Page 30 of Shadow

Boot grunted, which I was starting to understand meantI’m listening.

“During the war, he changed. Not in a bad way, just... more intense. He never talked about what he did out there, not in detail. He didn’t want me to carry those images in my head.”I wobbled, my leg shaking slightly, but I caught myself before falling.

“He sounds like a man worthy of respect,” Boot said.

“He was.” My voice softened. “I miss him.”

Boot handed me the second weight, watching me closely. “You’re stronger than you think.”

We spent the next hour talking, with me clumsily pumping the weights up and down while trying to balance. By the end, my legs were trembling, my arms ached, and I was pretty sure I’d shared more about my father than I had told anyone in years. If this ridiculous training actually worked, I’d be the mouthiest soldier anyone had ever encountered.

Chapter Twelve

King

Humans rarely captured my interest. Today was the exception. All afternoon, I had wrestled with Beast. Though my human side was captivated, he had no fondness for Marinah. The time away from her had given me room to analyze these strange, if I dared call them, feelings.

Marinah’s scent lingered in my senses, her tall, lithe frame commanding my attention even as it provoked Beast’s disdain. She occupied a space in my mind that no other woman ever had, igniting something raw and unexplainable within me. Being near her pulled at a level of awareness I had never experienced. My greatest concern was why. None of it made sense.

She was supposed to be unremarkable, a woman who would drone on about Federation policies while we delayed and grumbled. Instead, we got the daughter of a man I respected. From the moment she had fallen at my feet outside the plane, I knew the plan was doomed. Nothing had gone as expected since.

Beck and I returned to the Citadel, a name one of the men had given this temporary headquarters as we prepared for our human visitor. Without a word, I left Beck and headed straightfor the small training room I had assigned to Boot. What I found there was entirely unexpected.

Before I even entered the room, Beast surged forward at the sound of Boot and Marinah laughing. The low, relaxed hum of their voices was jarring. Through the narrow window, I saw them seated against the wall, their bodies angled close, their postures easy. Friends enjoying themselves. Not the combative pair I had forced into training together.

Beast flooded my veins with raw energy, his aggression clawing for release. It was a searing internal battle that wasn’t usually so visceral over something so mundane.

Beast hurled two thoughts through my mind:Kill the man. Kill the woman.

Boot’s attention was on Marinah, but the instant Beast’s volatile energy filled the room, his head snapped toward the door. He might not have fully grasped what was happening, but he sensed the dangerous fury radiating off Beast like a storm. Rising slowly to his feet, he kept his eyes lowered and his posture submissive, positioning himself between me and Marinah. Did he actually think he could protect her if I allowed Beast full rein?

“Out,” I hissed, barely holding onto my restraint.

Boot hesitated, casting a quick glance at Marinah. That single action infuriated Beast even further. Boot’s sharp gaze darted back to me, and I saw fear flicker in his eyes. It was a fleeting admission of vulnerability.

To Beast, he was prey, a trembling creature ripe for the hunt. The guttural growl that rumbled from my chest built into a roar, shaking the walls with primal force.

Boot bolted without looking back.

I forced myself to remain in human form, but it was Beast’s eyes that now assessed Marinah. Black training pants. Simple T-shirt. Aggressive stance. No defensive posture. And oh, so easy to kill.

I blinked hard and gritted my teeth, battling the chemical storm coursing through my veins that urged me to allow Beast to take control. My blood pounded in my ears, the air around me thickening with heat as I fought to stay anchored, refusing to let Beast tip me past the point of no return.

“That was rude,” Marinah said, oblivious to how close to death she was.

I drew a slow, deliberate breath, then exhaled just as measured, forcing the surge of K-5 back down, doing everything I could to leash Beast’s rage. What was it about her that provoked him so violently?

For a mate, this level of intensity might have been understandable. But Beast didn’t want to claim Marinah. He wanted to destroy her and everyone near her. That, without a doubt, was not normal.

Ever since Greystone had convinced me to see Beast as an intrinsic part of myself, I had held the upper hand. His instincts were sharper than my human logic could ever hope to be. Beast had saved my life countless times, alert to dangers I couldn’t perceive. His thinking was simple.Kill bad problems. All problems are bad.My human side added the balance.

But even though we were one and the same, I had always drawn a mental line between us. Beast handled the animal. I handled the human. I controlled us both. It might not make sense, but that separation had kept us sane. It was one of the most valuable lessons my uncle had ever taught me.

"Let your beast rule only when a body count is necessary. At all other times, keep him tightly reined,"my uncle used to lecture whenever Beast slipped into my consciousness, leading me to destruction. His advice echoed now, sharper than ever, as I dealt with a human who tested my control at every turn.

Ishouldhave killed her. Beast insisted on it. He knew something I didn’t, and this was no time to ignore him.

Yet, I couldn’t give in.

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