck put me straight. “You take this time with your mate. You have more problems than simple mating rage. When you come back, you get the hellspawn, and I’m taking Missy away.”
I hope Marinah will forgive me when she misses Ryan’s funeral. His loss hit her hard. I still remember the first Shadow Warrior who died under my command. It doesn’t get easier.
I collect everything we need and wake her. “Remember I told you I’m kidnapping you,” I say when I’m sure she’s awake.
“I think,” she mumbles groggily.
I scoop her into my arms. “It’s happening.”
With the two bags tossed over my shoulder, and my mate in my arms, we leave the room. “I need clothes,” she finally whines.
“I doubt you will, but I have it covered.”
She breathes against my neck. “We’re really getting time alone?”
“Yes, and if I need to kill people so I’m sure we get it, I will. They’ve been warned.”
“I love you.”
I hold her tighter then place her on the back of my bike once we’re in the courtyard. I situate myself in front of her. “Hold on.”
“I’m never letting go.”
She doesn’t expect where I’m taking her. “The airport?”
“If we don’t get off this island, we’ll never find peace.”
It’s a short flight. We put our parachutes on in the airplane. Marinah isn’t as apprehensive as she was with her first jump. I point down at our destination. “That’s Jarnines del Rev Island. Maybe you should rename it.”
“You want me to rename an island?”
“I think you should. We’re taking this island as our own and whenever we need to get away, we’re coming here.”
“Love Island.”
I smile inside. “Now let’s get on with the loving part of our island.” She laughs in glee and doesn’t wait for me before she propels herself out of the plane. She has no idea what’s in store for her.
We make our landing a mile from our destination and gather our chutes. “I just realized we don’t have any way to get off the island.”
“That’s the plan.”
She gives me her sexy smile. “Quite a plan.” She licks her lips, and we start jogging.
I sent a team to the newly christened Love Island before we left for the U.S. Alden assured me everything was as requested.
A few minutes later, she asks, “Is that a cabin?”
“It’s our cabin.”
She starts running full out. “Wait,” I call and run up behind her, scooping her into my arms. “I’m carrying you over the threshold.”
“You’re a silly man,” she giggles.
I set her down inside, and she glances around with a look of wonder. “It’s beautiful.”
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