Marcus: #5 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas)

by Madison Stevens

  Glycon stench.

  He growled. Glycons, the half-man, half-beast experiments gone wrong. At least he thought they were wrong. The Group loved the disposable creatures. They may have lacked the intelligence of a normal hybrid, but they made up for it in pure brutality.

  Lacked intelligence?

  His thoughts returned to the car crash, a branch that had come out of nowhere. He’d not thought much about it, more focused on preventing an accident, but now the sickening truth was clear: it was no accident at all. A Glycon had been hunting them from the beginning.

  Maybe not him. After all, it’d passed up several opportunities to attack him. His heart kicked up as a chilling possibility invaded his mind.

  Courtney. The Glycon had come for Courtney.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Courtney smiled as she rolled over in bed. She’d felt the kiss Marcus placed against her neck. He pulled her from the light sleep she had been in. She loved having his warm body pressed against hers and didn’t want the moment to end. She’d been after him for so long that it almost seemed unreal that they were now together.

  Marcus had gotten up, and she could hear him moving around the house. Slowly she climbed out of bed and slipped on the sweats and the t-shirt from before. It was far too cold for her to walk around with nothing on. She rubbed her shoulders and shivered.

  Her body was slightly sore, but in all the right ways. She’d gladly take more soreness if she could have another few sessions with him like that.

  Courtney made her way into the living room, a sleepy smile planted firmly on her face. Maybe Marcus could warm her up on the couch. It wasn’t like they’d be going anywhere soon.

  She shivered as a gust of wind swept through the living room and left the door open. That seemed odd. She wondered if Marcus had gone to get more wood, but he’d brought more than enough before.

  Movement caught her eye, and she looked over. She gasped, and her eyes widened.

  She hadn’t been hearing Marcus in the living room.

  The man, if you could call him that, standing before her was just barely a man. His eyes glowed red, and his body was massive. The hairy brute’s fingers ended in sharp talons. A putrid stench hung around him, making her gag.

  The creature wore ragged, torn clothing, a hole-filled set of dull gray pants and a non-descript shirt, almost like some sort of old prison uniform. His feet lacked shoes, with his hairy large feet ending in nails as sharp as on his hands.

  He stared directly at her, and she watched as he breathed in deeply. A sickening smile came to his face.

  Her heart started pounding. Courtney turned to run. Whatever this was, she knew it was deadly. She didn’t even have a weapon to defend herself with.

  The creature was on her in seconds, his hard hands clamping around her middle and lifting her as if she weighed nothing. The beast slung her over his shoulder like a sack of laundry.

  Courtney let out a scream. Surely Marcus would save her.

  The beast burst out of the house, scraping her legs on the top of the door as it did so. He ran so fast she had to clamp her eyes shut not to be ill.

  His hard fingers dug into her thighs as he ran. His sharp nails pierced her skin, causing her to cry out. Tears slicked down her face.

  After a few long moments of running, the great beast abruptly stopped and tossed her onto the snowy ground.

  He circled her now, raising his face to smell the wind. Courtney shook all over, not sure what she could do to protect herself from the massive-man creature. Before she’d assumed they were dealing with something like a rabid mountain lion or even a bear, not the unnatural monstrosity standing before her.

  “Marcus will come for me,” she said. The creature had carefully stalked them. Just because it looked bestial didn’t mean it couldn’t speak.

  Indeed, her words seemed to anger the beast. He kicked the snow in front of him and growled loudly.

  Courtney clamped her fists and tried to think of something. Her hands touched the cold snow, and she grabbed a hold of it, the frigid temperature biting into her hands.

  With one toss, she hit the creature in the face and turned to run. He caught her not ten feet away from where she started, pinning her to the ground. She let out a loud scream.

  The creature jumped off and circled her once again. He let out a low growl and then smiled, like it was some fun game she’d created for his enjoyment.

  She shivered, both from the cold and the fear. He wanted her to run. He wanted to catch her.

  Courtney was his prey.

  * * *

  Marcus raced around the house and found the front door open. He breathed in deeply, the smell of the Glycon still ripe in the air. He growled as the scent mixed with Courtney’s and the faint smell of blood. Anger burned through him.

  Had it planned this all along, waiting and watching? He didn’t know. He didn’t care. There was no fucking way he’d let some Glycon take his woman.

  He sniffed once more and then sprinted after the two, fueled by his anger. He might not have been as fast as Magnus, but he was still a hybrid.

  Her smell drove him along with each footfall. He would tear the creature apart for even thinking it could lay a hand on his woman.

  The scent of more of her blood caught his nose, and it only fueled his anger. She had been harmed, and he wasn’t there to save her.

  He growled again. He’d failed his Vestal.

  Marcus powered through the woods, the tracks still fresh in the moonlight, the scents easy to track without a snowstorm covering them.

  He found them in a clearing. She lay huddled in the center of the snowy white cover of the ground, her arms around her. The Glycon had made sure she was on full display.

  Despite his anger, some small relief filtered into his mind. She was still alive for the moment.

  “Marcus!” Courtney called to him.

  The Glycon stepped in front of her and gave a mighty roar.

  “Mine,” he shouted, his growling, bestial voice barely understandable.

  Marcus could feel his instincts kicking in the urge for blood from this bastard that dared come after his woman.

  He pointed to the Glycon.

  “She is not yours,” he shouted. “You’re a fucking mistake, and I will end you if you don’t let her go right now.”

  The Glycon turned and grabbed Courtney roughly, pulling her to his side. She trembled in fear, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “Please let me go,” Courtney cried.

  The Glycon rubbed his face against hers and smiled at Marcus as he did so.

  He’d never seen a Glycon act this way. Most did their master’s bidding and then waited for the next order. This one was different. Thinking.

  That made it even more dangerous.

  Marcus stepped forward, and the Glycon growled loudly. He shoved Courtney hard against the ground, and she cried out as she landed, cradling her arm to her body.

  No more delays. No more thought. Marcus sprang into action, his body unwilling to wait at the expense of his woman.

  The two hybrids slammed against one another. Warrior versus warrior, their bodies made for fighting.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Courtney watched as Marcus slammed a fist into the bestial man. His enemy let out a howl and swiped at Marcus with claws, only narrowly missing due to a quick dodge. A flurry of exchanged kicks, punches, and slashes followed.

  She didn’t know how long it was, probably only a minute, but it seemed much longer, with each attack lasting forever.

  She’d never been so focused on something in her entire life. The man she loved was battling some sort of twisted creature who was just as strong as he was.

  On some level, she’d not been as afraid before, thinking that any animal that threatened the cabin could be handled by the hybrid. Now that she knew he was facing some sort of huge human-like creature, fear struck her to her very core. Only the skill demonstrated by Marcus kept complete panic away.

  He
could win. He had to win, for both of them.

  For such a large man and creature, both moved fast. She was surprised more than a few times by a quick attack one of them launched, but neither of the combatants seemed to be caught completely off-guard.

  Their ability to take punishment was staggering. She was sure that a typical man hit by a blow from either Marcus or the creature would have been knocked down. Yet they managed to take several blows with only a grunt.

  Though she thought the creature had an advantage with its claws, Marcus seemed to be hitting it often and quickly enough that it wasn’t able to take as much advantage of them as she would have guessed.

  He also showed a little more patience, waiting for a good shot, rather than just flinging himself at the bestial man without care. She had no idea if this was how he normally fought, but she was impressed enough.

  The creature, though it displayed a certain animal cunning, seemed far more willing to go after Marcus. Perhaps his lack of patience would be his undoing.

  Still, she wished Marcus had some sort of weapon to better protect himself. The fact he could fight on equal terms with this creature that was larger than him and had claws was impressive. She could only imagine if he had a gun or knife or something that the battle would have been over in seconds.

  She winced at the heavy thuds as each blow landed, the sounds echoing in the wide but otherwise quiet clearing. The beast landed a few light slashes, tearing Marcus’s shirt in a few places and one of his pant legs.

  She bit her lip to keep from crying out. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him. Even a spare glance her way might give the creature the chance it needed to kill him.

  Blood seeped from some of the wounds. Fear and concern froze her in place, but she realized Marcus had given as good as he’d gotten.

  The creature’s moves were less steady, and blood seeped from its face where Marcus had punched it more than once. Despite that, it didn’t show any fear or any other sign that it was going to stop fighting any time soon.

  Given how many times he’d punched it in the chest, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d broken some of its ribs. She wasn’t much for violence, but for one of the first times in her life, she wished to see someone seriously hurt.

  As for Marcus, none of his wounds seemed serious, and if he even noticed, his face and movements didn’t show it. If anything, his injuries only seemed to fill him with even more angry, furious speed. That gave her the faint hope he’d win the battle soon enough.

  Courtney continued to watch Marcus as he fought the creature. His massive solid body seemed like it was sculpted for battle.

  She knew he had training, but watching him in action was totally different. She was almost entranced by the flex of his muscles, which was visible even under his shirt and pants.

  Both men, or man and beast at least, continued moving very fast, but she thought Marcus was gaining the upper-hand.

  He kicked toward its side and when it shifted, he spun, shooting out with his fist. He landed a solid punch to the stomach that sent the bestial man staggering back, growling. Marcus immediately followed up with a powerful punch to the creature’s jaw.

  His head twisted to the side from the force of the blow. Marcus had hit him so hard she wondered if the blow wouldn’t break his neck outright and finally end the nightmare. He punched it again with his other hand, not showing any mercy.

  Rather than falling to the ground like she expected, the beast stumbled for a second and then rushed forward. He slashed with its sharp claws, running them along a soft part of his enemy’s belly.

  Marcus growled and leapt back. Courtney gasped as blood flowed freely from the wound. She ground her teeth, finding some small gratitude in the fact that the bestial man’s attack hadn’t gone deeper.

  Courtney’s heart pounded now, her fear for Marcus turning into terror.

  Marcus winced slightly, but anger soon replaced the pain on his face. She wasn’t sure if this meant he still was in control of the fight or not.

  The creature snarled loudly, backing away and raising its blood-soaked claws. The two circled each other for several long moments, both waiting for their opportunity to strike the other again and land the ending blow of the battle.

  Marcus glanced down at the blood soaking his shirt and then back to the beast. His bright blue eyes glowed with anger, providing a contrast to the glowing red of his enemy.

  The creature snarled and hissed.

  “Why are you even here?” Marcus yelled at the beast. “Did you follow us?”

  The creature laughed. “No.”

  “How many more has the Horatius Group sent?”

  The creature’s laughter grew louder, as if it were mocking him.

  “No Group. Free now. No follow.”

  Marcus frowned deeply and furrowed his brow. Apparently, the creature’s answer hadn’t been the one he’d been expecting. She didn’t know a lot about the Horatius Group and the kinds of creatures it might control, so she had no idea what Marcus expected.

  His questions did make her realize that he must have some clue about the creature he was fighting. The fact that he expected there might be more made her stomach clench. For the first time, she began to truly understand why the hybrids were so obsessed with secrecy.

  She needed to do something, anything, rather than just sit there while Marcus risked his life to protect her.

  Courtney tried to stand up. There had to be something she could do to help Marcus. Trying to help him fight would be stupid, but Mr. Martin had to have a gun somewhere. She just hadn’t bothered to look because Marcus had been around to protect her.

  She didn’t care how tough this creature was. If a bullet could take down a bear, it could take down this thing, let alone two or three bullets.

  Courtney placed her hand on the ground and winced when her wrist throbbed in return. When the beast tossed her to the ground, she twisted her wrist. And it didn’t help that she had no shoes on her feet. All her bravado seemed to be flowing away as the harsh reality of the situation settled around her.

  They weren’t exactly close to the cabin. Even when she staggered up, by the time she found a gun and got back, the battle would already be over, one way or another. She cursed herself silently.

  She looked back up at the two battling super-humans, overwhelmed by the fact that there was nothing she could do to help the man she had fallen for. As much as she believed in Marcus, there was no guarantee he could win against this thing.

  Panic and guilt threatened to overwhelm her. She was only even with him because the hybrids had worried about her traveling alone. If she hadn’t been so insistent on going, he never would have gone with her, and his life wouldn’t be in danger.

  A loud grunt snapped her attention back to Marcus. The creature dodged a punch and then brought his elbow hard against the back of Marcus’s head, sending him slamming down to the ground with a thickening thud.

  The sound of a loud crack filled the air. At first she thought he might have broken a bone, but Marcus leapt up a second later, looking more angry than injured, despite the blood streaks on his face.

  A second later, she noticed a jagged crack in the ground where Marcus had hit the ground and pushed the snow away. She blinked several times, confused by what she was seeing.

  Courtney brushed away the snow beneath her and nearly lost her breath. This wasn’t a clearing, but a large frozen-over pond.

  She shook her head. Ponds and lakes in the area didn’t always freeze, and even when they did, the ice was almost always thin. Even if it hadn’t been cracked, the two huge men fighting on it would have strained it.

  Panicked, she looked up to where Marcus stood in front of her. She had to let him know. If the ice was breaking, it might not matter who was winning the fight.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “It’s not long now. Get out of here. Get somewhere safe. I’ll protect you.”

  She wanted to run to him, to stop him from doing whatever
it was that he was thinking about doing, but she couldn’t.

  She also understood why he couldn’t just run, even if they could escape. This creature had already killed one person and would kill more if they just let him go. Marcus had to take him out.

  At least on the mountain, he hadn’t had a lot of prey, but if he moved to the outskirts of town, it’d be a true horror.

  She hated the idea of death and violence. Hated that she might be a part of something like this, but she also hated the idea that Marcus would be in harm’s way or that he might sacrifice himself to save her.

  Pushing off with her good wrist and carefully avoiding the twisted other, Courtney stood, the cold beneath her biting into her skin. She did her best to ignore the pain. The creature fixed his glowing red eyes on her.

  “Mine,” he growled. “Mine!”

  Marcus laughed, a mocking sound that shocked Courtney given the situation.

  “Oh, I don’t think so,” Marcus said, keeping his fists up, ready for more fighting. He sneered. “She’s already made her choice big boy. Besides, you’re going to be dead real soon.”

  The beast roared in anger and snapped his teeth at Marcus. “Kill.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Marcus laughed at the simple beast. He needed to keep the Glycon’s attention on him, no matter what else happened. A few insulting words seemed an easy enough tactic.

  His wounds burned a little, but he still had a superior mind, and he could defeat this thing, one way or another. The sound of several quick cracks reached his ears. The ice wouldn’t last much longer. Now it was just a matter of timing everything right.

  “Kill,” the Glycon snarled again.

  “Most likely won’t be that easy,” Marcus said, motioning to the creature. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  The Glycon charged into him again, this time charging him and hitting him in the ribs, slamming him into the ground. His back struck the hard ice. He heard a muffled crack.