Now the men become uncomfortable. They need a decisive leader, not someone getting their feet wet. That’s not Marinah. She jumps into a pit of snakes— Okay, maybe not snakes, but she handles whatever is waiting for her and moves to the next target. She’ll adjust.
“Someone say something. You can’t just throw me out here and expect me to swim. I need help.” Now she looks at me. “Help!”
I open my hands. “We need to debrief what happened in the U.S. to cover what went right and wrong. There’s always someplace we can improve.”
She blows her hair off her forehead in relief this time. “Perfect. We’ll go around the table.” She looks at them expectantly.
This is a disaster. The men shift from side to side. She looks at me in desperation. “You go first.”
Finally, an order. Maybe not intentional, but it’s a start.
I run through everything from preparations before we left, which went smoothly, to finding the soldiers in the city and our confrontation.
“Our departure from here did go smoothly, but I think it could be better,” Beck adds when it’s his turn. “We need a metal building at the airport to store supplies. It would make it easier than transporting them when we need to leave quickly.” He shoots a glance at Marinah and lowers his eyes.
It takes her a second to realize he’s finished. Maybe we caught her daydreaming. “Good. Great,” she finally answers. “You’re in charge of getting the building set up. You will need to assign someone to maintain the supplies.” She gives her attention to Labyrinth. He’s not someone who usually has much to say. When he does speak, it’s to convey strong feelings.
Labyrinth blinks slowly. We always wonder if his brain is like his muscles. Due to the size, they take a little extra to activate. “The decision to remain in the city after our confrontation with the Federation was wrong. It placed more lives in danger, and we were fortunate Nokita found us when he did, or another outpost might have been destroyed.”
Marinah nods, not agreeing, not disagreeing. “So you vote we let those weaker than us die.”
He nods. “With all due respect, Garret knew what he was getting into when he came with us.”
Her fingers splay on the table to keep from forming fists. I hold back a smile, enjoying someone else handling this crap. “If we do it your way, we might as well kill all the humans and take over the world. Wait. If we did that, we’d have no one to control.” She adds an eye roll for effect then turns to Nokita. “Next.”
Labyrinth looks at me and winks. Marinah is doing what she says she can’t, and she doesn’t even realize it.
Nokita takes a shot at igniting Marinah’s ire. Why you might ask? He can. I clamp my lips together so a smile doesn’t escape. “There are two hundred Warriors at the outposts. We need to make plans to switch them monthly.”
“Good.” She smiles again like she’s getting the hang of things. I stop my own eye roll. “You’re in charge of that.” She takes another deep breath and looks around the table. “Where’s Axel?”
“He’s testing the whistles. He says as soon as he has information, you’ll be the first to know,” Beck grunts.
The queen doesn’t like that, and her eyes become small pinpoints of fire. “He will be at tomorrow’s meeting. Eight sharp. He will give me an update then. See to it.” She stretches her arms above her head like we’ve been in a meeting for hours and not thirty minutes. “Is there anything else we need to cover?” she says with a yawn. Four sets of eyes stare back. “Alrighty then. Meeting over.” She jumps up like her butt is on fire and flies from the room.
“This will take a bit of getting used to,” Beck says after the door closes.
I stare at the door. “She’ll get the hang of it. She’s fighting it now. I had anger on my side which made it easier.”
Beck grins. “Oh. She has plenty of anger. We’re just glad you’ll be the one receiving most of it.”
I flip him off. “Thanks.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Marinah
They were laughing at me, and I don’t blame them.
I simply can’t lead hundreds of men, scratch that, Shadow Warriors. I have no idea what I’m doing. I replay the entire meeting in my head. They’re like children, and I can’t believe I need to point them in a direction and tell them what to do.
Stupid.
And King’s gone through this for years.
Labyrinth mentioned Cosway, and it reminded me I need to check on her. I begin my search and eventually give up and ask one of the door guards. He points me to the outside courtyard. I find her there, playing with the kittens.
“Pretty butterfly,” she says when she notices me.
She’s a rather pretty butterfly herself now. Soap, water, and good food make her look younger. Someone also took a chisel to her teeth. I’d place her in her mid-twenties. “Hi, Cosway. Do you mind if I join you and play with the kittens?”
She pushes the calico in my direction, and I grab him before he scampers off. “He likes the pretty butterfly.”
“I like him,” I say, cradling the little guy in my arms. He starts purring while I scratch his soft, round belly.
“You keep him. He is yours.”
It’s more than I’ve heard her say since we found her. “King might not agree with you. I don’t think he likes cats.”
She snaps her fingers, and her expression turns serious. “King no say.”
I think about it. “You know. I think you’re right. Yes, I want this little—” I tip him over and readjust, “girl. Are you sure you don’t mind?” I should have realized the kitten was a gal since calicos usually are. I think I’m surrounded by too many men and everything is automatically male. It will nice to have another female in my life.
“Pretty butterfly needs kiddie.”
I lift the little gal and stare into her blue eyes. “You need a name. I’ll think about it, and when I come for you, I’ll have something that works.”
“You take now.” She points and does a shooing motion with her fingers.
“Yes.” I smile. “I’ll take her with me now. Thank you.”
“Cosway loves pretty butterfly. You be good mother.”
I hug the kitten to my chest. For the strangest reason, I want to cry.
***
The next two weeks are more of the same. During our morning meetings, I feel like an idiot. No, an imposter. I’m also being stubborn by not asking King for help. I want him to take this back. If I do a horrible job, he might reconsider. It’s ridiculous, but it’s all I have as far as plans to get myself out of this mess.
Our biggest news is Axel replicating the whistles. “Their frequency makes it impossible for the human ear to hear. It also has little to no effect on Shadow Warriors.” He looks at me and smiles.
Why this irritates me, I have no idea, and I push it aside, focusing on his great news. “Is it possible to give one to every human on the island?” I ask hopefully.
“We should have more than enough within ninety days.”
“What about the outposts?” I ask because they need them too.
“I sent the prototype, and they’re making their own.”
He continues looking at me, and I place my hands in front of me almost like I’m warding him off. “What?” I grumble because he’s acting weird.
Axel looks away, but I catch his grin. “What is this about?” I challenge them all. “You don’t get to pretend something isn’t up.” I look at the faces around me. The men are pointedly staring. At me! They want to laugh. I can see it in their lip wiggles. I’ve had just about enough.
Kill, whispers Ms. Beast, and I swear she’s louder now too. It’s like the Nova thing put her on steroids.
Maybe, I tell her.
Beck leans forward, his eyes intense, and that’s when I lose it. It’s strange too. Ms. Beast pushes the K-5, forcing my shift. It’s a stronger dose than she’s ever used. If I completely lose it, someone will die. These are my friends. Okay, irritating friend
s. I shove back against the K-5 and push Ms. Beast to her hidey hole somewhere inside me. This, however, does not stop my rage. I glare at Beck. “If I were you, I would lower my eyes.” He blinks. “Now!” I shout. My hands clench, and I want more than anything to wrap them around his throat. No better yet, I’d like to tear out his throat.
All eyes at the table, including King’s, drop. Why is he doing this? He didn’t make me look away from him after we mated. It’s hard not to grab him and shake him until he concedes and takes this crap back. If I stay in here, I’m going to remove someone’s head. They’re driving me crazy. Without saying another word, I storm out.
I’m waiting for King in our room when he decides to make an appearance. He walks in calmly, kisses my cheek, and takes a seat at the table where we eat. I’m sitting on the bed facing him. “Would you like to talk about it?” he asks calmly. There’s no held back grin or teasing quality in his eyes, and for a change, his tone doesn’t ruffle my feathers.
My main problem: I’ve refused to ask King questions about what’s expected of me, and we’ve barely spoken at all. The weight on my shoulders seems to pile higher each day. I’m not sleeping, and I know there are things I should be doing. King stayed busy, constantly putting out fires. The island always ran smoothly, and right now I feel like a complete failure. More than anything, I want to roll into a ball and cry. “I have no idea what I’m doing,” I say while trying to hold the tears at bay.
His soft smile calms me. “You’re doing great.”
That crazy response angers me. He doesn’t get to get out of this so easily. “Bull. And what’s with the eye thing. Why did they stare at me?”
“They’re trying to force alpha tendencies on you.”
“What, why?”
“It’s something about being the strongest. It took nine or ten days for me to feel it. I went berserk at one point, and several men had to pull me off of Nokita.”
Oh, that’s rich. “You didn’t think this was important information?” I demand.
His head tilts, and his blue eyes draw my attention as he speaks. “I can’t help you if you won’t help yourself. Finding the balance as leader takes time. I made many mistakes in the beginning. The men need security, and one thing I learned was to be decisive in my commands even if I didn’t know what I was doing.” He gets up from the chair and walks over to me. “When you stop fighting who you are, this will be easier.”
I bend forward, resting my head against his stomach. “I don’t want this.”
His fingers thread through my curly hair, lulling me into a false sense of security, and then he slams me with, “I think you do.”
My head snaps up, tearing out a dozen hairs. “How can you say that?”
His comforting smile fills me. “You hate authority, even mine. You’re natural at giving orders and making sure everything is running like a well-oiled machine. You have no fear even when you should. Your only obstacle is ‘Marinah the weak.’ Once you let her go, it will all work out.”
Marinah the weak. He hit it straight on the head. I spent so much time hiding from life. I was weak. “You don’t miss the old me?”
Now his smile is wolfish. “Not in the least.”
“No fair,” I whisper.
King takes my hand so I rise from the bed. His arms go around me, and he looks deep into my eyes. Ms. Beast doesn’t mind, and I’m relieved. “You are not weak,” he says before kissing me. He’s wrong because my knees can barely hold me by the time he’s through.
“Can we forget about who leads and who looks into my eyes for now?”
“Your wish is my command,” he says with a grin.
I would complain at his choice of words, but his hands find my breasts. A woman should never complain when a man is making her feel so good. “I have something for you,” he whispers again. I need him to stop talking and continue his hands on their current course.
They drop and he leaves me alone to rummage in our closet. He brings out a bag and places it on the bed. “I found them in Denver when I went scavenging.”
I look inside the bag, and my tears start falling. Boots. And not just any boots.
Doc Martens, size nine, camouflage.
He found these when he was angry with me.
“You like them?”
“I like them, and I love you.” I wipe away a tear, and my lips tremble. Then I remember my gift for King. It’s stupid really and nothing like these boots. “I have something for you too.” He’s going to hate it. I rummage in the nightstand drawer and pull out a small bag. I hand it to him.
King opens the bag and pulls out the silver chains. They were at a novelty store, and they’re cheap metal or something and probably won’t last. Once the necklaces are fully out, he can see the charms at the end. Script writing. One says KING and one QUEEN.
My embarrassment grows while he stares at the necklaces. Then he lifts his head, and I watch love fill his expression. “Come here,” he whispers.
I’m in his arms. He holds me tightly and rocks gently from side to side. “I’ll wear mine if you wear yours,” he says into my hair.
I push back slightly, and he places the necklace around my throat. It takes him a few seconds to work the clasp. Then he drops his hand and using a finger presses the word QUEEN slightly into my flesh before handing me his necklace. I secure it, turn the clasp to the back, and press his KING into his flesh too.
That’s when I catch a multi-colored flash from the corner of my eye as the kitten jumps onto the bed then flies off. King doesn’t miss it either. “Was that a cat?”
I nod. He wants decisive, I make it decisive. “She’s my cat. Her name is Callie, and she’ll be staying in our room from now on.”
Like nothing is out of the ordinary, King turns his attention from the cat and nods at the boots. “I’ve had this fantasy.”
“A fantasy?” I ask skeptically.
“Remove your clothes and put on the boots.”
“You’re crazy,” I laugh.
King isn’t laughing, and desire rolls from the tips of my toes to each sensitive place on my body. Slowly, I do exactly as he says. If the man wants me in nothing but Doc Martens, that’s what he’ll get.
He removes his clothes too, and a minute later, we stand before each other. Me in my Doc Martens and necklace, King in his necklace. My mate. The man who loves me.
His gaze is hot as his eyes travel. He steps forward and lifts the word at the end of my necklace and kisses it. “You are my queen. I love you.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
King
Marinah is working with Ruth, who’s making incredible progress. There hasn’t been a complaint about the child in weeks. She follows Marinah around like she’s her personal guard. The sword Marinah gave her always on her hip and her hand on the pommel daring anyone to threaten her instructor.
“King,” Beck calls. “We have urgent news from the northern outpost.”
Here we go. It’s been too quiet. “I’ll grab Marinah. Have the men join us in the conference room in five.” I don’t ask what the news is because it’s Marinah’s job. Beck should have gone to her first, but that’s something she needs to deal with. Eventually things will fall into place.
I enter the gym, and Ruth is holding her sword with trembling arms, sweat rolling down her brow, and a stubborn set to her jaw which reminds me of Marinah’s determination when she first trained. The sword is held in front of her, chest high, arms fully extended. Marinah glances over. “You’re needed in the conference room, urgent,” I tell her quickly.
“That works. Someone’s punishment can continue without me here.” She adjusts Ruth’s arms a little higher. “Ten more minutes and then you’re done for the day. If this is what you want to do tomorrow, smart off again.”
“Yes, ma’am. I mean no, ma’am.” I don’t laugh. Marinah has a way of making yes and no complicated.
Marinah doesn’t even look at the child when she walks away. I follow her from the gym. “Do you ac
tually think she’ll continue the punishment?” I ask curiously. Marinah’s come so far with Ruth when no one else thought she was worth the trouble. “Oh, she’ll do it. She knows the punishments I give her make her stronger. They’re no fun, but there is an end goal. She’s come a long way, but she’s still fighting authority.”
“Sounds like someone I know.”
She gives me a side glare and flips her wild hair from her face. “What’s going on; why are we meeting?”
“Beck has an urgent message from the northern outpost.”
Marinah looks at me like I’m nuts. “Then why are we walking?” She takes off at a fast jog and the three-minute trip takes thirty seconds. I keep my thoughts to myself.
The men are waiting. No one blinks when Marinah, without thinking, takes my old chair at the head of the table. I sit down beside her saying nothing. She looks at Beck. “Spill.”
“The northern outpost sent people to the city and gathered enough supplies to get them through the winter. They’re interested in trading for additional items they need. They have approximately four hundred cans of Spam they would like to start with.”
I look at the faces of the men, and they match Marinah’s. She blinks only once before making her decision. “I think we’ll let them keep their Spam for extreme emergencies. Have them send a list of the items they’re interested in and we’ll negotiate. What else do you have?”
“They’ve replicated the whistles, and they said to thank you.”
“That’s it?” she grumbles.
“No. President Barnes wants to negotiate with the outposts and is asking them to send emissaries. They would like your opinion.”
Now her eyes spark with interest. “That’s easy. Won’t happen. Barnes has never kept his word, and he won’t be starting now. He has something up his sleeve.”
“They thought you might say that and asked if you would be interested in bargaining for them with the Federation.”
Marinah’s eyes go darker. “Oh, I’ll bargain with them. Barnes can come here to the Island alone and we’ll talk. Until then, the Shadow Warriors will have nothing to do with the Federation and their atrocities. Next.”
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