Page 25 of Shadow

I mulled over his suggestion, my jaw tightening as I considered the implications. Without our help, the Federation was as good as finished. Marinah, however, could survive longer if she stayed here. We knew the hellhounds wouldn’t stop with humans. We would be next on their hit list.

“We do owe him,” I admitted, my voice low, “but that debt may not be enough to save her.”

Cabel met my gaze briefly though not long enough for Beast to take offense, but long enough to press his point. “He died for us, and a debt is a debt,” he said stubbornly. That was the thing about Cabel. He would speak his mind, no matter the situation. But once the decision was made, he would stand by me, even if it went against what he believed. Before his mating, he had been number two. Now, Beck had stepped into that role while we waited for Cabel to regain his edge.

I rubbed two fingers across the scar on my cheek, a habit I didn’t bother to break. “She’ll be judged by her own actions. The blood running through her veins won’t save her if she betrays us.” My voice hardened, and I knew he understood my position, even if he didn’t agree.

“Are you training?” I asked, narrowing my eyes when I noticed his discomfort at the question. The faint red creeping up his neck was answer enough. “Do I need to remove you from this detail?” It was the last thing I wanted to do, but if he was losing his edge, he needed a wake-up call.

Cabel straightened, his expression conciliatory. “No, King. I’ll handle it.”

He would. Cabel never shirked his duties, but then again, he had never been mated before. I would keep a closer eye on him. We couldn’t afford any weakness, not now.

“I’ll train tonight,” Cabel said firmly.

“And tomorrow, and every day after that,” I replied, my tone leaving no room for argument. “You also need to increase your meat intake.” The words landed heavy between us. Farmers were essential, but our best warriors had to remain lethal. Our fathers, who had spent their lives as farmers, had been the first to die because they had forgotten what it meant to let their beasts rule and to kill without hesitation. We wouldn’t go back tothat. The new world demanded fighting monsters, and we would keep the people loyal to us safe.

Mating complicated things. The island women often failed to understand our volatile nature during the extended process. If Cabel hadn’t been eating meat or training, it meant he was struggling to maintain control. That was dangerous, but I would address it if it worsened. For now, I pivoted to a safer topic. “How are the herds?”

“We’ve had three new calves as of this morning,” Cabel reported. “Expecting about twenty more soon. The chicks are laying better, and the pigs are getting fat and lazy. A litter of ten was born yesterday. They all survived.”

“I’ll inspect them next week.”

Cabel hesitated briefly, then muttered, “Maybe you should bring Church’s daughter.”

He said it low, but not low enough to escape Beast’s notice. My fist collided with his jaw with a satisfying crunch. His wife rushed forward, her face a storm of fury, but Cabel rolled to his knees, raising a hand to stop her. “Stay back,” he grumbled, spitting into the dirt as he steadied himself.

She halted, her fiery Cuban temperament blazing as her angry gaze shifted to me. She was fierce, but at the moment, not particularly wise.

“Lower your eyes, woman,” Cabel barked, his tone sharper than I had ever heard it.

She froze, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, but she obeyed. I, on the other hand, had no idea why I had lost control so suddenly.

“He has no right to strike you,” she said in stilted English, her fists clenching and unclenching.

“He had every right,” Cabel responded firmly. “Now, go back to the field and check on the children we left weeding the carrots.”

Her lips tightened, and she hurled her parting shot over her shoulder as she stormed off. “You will be eating those carrots and nothing else for a week.”

Cabel dusted himself off and rose to his full height. “I meant no disrespect,” he said sincerely. “I think we can coexist with humans. Showing them they’re capable of rebuilding their world might not be a bad thing, but I will always defer to your judgment.” He repeated himself. “I meant no disrespect.”

When I had struck him, Beast had whispered to finish the job. To kill him. That was Beast’s answer to everything. End it with murder. I shook my head, pulled him back with a few deep breaths, and let my control settle over us once more.

“I may need to kill her,” I said flatly. “It’ll be a sure thing if I give her a guided tour of our supplies and harvest.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied, with no understanding of why I had reacted the way I had.

Hell, even I wasn’t sure. I was doing everything I couldnotto kill her. Cabel’s suggestion, no matter how offhanded, would have taken the decision out of my hands. Marinah caused very mixed emotions inside me. This wasn’t good.

“Go make peace with your woman,” I added, my voice softening slightly. “The last thing we need is another Maylin, or you stuck living off carrots.”

He laughed, and the tension between us eased. Boot’s wife, Maylin, was infamous for being a handful.

I turned on my heel and headed back to my bike, where Beck waited, his frown as permanent as the scars on his face.

“Do you need me to kill Cabel?” Beck asked, his voice as flat and practical as ever.

That was the issue with Beck. He was too much like Beast. For both of them, the solution to every problem lay in bloodshed.

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